What is Stripe and is it a secure payment solution?
What is Stripe?
Stripe is one of the world’s most trusted payment platforms – used by companies like Google, Amazon, Booking.com, and Uber. It securely handles millions of transactions every day across 100+ countries, making it easy for guides to get paid directly and safely, no matter where they are.
💬 Explaining how payments work — and why it feels different now
Most people never think about how online payments actually work — and that’s a good thing.
When you buy something online, you usually don’t notice which company processes your payment. You just click “Pay,” and it goes through. Behind the scenes, companies like Stripe, PayPal, or Adyen handle the transaction securely between your bank and the business.
Now, as a guide on Keyguides Connect, you’re on the other side — you’re the one receiving payments. That means you need a secure way to accept money from travelers and partners, and to make sure it reaches your bank safely and on time.
That’s exactly what Stripe does for you. It’s the same trusted technology used by Airbnb, Booking.com, and Google, but now you get to use it to run your own business.
🌍 Well-known companies using Stripe
Global brands
Amazon – uses Stripe for payments in selected markets and services like AWS.
Google – processes subscriptions and services like Google Workspace via Stripe.
Shopify – “Shopify Payments” is actually powered by Stripe.
Uber & Lyft – handle both rider payments and driver payouts through Stripe.
Booking.com – uses Stripe for secure payments in several regions.
Kickstarter – every project’s pledges go through Stripe.
Deliveroo, DoorDash, Glovo – rely on Stripe for food delivery payments.
Notion, Figma, Slack, OpenAI (ChatGPT), Canva – use Stripe for subscriptions and billing.
In short, Stripe simply makes sure your payments are handled securely and reach you on time — without you having to worry about the technical side of things.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Guides from any country can create a profile on Keyguides Connect. However, if your country is not supported by Stripe, you won’t be able to accept direct bookings through your profile. Instead, you can receive booking requests from partners, who pay you by invoice. How many requests you get depends on which partners are active in your area.
Talk to us if you want to get on the cash payment beta-test for guides in countries where stripe are not enabled.
Guides can be from anywhere in the world! However, only guides in Stripe-supported countries can accept direct bookings through their Keyguides Connect profile. If your country is not supported by Stripe, you can still create a profile and receive booking requests from partners, who pay you by invoice.
Some countries are also available for our BETA Cash Payment for customers. Reach out to us if this is something you are interested in trying.
Absolutely! Partners (agencies, hotels, DMCs) can join Keyguides Connect from anywhere in the world. They can book and pay guides via invoices. However, if a partner wishes to pay a guide directly by company card, the guide must be in a Stripe-supported country.