How to Charge for My App
The fastest way to charge for your app is Stripe Checkout or Lemon Squeezy. Create a product in their dashboard, generate a payment link, and embed it as a button. You can accept one-time payments or subscriptions without writing backend code.
Why this matters
Most AI-built apps stall at "it works but nobody pays for it." Adding payments is the step that turns a project into a product. The good news: modern payment tools make it possible to start charging in under an hour.
What's at stake
Every day you delay adding payments is a day you cannot validate whether people will pay. Free users give polite feedback — paying customers tell you the truth.
Step by step.
Pick a payment processor
For most builders, choose between Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, full control) or Lemon Squeezy (5% + $0.50, handles taxes and compliance for you). Lemon Squeezy is easier if you sell globally and want to avoid tax headaches. Stripe gives more control for custom flows.
Create your product and pricing
In your payment processor dashboard, create a product with a name, description, and price. Decide between one-time payment (for lifetime access or digital products) and subscription (for ongoing SaaS). Start with one plan — you can add tiers later.
Generate a payment link or checkout page
Both Stripe and Lemon Squeezy let you generate a shareable payment link with no code. Embed it as a button on your app. For Stripe, this is called Stripe Checkout — a prebuilt, hosted payment page that handles security, PCI compliance, and 135+ currencies.
Handle post-payment access
After payment, grant the user access. The simplest approach: use a webhook that fires when payment succeeds and updates a field in your database (e.g., is_pro = true). Then check this field in your app to gate premium features.
Test with a real payment flow
Use test mode (Stripe test card: 4242 4242 4242 4242) to run through the full payment flow. Verify: payment succeeds, user gets access, subscription renews, and cancellation works. Only switch to live mode after testing every scenario.
Set up legal basics
Add a Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to your app. Both Stripe and Lemon Squeezy require these. Use generators like TermsFeed to create initial versions, then customize for your specific product. You do not need an LLC to start charging — most indie hackers wait until consistent revenue ($1,000+ annually) before forming a business entity.
Show users your app is worth paying for
- Launch readiness checks that verify your payment flow works end-to-end
- Public builder profile showing your app is actively maintained
- Credibility signals that help convert free users to paying customers
Keep learning.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions.
No. Most indie hackers start charging as sole proprietors and form an LLC after validating their business. Payment processors like Stripe and Lemon Squeezy accept individual accounts. Consider forming an entity once you reach consistent revenue ($1,000+ annually) or when you want liability protection.
Use Lemon Squeezy (5% + $0.50) if you want the simplest setup and automatic sales tax handling worldwide. Use Stripe (2.9% + $0.30) if you want lower fees, more control, and are willing to handle tax compliance yourself. Both support subscriptions and one-time payments.
Lemon Squeezy and Paddle are "Merchants of Record" — they handle all tax collection and remittance for you. With Stripe, you manage taxes yourself (or use Stripe Tax for an additional fee). For a first product, a Merchant of Record is the simplest path.
Start simple. One plan, one price, monthly billing. You can add tiers and annual discounts later. Most successful indie products start with a single $10-30/month subscription. Avoid overcomplicating pricing before you have customers.
Yes. Lovable, Bolt, and Replit all give you full ownership of the code you generate. There is no revenue share or licensing restriction on selling apps built with these tools. You own what you build.