What should I use for an API to accept payments on a website?

For accepting payments on a website, the best choice for most people is usually a payment processor with a checkout API, such as:

• Stripe — best overall for developer experience, flexibility, subscriptions, and global support
• PayPal — good if you want a familiar option that many customers already trust
• Square — solid if you also sell in person or want an all-in-one business platform
• Braintree — good for more custom payment setups, and it’s owned by PayPal

My default recommendation

If you’re building a website and want an API that’s reliable and easy to integrate, use Stripe.

Why Stripe is often the best choice

• Easy-to-use API and good docs
• Supports one-time payments, subscriptions, and saved cards
• Handles security/compliance better than building payments yourself
• Works well for web apps and SaaS products
• Supports many payment methods and countries

What you should avoid

• Don’t build your own card processing directly unless you have a strong reason
• Don’t store raw credit card data yourself
• Avoid providers with poor documentation if you need a custom integration

Typical setup

Most websites use:

1. A payment provider like Stripe
2. A checkout page or embedded payment form
3. Webhooks to confirm payment success/failure
4. Your backend to fulfill orders or unlock access

If you tell me:

• what kind of website it is,
• what country you’re in,
• whether you need subscriptions or one-time payments,

I can recommend the best specific API for your case.