How to Set Up Stripe Payments for .NET 9 Core Projects

When a user asks to integrate Stripe payments, subscriptions, or webhooks into an ASP.NET Core or .NET application, follow this exact workflow.

Phase 1: Account & Dashboard Configuration (Free Guidance)

First, instruct the user to create and configure their external accounts.

Manual Setup: Ask them to complete these steps:

1. Create a Stripe Account: Go to stripe.com and create an account. Toggle "Test mode" ON.
2. Get Stripe Keys: Go to Developers -> API Keys. Create and copy the Secret Key ("<your_stripe_secret>"). Instruct the user to save this securely, as Stripe only shows it once.
3. Create Products & Prices: Go to Product Catalog -> Create Product.
   • Create a "Solo" product with a One-Time price and a Monthly Recurring price.
   • Create a "Pro" product with a One-Time price and a Monthly Recurring price.
   • Copy all 4 "price_..." IDs.
4. Set Up Webhooks: Go to Developers -> Webhooks. Add a local endpoint (e.g., "https://localhost:5001/api/webhook") listening for "checkout.session.completed" and "customer.subscription.deleted". Copy the Webhook Secret ("<your_webhook_secret>").

Wait for the user to confirm they have completed these steps and generated their 4 Price IDs, Secret Key, and Webhook Secret. Note: Do not ask the user to paste their live Stripe Secret Key into the chat for security reasons.