Integration Stripe for website and CRM in Cyprus

Why Stripe is the standard for online payments in the EU

Stripe is a global payment provider available in over 50 countries, including Cyprus. It supports 135+ currencies, Visa/Mastercard/American Express/Discover/JCB cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA, ACH. For EU businesses, Stripe is the gold standard: compliant with PSD2/SCA, supports 3D Secure, and holds PCI DSS Level 1 (you do not store card numbers).

How much does Stripe cost for businesses in Cyprus

Stripe fee in EU/EEA:

• 1.5% + €0.25 — for European bank cards (EU/EEA)
• 2.5% + €0.25 — for non-European bank cards
• +1% — for currency conversion if payment in a currency other than the bank account currency
• Subscriptions — no additional fees, same commission
• Refunds — no refund fee, but the initial commission is non-refundable

For comparison: PayPal charges 2.9% + €0.35, Revolut Business 1% + €0.20, JCC (Cyprus) 1.5-2.5% (by agreement), and Stripe is beneficial for businesses with a high percentage of EU cards.

How to open a Stripe account in Cyprus

To activate Stripe for a Cypriot company, you need:

• Company registration in Cyprus (Cyprus Limited Company)
• VAT number (if turnover exceeds €15,600 per year - mandatory)
• Beneficiary (UBO) and directors with passport
• Cypriot bank account for payments (BoC, MCB, Hellenic, Astrobank or Wise/Revolut Business)
• Business description - Stripe sometimes requests additional documents

Activation takes from 1 hour to 5 business days. We help with preparation and completion of the application - especially if the business model is non-standard (subscriptions, marketplace, digital goods).

When Stripe integration is needed

Stripe is suitable for most online scenarios:

• Online store — payment basket with Apple/Google Pay support for fast checkout
• SaaS — subscriptions with trial, upgrade/downgrade, proration, customer portal
• Services — Payment on order or prepayment with amount authorization
• Marketplace — split payments among multiple recipients via Stripe Connect
• Donations / crowdfunding — One-off or recurring payments
• Booking — Authorisation of amount at booking, deduction upon usage

Subscriptions and recurring billing on Stripe

Stripe Subscriptions covers 95% of SaaS use cases:

• Multiple plans with varying prices and frequencies (mo/yr)
• Trial period — 7 days, 14 days, any
• Upgrade/downgrade with prorated calculation
• Add-ons and quantity-based pricing (e.g., €5 per user)
• Smart Retries - automatic retries on failed payments
• Customer Portal - the customer manages their subscription without contacting support.
• Processing churn events via webhooks (subscription.updated, customer.subscription.deleted)

Stripe Connect for a marketplace

If you have a multi-seller platform (marketplace, service aggregator, rental platform) - Stripe Connect is required. It handles split payments: the customer pays €100, €70 goes to the seller, €30 is the platform's fee. Supports three types of accounts:

• Standard — The seller registers and manages their dashboard on Stripe.
• Express — simplified registration through your site, main management with you
• Custom — The seller doesn't even see Stripe; everything is through your interface.

Security and compliance

Stripe handles PCI DSS — card numbers never reach your server. Via Stripe.js and Elements, data is encrypted on the client side and sent directly to Stripe, eliminating 90% of your PCI obligations. Additionally, we configure:

• 3D Secure for all EU transactions (PSD2 requirement)
• Webhook signature verification - protection against request forgery
• Idempotent keys for critical operations
• API endpoint rate limiting
• Logging all events to an audit-log with persistence

Alternatives to Stripe for Cyprus

If Stripe doesn't suit, there are local alternatives:

• JCC (Cyprus) — Local acquirer, low fees for small businesses, but less friendly API
• Revolut Business — favourable commissions, especially for freelancers, easy activation
• PayPal — Brand recognition for non-EU clients, but high commission and holding reputation.
• Wise — multi-currency account, convenient for clients in Russia/Belarus/Asia
• Cryptomus / Coingate — crypto payments (BTC, USDT) — for those who cannot work with bank cards

What we do often several payment methods simultaneously: Stripe for EU clients + Revolut/Wise for post-CIS + cryptocurrencies for specific niches.