If you are based in the Netherlands, or you have customers who prefer paying with iDEAL, you can offer it as a payment option on your subscription checkout pages.
For subscriptions, iDEAL works a little differently from one-time payments. Stripe uses the first iDEAL payment to collect the customer bank details, then future subscription renewals are charged automatically through SEPA Direct Debit. That means both iDEAL and SEPA Direct Debit need to be enabled.
Step 1: Enable iDEAL in your Stripe Dashboard
Log into your Stripe account at `dashboard.stripe.com`, open `Settings`, and go to the `Payment methods` area under the payments section.
Find `iDEAL` in the list and make sure it is turned on. There is also a separate option for recurring iDEAL payments, so make sure that is enabled too.
- Log into Stripe
- Open `Settings` using the gear icon in the top right
- Under the payments section, click `Payment methods`
- Find `iDEAL` and turn it on
- Turn on the recurring-payments option for iDEAL as well
Step 2: Enable SEPA Direct Debit
While you are still on the same `Payment methods` page, find `SEPA Direct Debit` and turn it on.
This is required because after the first iDEAL payment, Stripe automatically uses SEPA Direct Debit for future subscription renewals. If SEPA Direct Debit is not enabled, iDEAL will not appear on subscription checkout pages.
Step 3: Make sure your account currency supports it
iDEAL only works with `EUR` transactions. If your plans are priced in Euros, you are good to go.
If your plans are priced in a different currency, iDEAL will not appear as a payment option for your customers.
If you need to change the platform and Stripe currency setup, use the `Changing the Default Currency for Custom Plans` guide so your public pricing and Stripe billing stay aligned.
How it works for your customers
- They click to subscribe and arrive at the checkout page
- They see `iDEAL` listed alongside other payment options such as card
- They choose `iDEAL` and select their bank
- They are redirected to their bank website to authorize the payment
- After the payment is completed, they are redirected back to your platform
- Future subscription renewals are charged automatically through `SEPA Direct Debit` with no extra action needed from the customer
Troubleshooting
If iDEAL still is not showing up, there are usually only a few things to check.
- Double-check that both `iDEAL` with recurring payments and `SEPA Direct Debit` are enabled in Stripe under `Payment methods`
- Make sure the checkout is charging in `EUR` because iDEAL does not support other currencies
- Check that your Stripe account has the `SEPA Direct Debit` capability active under `Settings -> Account details`
- If the SEPA capability is missing, Stripe may need to review your account first, so contact Stripe support
- If you just enabled these settings, create a new checkout link because older links created before the change may not update automatically