How do I get my Stripe Secret Key?

Log in to the [**Stripe Dashboard**](https://dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys), go to **Developers > API keys**, toggle **Test mode** for testing or stay in Live mode for production. Copy the Secret Key (starts with `sk_test_` or `sk_live_`). Keep it secret — never expose it in frontend code.

What's the difference between a payment intent and a charge?

A **Payment Intent** represents a pending payment that may require additional steps (3D Secure, confirmation). It tracks the lifecycle of a payment attempt. A **Charge** is the result of a successfully completed payment — it represents money that has been collected. Use list_payment_intents to track in-progress payments and list_charges for completed ones.

Can I create a payment intent for any amount?

Yes! Use the `create_payment_intent` tool with the amount in the smallest currency unit (e.g. 1000 = $10.00 USD, 1000 = €10.00 EUR) and the currency code (usd, eur, gbp, etc.). Optionally associate it with a customer ID. The tool returns the payment intent with its client_secret for use with Stripe.js.

Can I track subscription statuses?

Yes! Use `list_subscriptions` to see all subscriptions with their status (active, trialing, past_due, canceled, unpaid), customer, billing cycle and items. You can filter by customer ID or status to narrow results. This is useful for monitoring recurring revenue and identifying at-risk accounts.

Stripe Alternative MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 13 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Stripe Alternative
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 13 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Stripe Alternative and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe-alternative": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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DLPData protection

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Stripe Alternative MCP Server

Connect your Stripe account to any AI agent and take full control of your payment infrastructure through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Stripe Alternative data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 13 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Customer Management — List, retrieve and create customers with email, name and metadata
Product & Pricing — Browse products and their prices (one-time and subscription) with currency and amount details
Payment Tracking — Monitor payment intents with status (succeeded, pending, failed) and associated customers
Charge & Refund Audit — Review all charges and refunds with amounts, statuses and timestamps
Subscription Oversight — Track active subscriptions, their billing cycles and associated prices
Invoice Review — List invoices with amounts due, status (draft, paid, open) and customer details
Balance Monitoring — Check available and pending balances across currencies
Coupon Management — List discount coupons with percent-off, amount-off and duration settings

The Stripe Alternative MCP Server exposes 13 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Stripe Alternative to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Stripe Alternative MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using Stripe Alternative

Ask Copilot: "Using Stripe Alternative, help me...". 13 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Stripe Alternative MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with Stripe Alternative through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

Stripe Alternative + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Stripe Alternative MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

Stripe Alternative MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (13)

These 13 tools become available when you connect Stripe Alternative to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

create_customer

Optionally set the email, name and description. Returns the created customer with its ID. Create a new Stripe customer

create_payment_intent

Requires the amount (in smallest currency unit, e.g. cents for USD) and currency (e.g. "usd"). Optionally associate with a customer. Returns the payment intent with its client_secret for use with Stripe.js. Create a new payment intent in Stripe

get_balance

Returns available and pending balances broken down by currency and type (card, bank_transfer, etc.). Useful for checking your Stripe payout status. Get current Stripe account balance

get_customer

Provide the customer ID (starts with "cus_"). Get details for a specific Stripe customer

list_charges

Each charge has an ID, amount, currency, status (succeeded, pending, failed), customer, payment method and creation date. Optionally filter by customer and set a limit. List charges in Stripe

list_coupons

Each coupon has an ID, name, percent_off or amount_off, duration (once, repeating, forever) and active status. Optionally set a limit. List coupons in Stripe

list_customers

Each customer has an ID, email, name, description and metadata. Optionally filter by email to find a specific customer and set a limit on the number of results returned. List customers in Stripe

list_invoices

Each invoice has an ID, customer, amount due, status (draft, open, paid, uncollectible), creation date and line items. Optionally filter by customer and set a limit. List invoices in Stripe

list_payment_intents

Each intent has an ID, amount, currency, status (requires_payment_method, requires_confirmation, requires_action, processing, succeeded, canceled) and associated customer. Optionally filter by customer and set a limit. List payment intents in Stripe

list_prices

Each price has an ID, unit amount, currency, recurring interval (if subscription) and associated product. Optionally filter by product ID, active status and limit. List prices in Stripe

list_products

Each product has an ID, name, description, images and active status. Products are used with Prices to define what you sell. Optionally filter by active status and set a limit. List products in Stripe

list_refunds

Each refund has an ID, amount, charge ID, status (succeeded, pending, failed, canceled) and creation date. Optionally set a limit. List refunds in Stripe

list_subscriptions

Each subscription has an ID, customer, status (trialing, active, past_due, canceled, unpaid, incomplete), items (prices) and billing cycle details. Optionally filter by customer, status and set a limit. List subscriptions in Stripe

Example Prompts for Stripe Alternative in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with Stripe Alternative immediately.

"Show me all active subscriptions and their monthly revenue."

"Show me all refunds issued in the last 30 days."

"What's my current Stripe balance?"

Troubleshooting Stripe Alternative MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting Stripe Alternative to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

Stripe Alternative + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating Stripe Alternative MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.