Going live
Test mode and live mode are the same API. Going live is about who you are, and about the keys.
1. Verify your business
Section titled “1. Verify your business”The card networks need to know who is taking the money: the business, the people behind it, and
the bank account payouts go to. Going live in the Tuppence app walks you through it, one step at a
time, and ends with a quick identity check — a photo of your ID and a selfie, done with Stripe
Identity. Verification is Stripe’s: the details you type pass through Tuppence on their way to
Stripe and are not stored by us; your bank account number and your ID photos go straight to
Stripe and never reach our servers at all. Until it is complete, live keys refuse payments (onboarding_incomplete) and the dashboard’s
Live switch stays off.
2. Swap the keys
Section titled “2. Swap the keys”Create live keys (sk_live_…) under Developers → API keys in live mode, store them as you
store any production secret, and replace the test keys in your production configuration. A test
key never touches live data, and a live key never touches test data.
Prefer restricted keys (rk_live_…) with only the scopes each service needs, and an IP
allowlist where the caller’s addresses are fixed.
3. Checklist
Section titled “3. Checklist”- Webhook endpoints created in live mode,
https://, with their live secrets stored. - Every
POSTsends anIdempotency-Key(the SDKs do). - You branch on error
code, and retry only what should be retried. - Your branding (Settings → Branding) says who you are on the pay page, receipts and emails — payers dispute what they do not recognise.
- A person on your team gets alerts (Settings → Notifications): disputes have deadlines.
- You know your payout schedule (Balance → Payouts): weekly on Mondays once £50 is available, and a sweep at month end.
The fee is fixed when a card is presented and shown on every payment with how it was worked out. A refund gives the payer everything back and does not return our fee; a dispute costs a fee only if it is lost (pricing). Your monthly statement (Reports → Monthly statements) ties every penny to the balance Stripe holds for you.