Obtaining Your Stripe API Keys for Payment Integration

To get your Stripe API keys, you need to create an account on Stripe and access the Dashboard. Follow these steps:

1. Sign up or log in to your Stripe account: Head to https://stripe.com and either sign up for a new account or log in to your existing account.

2. Access the Dashboard: Once you're logged in, you'll be directed to the Stripe Dashboard. If you're already inside another section, click on the "Dashboard" link in the top-left corner or the "Stripe" logo to navigate to the Dashboard.

3. Navigate to API Keys: In the left-side menu, click on "Developers" and then "API Keys." This will take you to a page displaying your API keys.

4. Get your API keys: On the API Keys page, you'll find two sets of keys: Publishable Key and Secret Key. The Publishable Key is used for client-side operations (e.g., in your frontend code), while the Secret Key is used for server-side operations and should be kept confidential.

   For testing purposes, you can use the test keys, which have a "pk_test_" (Publishable Key) and "sk_test_" (Secret Key) prefix. When you're ready to go live, you'll need to use the live keys, which have a "pk_live_" (Publishable Key) and "sk_live_" (Secret Key) prefix.

Remember to keep your Secret Key safe and never expose it publicly or in client-side code, as it can be used to perform sensitive operations on your Stripe account.