The Go-Live Checklist

Switching to live mode

Going live means activating the account (business details, bank account, identity verification), replacing test keys with live keys in your production secrets, and creating live webhook endpoints with their own signing secrets, because test endpoints do not receive live events. Recreate products and prices in live mode or copy them. Review Radar, Stripe's fraud screening, which scores payments by risk; you can add rules, for example to block or review payments based on risk level or failed CVC checks. If you must collect sales tax, VAT or GST, consider Stripe Tax, which calculates tax in Checkout, Invoicing and Billing once you add your registrations. Set a clear statement descriptor so customers recognise charges.

Automatic tax in Checkout

Requires Stripe Tax to be set up for your account.

const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
  mode: 'payment',
  line_items: [{ price: 'price_...', quantity: 1 }],
  automatic_tax: { enabled: true },          // Stripe Tax calculates the tax
  billing_address_collection: 'required',    // address helps determine tax location
  success_url: 'https://example.com/success?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}',
  cancel_url: 'https://example.com/cart',
});

Keep test and live configuration separate

Use separate environment variables and deployments for test and live keys, and alert if a production server starts with an sk_test_ key or a staging server with an sk_live_ key.

Quick check: After switching to live keys, why do webhooks still not arrive?

• A live-mode webhook endpoint with its own secret has not been created
• Live mode does not support webhooks
• Webhooks only work with publishable keys
• Radar blocks all webhooks