Using Stripe API in JavaScript

Stripe API is a powerful tool that allows developers to integrate payment functionality into their web applications. In this article, we'll explore how to use the Stripe API with JavaScript.

Getting Started

Before we start, we need to have a Stripe account and obtain an API key. You can create an account and obtain an API key from the Stripe dashboard.

Install the Stripe Node.js Library

First, we need to install the Stripe Node.js library using npm. Run the following command in your terminal:

npm install stripe --save

Charge a Credit Card

To charge a credit card, we'll use the charge endpoint. Here's an example code snippet that shows how to charge a credit card in JavaScript:

const stripe = require('stripe')(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY);

stripe.charges.create({
  amount: 2000,
  currency: 'usd',
  source: 'tok_visa',
  description: 'Charge for johndoe@example.com',
}, function(err, charge) {
  // Handle error
  if (err) {
    console.error(err);
    return;
  }
  // Success
  console.log(charge);
});

In the above code, we're creating a charge object with a 2000 cent amount in the USD currency. We're also adding the Stripe test card token as the source for the charge. When the charge is successful, we'll log the charge object to the console.

Create a Customer

We can create a customer with the Stripe API using the customers endpoint. Here's an example code snippet that shows how to create a customer in JavaScript:

const stripe = require('stripe')(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY);

stripe.customers.create({
  email: 'johndoe@example.com',
}, function(err, customer) {
  // Handle error
  if (err) {
    console.error(err);
    return;
  }
  // Success
  console.log(customer);
});

In the above code, we're creating a customer object with an email address. When the customer is created successfully, we'll log the customer object to the console.

Conclusion

Stripe provides comprehensive documentation for its API with detailed explanations and examples. In this article, we've explored two common use cases for the Stripe API in JavaScript. Once you're familiar with the Stripe API, you can create multiple integrations for your web application in no time.