# Setting Up Stripe Payments: How Onboarding Works and How Fees Are Handled

CooplyHQ uses **Stripe Express** to process payments from families. Before you click **Start Stripe Onboarding**, here is exactly what to expect — so there are no surprises partway through.

To begin: go to **Admin → Payouts & Billing → Stripe Connect** in your co-op admin panel.

![The Stripe Connect page in the CooplyHQ admin panel, showing the onboarding explainer and the Start Stripe Onboarding button](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/portal-admin-billing-stripe-connect-desktop.png)

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## You do not need an existing Stripe account

Stripe will create a new **Stripe Express** account for your co-op as part of this flow. If you already have a personal or business Stripe account, you can connect that one instead — but a brand-new account is fine and is what most co-ops use.

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## What Stripe will ask you for (KYC)

Federal regulations require Stripe to verify your identity and your co-op. Have these ready before you start:

- Your **legal name**, date of birth, address, and **SSN** (last 4 digits usually enough)
- Your **co-op's legal name**, address, and **EIN** — or, if you operate as an individual, your SSN
- A **US bank account** (routing + account number) where payouts will land
- A **phone number and email** for account recovery

Stripe's onboarding form walks you through each step. Most co-op admins complete it in about 10 minutes. Your information goes directly to Stripe — CooplyHQ never sees or stores it.

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## Where the money lands — and how to see it

Family payments deposit **directly into the bank account** you connect during onboarding. CooplyHQ never holds your funds in the middle.

Once your Stripe account is live, the **Open Stripe Dashboard** button on the Stripe Connect page opens your **Stripe Express dashboard**, where you can view balances, payout history, individual transactions, and issue refunds.

![The Payouts page in CooplyHQ showing payout history](https://kb.cooplyhq.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-07/portal-admin-billing-payouts-desktop.png)

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## How Stripe fees are handled

Stripe charges a processing fee on each card payment (typically 2.9% + 30¢). CooplyHQ gives you control over how those fees are handled. You set the mode **per priced item** — membership plans, events, classes, and classified listings each have their own setting.

Two modes are available:

### Absorb *(default)*

Your co-op pays the Stripe processing fee. Families pay the sticker price exactly. If you list a class at $50, the family pays $50 and your co-op receives the remainder after Stripe's fee.

Choose Absorb when you want the simplest checkout experience for families and are comfortable building the fee into your pricing.

### Gross-up

One all-in price for families, with the Stripe fee baked into the displayed amount. The buyer effectively pays the fee.

**Example:** If you want to net $50, CooplyHQ calculates the grossed-up price (approximately $52.06) so that after the Stripe fee is deducted, you receive exactly $50.

Choose Gross-up when you want your co-op to net a specific amount on every transaction.

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## Why checkout happens on checkout.stripe.com

When a family clicks to pay, they are redirected to **checkout.stripe.com** — Stripe's PCI-compliant hosted checkout page — to enter card or bank details, then returned to your co-op site.

Card numbers never touch CooplyHQ's servers. This keeps your co-op completely out of PCI compliance scope — a significant benefit that removes a large category of data security requirements from your organization.

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## Ready to connect?

Go to **Admin → Payouts & Billing → Stripe Connect** and click **Start Stripe Onboarding**. The guided Stripe flow takes a few minutes. Once complete, your co-op can immediately start collecting payments from families.