Stripe Integration for React Native Apps

React Native uses Stripe's native mobile SDK, not the web Elements library — a common first mistake is trying to port web Stripe.js patterns directly, which don't apply. The native SDK's Payment Sheet handles Apple Pay, Google Pay, and card entry as a single native UI component, configured through the SDK rather than styled with CSS.

Native Module and Store-Compliance Considerations

• Native module linking (autolinking usually handles this, but custom native code or older RN versions can still need manual steps)
• Wallet configuration (Apple Pay merchant ID, Google Pay gateway config) is set up per-platform, not shared config
• Digital goods sold in-app may be required to go through App Store/Play Store billing instead of Stripe — a distinction that trips up subscription apps specifically
• Testing on real devices, not just simulators — wallet behavior and some native SDK behavior differs from simulator environments

For both Expo and bare React Native projects, the actual integration risk clusters around store-compliance edge cases more than the Stripe SDK itself — we scope this explicitly upfront so a subscription app doesn't build an entire Stripe Billing flow only to discover it needs to run through in-app purchase instead.