Connecting Stripe lets clients pay your invoices with a credit card. You don't have to — e-transfer, bank transfer, cash, and cheque all work through Cradled's payment instructions — but card payments are the most friction-free for clients.
What you'll need
Before you start, have these ready:
- Your legal name and date of birth
- Your business details (can be your sole-proprietor name)
- Your bank account details (for payouts)
- Your tax ID (SSN/SIN/EIN depending on your country)
- A government-issued ID (Stripe may ask to verify)
Steps
- Go to Account → Payments.
- Click Connect Stripe.
- You'll be redirected to Stripe's hosted onboarding at
connect.stripe.com. - Fill in your business info, personal info, and bank account details.
- Stripe may ask you to verify your identity with a photo of your ID.
- Return to Cradled when Stripe confirms you're active.
The whole process usually takes 10–15 minutes.
After connecting
You'll see "Stripe connected" on your Account page. Every invoice you send from now on will include a Stripe Checkout payment link.
Fees
Cradled takes zero platform fee on invoice payments. You pay Stripe's standard processing fees:
- US cards: 2.9% + 30¢
- Canadian cards: 2.9% + 30¢
- International cards: slightly higher (Stripe will show you the rate)
Stripe deducts the fee and pays the rest to your bank, typically daily or weekly depending on your Stripe settings.
Refunds
You can issue full or partial refunds from inside Cradled. Stripe processes the refund and it shows up on the client's card within 5–10 business days.
Troubleshooting
Stripe says my application is under review — Stripe sometimes flags accounts for manual review. Check your Stripe dashboard directly at dashboard.stripe.com for any info requests. Most reviews clear within a few days.
Stripe disconnected — someone (you, or Stripe) revoked the connection. Go to Account → Payments and click Connect Stripe again. Your previous data stays intact.
"Country not supported" — Stripe Connect isn't available everywhere. Check their supported country list. If unsupported, use manual payment instructions instead.
→ How Stripe Connect works with Cradled → Troubleshoot Stripe connection issues