Stripe Connector for FreeScout
Stripe Connector puts customer payment and subscription context beside a FreeScout conversation. It uses a restricted, read-only Stripe API key, so it can look up information without changing anything in Stripe.
Looking for the overview?
What the connector shows
When a FreeScout conversation has a customer email address, the connector searches Stripe for matching customer and recent payment records. Depending on what it finds, the sidebar can show:
- Customer identity and links to the Stripe dashboard.
- Subscription status and recent invoices.
- Recent charges, failed payments, and an available decline reason.
- Refunds and disputes tied to the payments it checked.
- A saved payment method's brand, last four digits, and expiry.
- Paid totals with an explicit coverage label.
The connector limits each lookup and checks only records connected to that customer. It does not scan the entire Stripe account for disputes or payment history. An empty or partial result does not prove that no other record exists in Stripe.
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:
- A working FreeScout installation.
- Stripe dashboard access that allows you to create a restricted API key.
- An active ReplyRabbit Pro or Team licence, or a standalone Stripe Connector Pro licence. The standalone licence is 6.99 EUR as a one-time purchase per FreeScout installation.
- ReplyRabbit installed only if you want the optional, explicitly enabled AI commerce context for drafts.
Sign in to your ReplyRabbit dashboard. An active ReplyRabbit Pro or Team plan includes the connector download. If you do not have either plan, buy the standalone licence there, then download the connector and keep its licence key in the dashboard.
Create a restricted Stripe API key
The connector needs a Stripe restricted key, not a secret key. Create a new restricted key in the Stripe dashboard. Set Customers, Subscriptions, Invoices, Charges, PaymentIntents, PaymentMethods, and Disputes to Read. Leave every unrelated permission set to None.
Do not paste a secret key
Copy the restricted key when Stripe displays it. Treat it like a password. The connector encrypts it when saved and never shows the complete value again.
Install the connector
Download Stripe Connector
Sign in at app.replyrabbit.app. Download the connector through your active ReplyRabbit Pro or Team plan, or purchase the standalone Stripe Connector Pro licence first.Upload it to FreeScout
In FreeScout, open Modules, use the upload control to select the ZIP, and install it.Activate the module
Activate Stripe Connector from the FreeScout Modules list.
Configure a mailbox
Open Stripe Connector settings
Open the FreeScout mailbox that should show Stripe payment context, then choose Stripe Connector from its settings menu.Paste the restricted key
Enable the connector and paste the restricted read-only Stripe key. If you bought the standalone connector licence, also paste its licence key from your ReplyRabbit account. An installed ReplyRabbit Pro or Team licence unlocks Stripe Connector Pro automatically. Save the settings.Test the saved key
Use Test saved key to confirm that Stripe accepts the key and its customer read permission.Check a matching conversation
Open a conversation whose customer email exists in Stripe and confirm the Stripe panel appears in the sidebar.
Each FreeScout mailbox stores its own encrypted Stripe key. You can connect different Stripe accounts to different mailboxes.
Optional ReplyRabbit draft context
The sidebar works without ReplyRabbit. ReplyRabbit is only needed if you want recent Stripe details available when generating AI drafts.
To opt in, set both REPLYRABBIT_COMMERCE_CONTEXT_ENABLED=true and STRIPEINTEGRATION_COMMERCE_CONTEXT_ENABLED=true in the FreeScout environment, then enable the connector for the mailbox. Both settings default to off. After changing them, run php artisan config:clear from the FreeScout directory so FreeScout picks up the new values instead of a cached configuration.
Stripe must be the only active full-context provider for that mailbox. If Shopify is also supplying full commerce context, ReplyRabbit leaves commerce data out of drafts until only one remains enabled. Magento and WooCommerce entitlement lookups do not conflict. The Stripe sidebar stays available to the support agent.
Data handling and limits
The connector sends the conversation email to Stripe over HTTPS to find matching customer-scoped records. It stores the restricted key encrypted. It does not cache full card numbers, raw Stripe payloads, billing addresses, metadata, payment intent secrets, or receipt URLs.
Stripe requests use the pinned 2026-02-25.clover API version. When no Customer record matches, the connector inspects no more than 200 recent charges from the last 90 days and exact-matches the email locally. This guest-payment fallback is intentionally incomplete.
The limited lookup keeps the sidebar responsive and reduces unnecessary data access. Totals and status panels explain how much history they cover. For a complete account-wide audit, use the Stripe dashboard.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Stripe rejects the key | Create a new restricted key with the required read permissions. Do not use a full secret key. |
| The sidebar is empty for a known buyer | Confirm the FreeScout conversation email exactly matches the buyer's Stripe email. Guest payments are only checked within the bounded 90-day, 200-charge fallback. |
| A refund or dispute is missing | The connector checks only a limited set of recent records for that customer. Check the Stripe dashboard for full account history. |
| ReplyRabbit drafts do not include payment context | Confirm both commerce-context environment flags are true, the Stripe connector is available for the mailbox, and no other commerce provider is active. |
| Pro fields are unavailable | For a standalone purchase, confirm the Stripe Connector licence key is saved in the connector settings and active for the intended FreeScout domain. For bundled access, confirm an active ReplyRabbit Pro or Team licence is installed on the same FreeScout site. |
Next steps
- Read How to set up ReplyRabbit if the mailbox still needs AI provider or draft settings.
- See the Shopify connector, WooCommerce connector, or Magento connector guides for other commerce platforms.
FAQ
Does the Stripe Connector write to Stripe?
No. The connector uses a Stripe restricted API key with only the documented read permissions. It does not create refunds, cancel subscriptions, retry charges, or change Stripe data.
If no refund or dispute is shown, does that mean none exist in Stripe?
No. The connector checks a limited set of recent records for that customer. An empty panel describes only those records, not the complete Stripe account history.
Can Stripe data be used in ReplyRabbit drafts?
Yes, after you enable both ReplyRabbit and Stripe Connector commerce context and Stripe is the mailbox's only active full-context provider. If Shopify is also supplying full commerce context, ReplyRabbit leaves commerce data out of drafts until only one remains enabled. Magento and WooCommerce entitlement lookups do not conflict.
How much does Stripe Connector Pro cost?
Stripe Connector Pro is included with an active ReplyRabbit Pro or Team plan. Otherwise, it costs 6.99 EUR as a one-time licence for one FreeScout installation.