Short answer
Read the parameter name in the error and look it up in the API reference for that exact endpoint. It is usually a field from another object (source on a PaymentIntent), a field in the wrong place (stripe_account in the body instead of the Stripe-Account header), or a field your API version doesn’t have. Remove it, move it, or set the API version your code was written for.
Why Stripe doesn’t know the parameter, and the fix
01
A field from a different endpoint
“The request contains one or more unexpected parameters. Remove these and try again.” Stripe, Error codes (parameter_unknown)
Fields from the Charges API, such as source, don’t exist on a PaymentIntent, and some fields live on a nested object instead. Check the parameter list of the endpoint you call and the error’s param value.
02
stripe_account sent as a body field
“Include the connected account ID in the `Stripe-Account` header on each request” Stripe, Make API calls for connected accounts (server-side)
The connected account isn’t a request parameter. Pass it as the Stripe-Account header, which the Node library sets from the stripeAccount request option.
await stripe.paymentIntents.create( { amount, currency: 'usd' }, { stripeAccount: 'acct_…' }, // options, not params );03
Code written for another API version
“If you don’t set an API version, recent versions of stripe-node will use the API version that was latest at the time your version of stripe-node was released.” Stripe, Set a Stripe API version
An example written for an older or newer API version can use fields your request version doesn’t accept. Server-side libraries send the version that was current when that library release came out, so upgrading or downgrading the library changes which fields exist.
04
Custom data in the wrong place
Your own fields, such as an order ID, go inside metadata. Sending them at the top level of the request is an unknown parameter.
await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({ // ... metadata: { orderId: order.id }, // not orderId at the top level });
Checked against the vendor’s docs on : Stripe docs: Error codes; Stripe docs: Errors; Stripe docs: Set a Stripe API version; Stripe docs: Make API calls for connected accounts.
Rather hand it over?
Fixed scope, fixed price, paid upfront. The work happens in writing; no call needed.
- $950Stripe Billing Fix and SetupSubscriptions, webhooks, customer portal and failed payments set up or fixed, tested in Stripe test mode.See scope and start
- from $450App Fix TicketOne reproducible bug in an existing mobile or web app, diagnosed and fixed.See scope and start
- from $450AI-Built App RescueA Lovable, Bolt or Cursor app checked end to end in 3 days, then its worst problems fixed at a fixed price.No issues worth fixing, no charge. If the Launch Check finds nothing rated medium or higher, Simon refunds the full $450. You keep the report either way. This applies to the first 10 Launch Checks bought after October 30, 2026.See scope and start
Related: Stripe “Must provide source or customer” · Stripe “Invalid integer” · Stripe “Invalid API Key provided” · Stripe “No such PaymentMethod”