Stripe is a payment processing platform that enables transferring money from a customer's bank account into your business account via a credit or debit card transaction. It supports credit card payments, subscription billing, recurring payments, Apple Pay, and many other payment modes.

Stripe is a preferred option for larger businesses, as they offer more customization and additional features. On the other hand, PayPal is preferred for small businesses, given its simple setup and ease of use.

Stripe must ask for your SSN to verify your identity and that you're authorized to act on behalf of an entity (PTA, business, or organization). Stripe is federally required to know someone connected to the account officially.

Stripe ensures complete security for user payments and transaction details. While using Stripe.js on your website, the credit card data entered during payment is never sent to your server. Instead, it is sent directly to Stripe.