How to Set Up the Stripe MCP Server (2026)

Stripe is where most software businesses keep their revenue truth: customers, subscriptions, invoices, disputes, and payment history. The official Stripe MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, or VS Code query and act on that data directly — so you can ask "how many active subscriptions do we have?" or "create a payment link for the Pro plan" without leaving your AI assistant. This guide covers the complete setup, including the API key safety practices that matter when money is involved.

What This Integration Enables

With the Stripe MCP server connected, your AI assistant can:

• Look up customers and their payment and subscription history
• Create customers, products, prices, and payment links
• List and inspect invoices, charges, and refunds
• Query subscription status and recent failed payments
• Search Stripe's documentation to answer integration questions while you code

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ installed and on your PATH
• A Stripe account (free to create)
• A Stripe secret API key — ideally a restricted test-mode key (created in step 1)
• An MCP client: Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code

Step 1: Create a Restricted API Key

1. Open the Stripe Dashboard → Developers → API keys and make sure Test mode is toggled on.
2. Click Create restricted key. Restricted keys let you grant only the permissions you need.
3. Grant Read on Customers, Charges, Invoices, Subscriptions, and Products to start. Add Write only on the resources you actually want the AI to create (e.g. Payment Links).
4. Copy the key — it starts with rk_test_ (restricted) or sk_test_ (standard secret). Store it somewhere private.

Step 2: Test the Server Locally

Confirm the server runs and authenticates before wiring it into a client. The official package is @stripe/mcp:

npx -y @stripe/mcp --tools=all --api-key=rk_test_your_key_here

If it starts without an authentication error, your key works. Stop it with Ctrl+C and move on to configuring your client. You can scope the available tools with --tools=customers.read,paymentLinks.create instead of all.

Step 3: Add the Server to Your Client

Claude Desktop

Edit claude_desktop_config.json (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@stripe/mcp", "--tools=all"],
      "env": {
        "STRIPE_SECRET_KEY": "rk_test_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor & VS Code

Use the identical block in ~/.cursor/mcp.json or your VS Code MCP settings. The command, args, and STRIPE_SECRET_KEY env var are the same. See our filesystem MCP setup guide for an example of the same pattern with a different server.

Remote (Hosted) Option

For clients that support remote MCP servers, Stripe hosts an endpoint at https://mcp.stripe.com, which you authenticate with the same secret key as a bearer token. This avoids running anything locally.

Step 4: Restart and Verify

Fully quit and reopen your client, then test it in test mode:

List my 5 most recent Stripe customers and their subscription status

Getting real (sandbox) results back confirms the integration is live.

Real-World Use Cases

• "Create a payment link for the $49/mo Pro plan and give me the URL"
• "Which customers had a failed payment in the last week?"
• "Summarize this customer's billing history before I reply to their email"
• "Draft a Stripe integration snippet using the latest API while reading the docs tool"

Troubleshooting

401 / authentication_required

The key is missing, malformed, or revoked. Confirm it starts with rk_test_, sk_test_, or the live equivalents, has no trailing spaces, and is still active in the Dashboard.

permission_denied on a specific tool

Your restricted key lacks the permission for that resource. Edit the key in the Stripe Dashboard and grant the missing Read or Write scope, then restart your client.

Tools don't appear after setup

Confirm Node 18+ is installed, that the JSON in your config is valid (a missing comma breaks the whole file), and that you fully restarted the client rather than just closing the window.

Security

• Use a restricted test-mode key while developing and never commit it to git
• Grant only the Read/Write permissions the AI actually needs — avoid refunds and payouts unless required
• Switch to a sk_live_ key only after you fully trust the workflow, and keep it restricted
• Rotate the key from the Stripe Dashboard if it is ever exposed

Frequently Asked Questions

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