Connecting Stripe for patient payments
Connect the practice's existing Stripe account or create a new one from Settings, check whether charges and payouts are ready, and control card-saving settings for patient intake and online payments.
Use Settings → Billing → Stripe to connect the Stripe account your practice already has, or create a new one, and manage whether intake requires a card on file. You may also land here from Memberships, Promo Codes, or Cancellation Fees when Stripe needs to be ready to take charges. The page now shows billing profiles, so each profile can have its own Stripe account, dashboard actions, and card-saving settings.
Use Connect Stripe (1) to start connecting the account for the selected billing profile. The Charges (2), Payouts (3), and Open Stripe dashboard (4) callouts show whether that profile is ready for payments. Stripe must show onboarding complete, charges enabled, and payouts enabled before you can collect payments into that profile's account. Once Stripe can take charges, the page also lets you manage card-saving settings for patient intake and online payments.
How do I connect Stripe?
In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Billing, click Stripe to open the Connect Stripe page.
Use Settings (1) to open Settings. Then select Stripe (2) from the Billing settings list.
- In the left sidebar, click Settings (at the bottom). In the settings menu, under Billing, click Stripe.
- In the billing profiles list, open the billing profile you want to connect.
- Check the email shown on the profile.
- Select Connect existing account or open the menu on the split button and select Create new account.
- If you are creating a new account, fill in Name, Name patients see, and Invoice prefix.
- Complete the steps on Stripe's page.
- Return to Ona when Stripe sends you back.
The Stripe card updates when you return. If setup is not complete yet, the card shows Setup incomplete.
How do I continue unfinished Stripe onboarding?
On the Connect Stripe page, continue onboarding when a billing profile has a Stripe account but the account is not fully ready yet.
- On the same page, in the billing profiles list, find the profile whose card shows Setup incomplete.
- Select Continue with Stripe.
- If you want to stop setup, open the menu on the split button and select Cancel setup.
- Finish the remaining steps in Stripe, then return to Ona when Stripe sends you back.
How do I read the Stripe status?
On the Connect Stripe page, the Stripe card shows whether the selected billing profile is ready for patient payments.
Use the Connection state (1) to see whether the selected profile is Not connected, Setup incomplete, or a connected account. Check the Readiness details (2) for Onboarding, Charges, and Payouts. Use the Stripe action (3) to continue the next step or open the dashboard when the account is ready. The Admin email (4) is the email Stripe will use for the account.
| State | What it means | Available action |
|---|---|---|
| Not connected | No Stripe account is linked yet for that billing profile. | Connect existing account or Create new account |
| Setup incomplete | A Stripe account exists, but setup is incomplete or either charges or payouts are off. | Continue with Stripe and Cancel setup |
| Connected standard account | A standard Stripe account is connected and ready. | Open Stripe dashboard |
The details on the card show what is ready:
- Onboarding is Complete or Incomplete.
- Charges is Enabled or Off.
- Payouts is Enabled or Off.
The status refreshes when you return from Stripe.
How do I require a payment method during patient intake?
On the Connect Stripe page, use the Patient intake section on a billing profile to decide whether patients must save a card before they finish intake. On the same page, the Cards on file section controls how patients can save and keep a card for later charges. These settings are available only once that billing profile's Stripe account can accept charges.
The Patient intake section (1) contains the Require a payment method switch (2). You can use that switch only after Charges is Enabled on the selected billing profile's Stripe account (3). The Cards on file section below it includes Hide Stripe Link, Hide Apple Pay and Google Pay when available, and Offer to save the card.
- On the same page, in the billing profiles list, open the profile you want to update.
- In the patient intake section, turn Require a payment method on or off.
- In the Cards on file section, turn Hide Stripe Link, Hide Apple Pay and Google Pay, or Offer to save the card on or off as needed.
- Select Save changes.
After you save, patients either must save a card on file before they finish intake, or they can finish intake without one, and the card-saving options you set apply to online payments too.
How do I open the Stripe dashboard?
On the Connect Stripe page, open the Stripe dashboard after onboarding is complete and both charges and payouts are enabled for the selected billing profile. A connected standard account opens the Stripe dashboard directly.
Check the Connected status (1) before you try to continue. Use Open Stripe dashboard (2) only after Onboarding is Complete and both Charges and Payouts are Enabled. The Admin email (3) is the Stripe account contact email.
- On the same page, in the billing profiles list, open the profile you want to manage.
- Confirm Onboarding is Complete, Charges is Enabled, and Payouts is Enabled.
- Select Open Stripe dashboard.
The Stripe dashboard opens in a new browser tab.
What should I do if Stripe shows an error?
On the Connect Stripe page, use the message you see to choose the next step.
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Unable to load Stripe Connect status | Select Retry. You may need billing permissions, or try refreshing the page. |
| Email required | Add an email address to your profile. |
| Stripe onboarding failed | Check your permissions. |
| Couldn't open Stripe | Stripe didn't return a link. |
| Couldn't open Stripe dashboard | Try again. |
| Couldn't create link | Use Connect existing account or Create new account instead. |
What can't I do here?
On the Connect Stripe page, access and actions are limited in these ways:
- Staff and clinicians cannot manage Stripe from Settings.
- You cannot change the email Stripe uses on this page. It comes from your signed-in Ona account.
- You cannot start or continue Stripe onboarding if your signed-in account has no email address.
- You cannot open the Stripe dashboard until the selected billing profile is ready for payments.
- You cannot use the split-button actions until Stripe status loads and the account state allows them.
- You cannot change Require a payment method or the card-saving settings in Cards on file until Charges is Enabled for that billing profile.
Common questions
Why is Connect existing account disabled?
It is disabled if your signed-in Ona account does not have an email address, or while another Stripe action is already in progress.
Why was I sent here from Memberships, Promo Codes, or Cancellation Fees?
Those settings depend on Stripe being ready to take charges. Memberships bills patients' cards on a recurring basis, Promo Codes are created in your Stripe account, and Cancellation Fees can charge a card on file only when Stripe can take charges.
Does Stripe use my own email or a practice billing email?
Stripe uses the email on your signed-in Ona account. You cannot change it from this page.
What does connecting Stripe unlock?
A connected Stripe account lets your organization collect patient invoice payments through Stripe. For invoice workflows, see Invoicing patients and collecting payments. Stripe charges are also required before recurring memberships can bill patients; see Setting up memberships and recurring billing.
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