Before customers can buy from you, you need to set up payments. Your store uses one of two payment partners — Stripe or Paystack — and we pick the right one automatically based on the country on your merchant profile. From your side it is one guided flow either way.
Which provider will I get?
- If your store is based in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or Côte d’Ivoire, you will set up with Paystack. Paystack supports local cards, EFT, and bank transfers. Egypt and Rwanda are also supported via Paystack in pilot.
- If your store is based in countries Stripe serves (for example the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, the Netherlands, or Sweden) you will set up with Stripe. Stripe supports cards and wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Your country comes from your merchant profile, so make sure that is set correctly before you start.
Each store has one provider
You do not need to choose Stripe versus Paystack yourself — your dashboard takes you to the right setup based on your country. Each store has one payment provider connected at a time.
Activate payments
The setup itself takes around five minutes. You will need your business details and a bank account in your name (or your business name) to receive payouts.
- 1
Open Payments from your sidebar
Click Payments in the left sidebar. On the Settings tab you will see a card that says "Let's get you paid" with an Enable payments button.
- 2
Click Enable payments
This takes you to the activation flow that matches your country. For Paystack you go through a guided stepper inside Shopstar. For Stripe, you are sent to Stripe to fill in your details and then back to your dashboard.
- 3
Tell us where to deposit your payouts
Enter the bank account that should receive your payouts. Double-check the account number and name — payouts to a wrong account can be slow to recover.
- 4
Verify your identity
Both Stripe and Paystack run their own identity and business checks before they can pay you out. Have a government-issued ID and any business documents handy.
- 5
Run a small test payment
Place a small order on your own store with a real card. This is the best way to catch small issues before a real customer hits them.
- 6
Start accepting cards
Once the test payment goes through and the provider has finished verification, your checkout is live for every visitor.
Don’t skip the test payment
Running through checkout yourself is the fastest way to catch tiny issues before a real customer does. Most merchants find at least one thing to tweak.
You can’t go live until verification is complete
If your payment provider is still asking for documents, your Payments page shows a "needs a bit more from you" callout with a link straight to the provider. Until those are resolved, payouts are held.
Frequently asked questions
How long does verification take?
It depends on the provider and your country. Many merchants are approved within minutes. Others take a day or two — neither provider can pay you out until verification is complete.
Can I choose Stripe or Paystack myself?
Not directly — your country decides which provider you set up with. If your country is supported by both today or in the future, your dashboard will let you know.
Can I switch payment providers later?
Switching providers is not a self-serve action — it depends on your country and your existing account. If you need to switch (for example you moved countries), reach out to support and we will help you migrate cleanly.
What happens if I do not set up payments?
Customers cannot check out. Your Payments page shows a friendly reminder until payments are activated, so you do not accidentally go live without a way to be paid.