Stripe Connect for Builders
Stripe Connect powers the payment layer of Airbnb, Lyft, Shopify, and thousands of marketplaces. This course teaches you to onboard sellers, route charges, take application fees, manage payouts, handle disputes, and test the full integration — without getting lost in Stripe docs.
What you'll learn
Course outline
Free — start now
What Is Stripe Connect?
Understand what Connect is, why you need it, and what it lets you build
Account Types Explained
Standard, Express, and Custom — which one is right for your marketplace?
Onboarding Sellers
Create a connected account and guide sellers through the onboarding flow
Full course — $69 one-time
Direct vs Destination Charges
Understand the three charge models and choose the right one for your marketplace
Application Fees and Platform Revenue
Collect your cut automatically on every transaction
Payouts and Schedules
Control when and how sellers receive their money
Disputes and Refunds
Handle chargebacks and refunds in a two-sided marketplace
Connect Webhooks
Listen for events on your platform account and connected accounts
Tax Reporting and 1099-K
Understand your US tax reporting obligations as a marketplace platform
Testing Your Connect Integration
Validate the full marketplace payment flow before going live
Get the full course
All 10 lessons. Build the payment layer of a real marketplace — seller onboarding to payouts.
Written by the RadarTrek editorial team · Reviewed June 2026
About this course
Standard Stripe is for businesses selling their own products. Stripe Connect is for platforms and marketplaces where other businesses or individuals sell through your product — and you take a cut. Think of Airbnb (hosts earn money, Airbnb takes a fee), Shopify (merchants sell, Shopify takes a percentage), or Substack (writers earn subscriptions, Substack takes 10%). Every platform where money flows through you to third parties needs Connect. The complexity — and the reason most developers avoid it until they must — is that Connect introduces a three-party relationship between your platform, the buyer, and the seller, each with their own compliance, identity verification, and accounting requirements.
Stripe Connect offers three account types with different tradeoffs: Express accounts (fastest onboarding, Stripe hosts the dashboard), Standard accounts (sellers use their existing Stripe account), and Custom accounts (maximum control but you handle all UI and compliance). For most marketplace builders, Express is the right choice — Stripe handles KYC identity verification, the seller dashboard, and dispute resolution, while you collect application fees on every charge. This course teaches Express onboarding, destination charges, application fees, payout mechanics, webhook events, and the testing strategies that verify your Connect integration works end to end.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need Stripe Connect instead of regular Stripe?
You need Stripe Connect whenever money passes through your platform to third parties. If you are selling your own products or SaaS subscriptions, standard Stripe is sufficient. If your platform enables other people or businesses to earn money — a freelance marketplace, rental platform, event ticketing site, digital product marketplace, or tipping system — you need Connect because the funds legally belong to those third parties and must be tracked, disbursed, and reported separately from your platform revenue.
What is the difference between Express, Standard, and Custom Connect accounts?
Express accounts: Stripe onboards the seller with a hosted flow, collects their banking details and identity documents, and provides a Stripe-hosted dashboard for the seller to manage their payouts. Your platform controls the fee structure but Stripe handles all compliance. Standard accounts: sellers connect their existing Stripe account to your platform. Custom accounts: you build all the onboarding UI and dashboard yourself and take full responsibility for compliance — significantly more complex. Most marketplace builders should start with Express.
What is a destination charge and how does the money flow?
In a destination charge, the buyer pays your platform, and you forward a portion to the connected account (the seller) as a transfer, while retaining an application fee. The charge appears on your platform's Stripe account. Alternatively, direct charges appear directly on the connected account, with your platform taking an application fee from each charge. Destination charges are simpler for most use cases because disputes are filed against your platform account rather than the individual seller.
How do payouts work with Stripe Connect?
When a seller earns money through your platform, it accumulates in their Connect account's balance. Payouts transfer that balance to their linked bank account. By default, Stripe automatically pays out connected accounts on a rolling basis (typically daily or weekly, subject to a bank transfer delay). You can also switch to manual payouts if you want to control the payout schedule — for example, holding funds for a platform-defined period after a transaction. Sellers can also initiate instant payouts for a fee if you enable that feature.
Is Stripe Connect available in all countries?
Stripe Connect availability depends on the countries where your platform and your connected accounts are based. As of 2026, Stripe Connect is available in 40+ countries. The key constraint is that connected accounts must be in a country where Stripe operates and where Connect is supported. International payouts (a seller in one country receiving funds from buyers in another) add currency conversion considerations. Always check the Stripe Connect global availability page for your specific markets before building.