Is Stripe Safe? Security Review
5/5
Overall Safety Score
★
★
★
★
★
Verdict: Stripe is one of the most secure payment platforms available with industry-leading security practices. Consumers rarely interact with Stripe directly, but their data is well-protected when merchants use it.
Stripe is a leading payment infrastructure company used by millions of businesses from startups to Fortune 500 companies. It processes hundreds of billions of dollars annually and sets the standard for payment security.
Security Ratings Breakdown
| Category | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | 5/5 | |
| Privacy | 4/5 | |
| Track Record | 5/5 |
Security Features
- PCI-DSS Level 1 Service Provider (highest level)
- End-to-end encryption of card data
- Tokenization prevents raw card number storage
- Radar ML-powered fraud detection
- 3D Secure 2 support
- SOC 1 and SOC 2 compliance
Privacy Concerns
- Collects transaction data across all merchants using Stripe
- Stripe's Link feature stores payment info for faster checkout across sites
- Network-level data gives Stripe broad view of consumer spending
Past Security Incidents
- No major data breaches of Stripe's core infrastructure as of 2025
- Individual merchants using Stripe have had breaches, but Stripe's tokenization limited exposure
How to Stay Safe Using Stripe
- When Stripe Link prompts to save payment info, consider whether you want cross-site tracking
- Review Stripe-powered merchant receipts for accuracy
- Use virtual card numbers when paying through Stripe-powered sites
Safer Alternatives
- PayPal (consumer-facing alternative)
- Square (in-person payments)
- Adyen (enterprise alternative)
Last updated: February 10, 2026