Resolving Stripe Payment Capture Issues

Introduction

Stripe payment capture failures can occur for various reasons, from API misconfigurations to issues with the payment processor. This guide provides a systematic approach to troubleshooting and resolving these problems efficiently.

Step 1: Verify API Keys and Configuration

Ensure that the correct Stripe API keys (Publishable and Secret) are being used for the environment (test or live). A common mistake is using test keys in a live environment or vice versa. The payment intent should be created with 'capture_method' set to 'manual' if you intend to capture it later.

Step 2: Check Payment Intent Status

Use the Stripe Dashboard to inspect the Payment Intent associated with the failed transaction. Check its status. If the status is 'requires_capture', it means the payment was authorized but not captured. If it's 'canceled' or 'failed', review the error messages provided by the API response for more details.

Step 3: Review Webhook Endpoints

Your system might rely on webhooks to trigger the capture process. Verify that your webhook endpoint is receiving events from Stripe correctly. Check the 'Events' section in the Stripe Dashboard for any failed webhook deliveries. Ensure your server is correctly processing the 'payment_intent.succeeded' or 'charge.succeeded' events.