Stripe Payments errorStripe: payment_method_unactivated

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Why the payment method is not active, and the fix

1. 01

   The method is listed in code but off in the Dashboard

   “The operation can’t be performed because the payment method used hasn’t been activated. Activate the payment method in the Dashboard, then try again.” Stripe, Error codes (payment_method_unactivated)

   Hard-coded payment_method_types such as klarna or us_bank_account can return this error if that method isn’t activated for the account. Turn it on in the Dashboard, then retry.

2. 02

   It is on in one mode, not the other

   Check the Dashboard payment methods settings in both test and live mode, and confirm the method is on in the mode your code is using. Do this before launch, not after the first failed live payment.

3. 03

   Code and Dashboard drift apart

   “A customer sees only payment methods that are turned on and compatible with the payment location and currency.” Stripe, Payment method configurations

   Leave payment_method_types out and Stripe shows the methods turned on in the Dashboard. That also hides methods that do not fit the customer’s location or currency.

   // Let the Dashboard settings choose the payment methods
   const paymentIntent = await stripe.paymentIntents.create({
     amount: 5000,
     currency: 'usd',
     automatic_payment_methods: { enabled: true },
   });

4. 04

   A Connect account has its own settings

   Also check: on a Connect platform, the payment methods a connected account can use are managed separately from your own account. Check the settings for that connected account.

Checked against the vendor’s docs on November 9, 2026: Stripe docs: Error codes; Stripe docs: Payment method configurations.

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