Seamlessly Integrating Stripe Payments in a Rails-React Application

Introduction

Online payments have become an integral part of e-commerce and various online platforms. Ensuring a secure and efficient payment method not only amplifies user trust but also enhances the overall user experience. In this article, we will explore how to seamlessly integrate Stripe, a widely used payment gateway, into a Rails-React application.

What you’ll learn

Setting up Stripe in a Rails API
Integrating Stripe with React on the frontend
Handling secure transactions and errors
Managing webhooks for payment events
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Ruby on Rails and ReactJS

Stripe account

(sign up if you don’t have one)

1. Setting Up Stripe in Rails API a. Install the Stripe Ruby Gem Add the Stripe Ruby gem to your Rails API's Gemfile and run bundle install.

gem 'stripe'

Configure Stripe API Keys

Retrieve your API keys from the Stripe dashboard and securely store them using Rails credentials or environment variables.

In config/initializers/stripe.rb:

Stripe.api_key = Rails.application.credentials.stripe[:secret_key]

Create a Charges Controller

Develop a controller to manage Stripe charges and implement the payment functionality.

class ChargesController < ApplicationController
  def create
    # Implement charging logic here...
  end
end

Setup Webhooks

(Optional)
For handling events like successful payments, failed charges, etc., consider setting up webhooks.

Implementing Stripe on the React Frontend

1. Install Stripe JS and React Stripe JS Utilize Stripe.js and React-Stripe-JS to smoothly integrate Stripe with your React app.

npm install @stripe/stripe-js @stripe/react-stripe-js

1. Setup Stripe Elements in React Include the Elements provider at the root level of your app and set your publishable key.

import { Elements } from '@stripe/react-stripe-js';
import { loadStripe } from '@stripe/stripe-js';

const stripePromise = loadStripe('your-publishable-key-here');

function App() {
  return (
    <Elements stripe={stripePromise}>
      {/* Your components here */}
    </Elements>
  );
}

1. Create a Checkout Component Utilize CardElement and other components from React-Stripe-JS to build the checkout form.

import { CardElement, useStripe, useElements } from '@stripe/react-stripe-js';

const CheckoutForm = () => {
  const stripe = useStripe();
  const elements = useElements();

  const handleSubmit = async (event) => {
    event.preventDefault();

    // Implement payment logic here...
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <CardElement />
      <button type="submit" disabled={!stripe}>
        Pay now
      </button>
    </form>
  );
};

Secure Transactions and Error Handling

a. Validate Payments
Ensure that your transaction details are validated both client-side (React) and server-side (Rails) to enhance security and manage failed transactions.

b. Error Handling
Implement robust error handling by catching potential exceptions during payment processing and providing adequate feedback to users.

Handling Webhooks

a. Configure Endpoint
Ensure your Rails API is prepared to securely receive and validate events from Stripe’s webhook endpoints.

b. Handle Events
Implement logic to manage various payment events, such as sending confirmation emails upon successful payment or logging failed transactions.

Conclusion

Integrating Stripe into your Rails-React application can vastly simplify and secure your online transaction process. Through careful configuration, robust error handling, and secure webhook management, you’ll provide a smooth and secure payment experience for your users. Ensure to delve deeper into the documentation of Stripe, Rails, and React to explore more advanced features and best practices.