Improved payment processing

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 135 views

Introduction

Implementing Stripe payments with subscription in React Native can be a complex task, especially when dealing with the configuration of the Stripe library. In this article, we will discuss the common issue of "PaymentConfiguration was not initialized. Call PaymentConfiguration.init()" and provide a step-by-step guide on how to resolve it.

Understanding the Error

The error "PaymentConfiguration was not initialized. Call PaymentConfiguration.init()" typically occurs when the Stripe library is not properly configured or initialized in your React Native application. This can happen due to various reasons such as:

Missing initialization: The Stripe library requires initialization before it can be used to process payments.
Incorrect configuration: The Stripe library configuration is not set up correctly, leading to the error.
Version conflicts: Conflicts between different versions of the Stripe library or other dependencies can cause the error.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the solution, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

@stripe/stripe-react-native library installed in your React Native project.
Stripe account set up with a valid API key.
Backend set up to create customers and subscriptions.

Step 1: Initialize the Stripe Library

To resolve the error, you need to initialize the Stripe library in your React Native application. You can do this by calling the init() method of the PaymentConfiguration class.

import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init(
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
);

Replace YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY with your actual Stripe publishable key.

Step 2: Configure the Stripe Library

After initializing the Stripe library, you need to configure it to use your Stripe account. You can do this by setting up the Stripe configuration object.

import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init(
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
merchantId: 'YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID',
androidPayMode: 'test',
);

Replace YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY and YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID with your actual Stripe publishable key and merchant ID.

Step 3: Handle Payment Configuration Errors

When initializing or configuring the Stripe library, you may encounter errors. To handle these errors, you can use the onError callback method of the PaymentConfiguration class.

import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init(
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
merchantId: 'YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID',
androidPayMode: 'test',
)
.then(() => 
console.log('Payment configuration initialized successfully');
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error('Error initializing payment configuration', error);
);

Example Use Case

Here's an example use case of the Stripe library in a React Native application:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { View, Text, Button } from 'react-native';
import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const App = () => {
const [paymentConfiguration, setPaymentConfiguration] = useState(null);
useEffect(() => 
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init({
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
merchantId: 'YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID',
androidPayMode: 'test',
)
.then(() => 
console.log('Payment configuration initialized successfully');
setPaymentConfiguration(paymentConfiguration);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error('Error initializing payment configuration', error);
);
}, []);
const handlePayment = () => 
if (paymentConfiguration) {
paymentConfiguration
.createPaymentIntent({
amount 1000,
currency: 'usd',
)
.then((paymentIntent) => 
console.log('Payment intent created successfully', paymentIntent);
)
.catch((error) => 
console.error('Error creating payment intent', error);
);
}
};
return (
<View>
<Text>Payment Configuration Example</Text>
<Button title="Create Payment Intent" onPress={handlePayment} />
</View>
);
};
export default App;

Conclusion

Q&A: Resolving the PaymentConfiguration was not initialized Error

Q: What is the "PaymentConfiguration was not initialized. Call PaymentConfiguration.init()" error?

A: The "PaymentConfiguration was not initialized. Call PaymentConfiguration.init()" error is a common issue that occurs when the Stripe library is not properly initialized or configured in your React Native application.

Q: Why do I get this error?

A: You may get this error due to various reasons such as:

Missing initialization: The Stripe library requires initialization before it can be used to process payments.
Incorrect configuration: The Stripe library configuration is not set up correctly, leading to the error.
Version conflicts: Conflicts between different versions of the Stripe library or other dependencies can cause the error.

Q: How do I resolve the "PaymentConfiguration was not initialized. Call PaymentConfiguration.init()" error?

A: To resolve the error, you need to initialize the Stripe library in your React Native application by calling the init() method of the PaymentConfiguration class.

import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init(
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
);

Replace YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY with your actual Stripe publishable key.

Q: What is the correct way to configure the Stripe library?

A: To configure the Stripe library, you need to set up the Stripe configuration object with your Stripe publishable key, merchant ID, and other required settings.

import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init(
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
merchantId: 'YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID',
androidPayMode: 'test',
);

Replace YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY and YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID with your actual Stripe publishable key and merchant ID.

Q: How do I handle payment configuration errors?

A: To handle payment configuration errors, you can use the onError callback method of the PaymentConfiguration class.

import { PaymentConfiguration } from '@stripe/stripe-react-native';
const paymentConfiguration = new PaymentConfiguration();
paymentConfiguration.init(
publishableKey 'YOUR_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY',
merchantId: 'YOUR_STRIPE_MERCHANT_ID',
androidPayMode: 'test',
)
.then(() => 
console.log('Payment configuration initialized successfully');
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error('Error initializing payment configuration', error);
);

Q: Can I use the Stripe library in a React Native application without initializing it?

A: No, you cannot use the Stripe library in a React Native application without initializing it. The Stripe library requires initialization before it can be used to process payments.

Q: What are the benefits of initializing the Stripe library?

A: Initializing the Stripe library provides several benefits, including:

Improved payment processing: Initializing the Stripe library ensures that payment processing is done correctly and securely.
Reduced errors: Initializing the Stripe library reduces the likelihood of errors occurring during payment processing.
Enhanced security: Initializing the Stripe library enhances the security of your application by ensuring that sensitive payment information is handled correctly.

Q: How do I know if the Stripe library is initialized correctly?

A: To determine if the Stripe library is initialized correctly, you can check the console output for any error messages. If the library is initialized correctly, you should see a success message indicating that the payment configuration has been initialized successfully.

Conclusion

In this Q&A article, we discussed the common issue of "PaymentConfiguration was not initialized. Call PaymentConfiguration.init()" and provided answers to frequently asked questions related to resolving this error. We covered the prerequisites, initialization, configuration, and error handling of the Stripe library in a React Native application. By following these steps and answers, you should be able to resolve the error and successfully implement Stripe payments with subscription in your React Native application.