What’s the difference between Stripe Checkout and the Stripe Payment widget?

Question

PlatoForms offers two ways to collect payments with Stripe — which one should I use, and how are they different?

Answer

PlatoForms has two separate entry points for Stripe. Both connect to your Stripe account, but they work differently and suit different use cases. Here’s a breakdown to help you choose:

1. Stripe Checkout (Integration)

What it does: After the customer submits your form, they are redirected to a Stripe-hosted payment page to complete the transaction.
Best for: Simple, fixed-price payments where a redirect is acceptable.
How to access: Go to your Dashboard, hover over a form, click the settings button > Integrate, then select the Stripe logo.
Example: An event registration form where payment happens as a separate final step.

2. Stripe Payment Widget (New)

What it does: Adds a payment field directly inside your form. Customers enter their card details — or pay with Apple Pay / Google Pay — without ever leaving the page.
Best for: Seamless, in-form checkout experiences where you want to keep users on one continuous flow.
How to access: Open your form in the builder > More Widgets (⋯) > Stripe Payment under Enhanced Features.
Example: A service booking form where the customer fills in their details and pays in one uninterrupted flow.

How do I choose?

• Use Stripe Checkout if you just need a quick, redirect-based payment flow with minimal setup.
• Use the Stripe Payment Widget if you want customers to pay without leaving your form — recommended for most professional use cases.

If your audience prefers PayPal over Stripe, PlatoForms also has a native PayPal Payment widget — one field that covers PayPal checkout, cards, and Pay Later without a redirect.