Does Django Work With Stripe?
Django and Stripe work together seamlessly for payment processing, with excellent library support and straightforward integration patterns.
Quick Facts
How Django Works With Stripe
Django integrates with Stripe through the `stripe` Python package, which provides a clean SDK for all Stripe API operations. Developers typically use `django-stripe-payments` or `dj-stripe` for higher-level abstractions that handle webhooks, model synchronization, and recurring billing. The most common pattern involves creating a Stripe API key in Django settings, then using it in views to create payment intents, handle customer records, and process transactions. Django's ORM naturally maps to Stripe's customer and subscription models, allowing you to maintain local database records synchronized with Stripe's data via webhook listeners. The webhook handler is typically a Django view that validates Stripe's signature and updates your database accordingly—critical for handling asynchronous payment confirmations. The developer experience is smooth: you can build sophisticated billing systems (one-time payments, subscriptions, invoicing) without managing sensitive payment data yourself since Stripe handles PCI compliance.
Best Use Cases
Quick Setup
pip install stripe dj-stripe# settings.py
import os
STRIPE_LIVE_PUBLIC_KEY = os.environ.get("STRIPE_LIVE_PUBLIC_KEY", "")
STRIPE_LIVE_SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get("STRIPE_LIVE_SECRET_KEY", "")
STRIPE_TEST_PUBLIC_KEY = os.environ.get("STRIPE_TEST_PUBLIC_KEY", "")
STRIPE_TEST_SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get("STRIPE_TEST_SECRET_KEY", "")
STRIPE_LIVE_MODE = not DEBUG
# views.py
import stripe
from django.http import JsonResponse
from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
from django.views.decorators.http import require_http_methods
stripe.api_key = settings.STRIPE_LIVE_SECRET_KEY if settings.STRIPE_LIVE_MODE else settings.STRIPE_TEST_SECRET_KEY
@require_http_methods(["POST"])
def create_payment_intent(request):
intent = stripe.PaymentIntent.create(
amount=2000,
currency="usd",
idempotency_key=request.POST.get("idempotency_key")
)
return JsonResponse({"clientSecret": intent.client_secret})
@csrf_exempt
@require_http_methods(["POST"])
def stripe_webhook(request):
payload = request.body
sig_header = request.META.get('HTTP_STRIPE_SIGNATURE')
event = stripe.Webhook.construct_event(
payload, sig_header, settings.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET
)
if event["type"] == "payment_intent.succeeded":
order = Order.objects.get(stripe_intent_id=event["data"]["object"]["id"])
order.mark_paid()
return JsonResponse({"status": "success"})Known Issues & Gotchas
Webhook signature verification is essential but easy to miss, leaving your app vulnerable to replay attacks
Fix: Always validate webhook signatures using Stripe's provided libraries; use `stripe.Webhook.construct_event()` with your endpoint secret
Stripe test mode and live mode keys must be kept separate; accidentally using live keys in development risks real charges
Fix: Use Django's settings.DEBUG to conditionally swap keys, or use environment variables with strict enforcement
Idempotency keys aren't automatic—duplicate requests can charge customers twice
Fix: Pass idempotency_key parameter in Stripe API calls for sensitive operations like payment intent creation
Webhook handlers can timeout or fail silently if your Django app is slow or overloaded
Fix: Process webhooks asynchronously using Celery or async tasks; return 200 immediately, handle updates in background
Alternatives
- •Flask + Stripe: More lightweight Python alternative if you don't need Django's batteries-included approach
- •React + Next.js + Stripe: For fully client-side payment handling with API routes, popular in modern SPA architectures
- •Django + PayPal: Alternative payment processor with similar integration patterns if you need broader payment method support
Resources
Related Compatibility Guides
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