Connecting Stripe

Stripe is the payment processor that powers all monetary transactions on Leenkies. Whether you are selling digital products or offering paid appointment bookings, Stripe handles the secure processing of credit and debit card payments, manages payouts to your bank account, and ensures compliance with financial regulations. Connecting your Stripe account is a required step before you can accept any payments through your Leenkies page.

Why Stripe Is Required

Leenkies uses Stripe Connect to process payments on behalf of creators. This means payments from your customers go directly to your Stripe account -- Leenkies never holds or touches your funds. Stripe Connect is the industry standard for marketplace and platform payments, used by companies like Shopify, Lyft, and Kickstarter.

Without a connected Stripe account:

• You cannot set a price on any product. Products can only be offered as free downloads.
• You cannot create paid booking types. All appointments will need to be free.
• Customers will not see a checkout option for any listing on your page.

Once Stripe is connected, you can set prices on products and booking types, and the full checkout flow becomes available to your customers.

How to Connect Your Stripe Account

Setting up Stripe takes just a few minutes:

1. From your Leenkies dashboard, click Settings in the sidebar navigation.
2. Navigate to the Integrations section.
3. Find the Stripe integration card and click the Connect button.
4. You will be redirected to Stripe's onboarding flow, which guides you through setting up or connecting your Stripe account.

The Stripe Onboarding Process

When you click Connect, Stripe walks you through a multi-step onboarding process. If you already have a Stripe account, you can sign in and connect it. If you do not have one, Stripe will create a new account for you during onboarding. The process collects the following information:

Identity Verification

Stripe is required by financial regulations to verify your identity. You will be asked to provide your legal name, date of birth, and in some cases a government-issued ID (such as a driver's license or passport). This is a one-time requirement and your information is handled securely by Stripe.

Bank Account or Payout Destination

You need to provide a bank account where Stripe will deposit your earnings. This is the account that receives payouts when customers purchase your products or book paid appointments. Stripe supports bank accounts in dozens of countries and handles currency conversion where needed.

Business Information

Stripe asks for basic business details, including your business type (individual, sole proprietor, company, etc.), your address, and a description of what you sell. If you are an individual creator or freelancer, you can select the individual/sole proprietor option -- you do not need a registered business entity to use Stripe.

Three Onboarding Stages

After you begin the Stripe connection process, your account progresses through three stages. You can see your current stage on the Stripe integration card in your Settings:

1. Connected

This is the initial stage. It means Leenkies has established a link with your Stripe account. At this point, Stripe may still be collecting or verifying your information. You may not be able to accept payments yet.

2. Details Submitted

This stage means you have submitted all of the required information (identity, bank account, business details) to Stripe. Stripe is now reviewing your submission. In most cases, this review is instant or takes just a few minutes. During this stage, your Stripe card in Settings will reflect that your details have been submitted and are under review.

3. Charges Enabled

This is the final stage, and it means your Stripe account is fully active. You can now accept payments from customers. Products with prices and paid booking types will display their checkout flows to visitors. Payouts to your bank account will begin on Stripe's standard payout schedule (typically rolling 2-day payouts, though this varies by country).

Pro Tip: Most creators reach the Charges Enabled stage within minutes of completing the Stripe onboarding. If your account has been stuck at Details Submitted for more than 24 hours, check your email for any messages from Stripe requesting additional information.

Additional Information Notifications

In some cases, Stripe may require additional information after your initial onboarding. This can happen if:

• Stripe's automated verification needs a clearer photo of your ID.
• Your bank account details need correction.
• Regulatory requirements in your country require additional documentation.

When Stripe needs more information, Leenkies displays a notification on your Settings page alerting you that action is required. The notification includes a link to Stripe's dashboard where you can provide the requested information. Until the additional information is submitted and approved, your ability to accept payments may be paused.

0% Platform Fees

Leenkies charges zero percent platform fees on your sales. Every dollar your customers pay goes to your Stripe account (minus Stripe's own processing fees). There is no revenue share, no commission, and no hidden charges from Leenkies on your transactions.

Stripe's processing fees still apply. These are Stripe's standard fees for processing credit and debit card payments, and they are charged by Stripe directly -- not by Leenkies. Stripe's fees vary by country and card type but are typically around 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction in the United States. You can find Stripe's current pricing on their website.

The key takeaway: Leenkies takes nothing from your sales. The only fees you pay are Stripe's standard card processing fees, which you would pay on any platform that uses Stripe.

Pro Tip: Factor Stripe's processing fees into your pricing strategy. If you want to net exactly $50 on a consultation, price it slightly higher (around $51.75) to cover the processing fee. Alternatively, many creators simply absorb the small fee as a cost of doing business.

Disconnecting Stripe

If you need to disconnect your Stripe account:

1. Go to Settings in the sidebar.
2. Navigate to Integrations.
3. On the Stripe card, click the Disconnect button.
4. Confirm the disconnection when prompted.

Once disconnected:

• All products with prices will no longer have a working checkout flow. Customers will not be able to purchase paid products.
• Paid booking types will no longer accept payments. Customers will not be able to complete the payment step for paid appointments.
• Free products and free booking types continue to work normally.
• Existing completed orders and their fulfillment are not affected -- customers who already purchased and received products retain their access.

You can reconnect Stripe at any time by going through the connection process again.