iDEAL and Bizum side by side in Stripe: what you need to know

Every time we build an e-commerce or subscription flow for an ES-NL client, we get the same question. "Can it do Bizum too?" from the Spanish side. "Can it do iDEAL too?" from the Dutch side. The answer: yes, both, as long as you configure your Stripe account correctly.

First pitfall: Stripe's default checkout doesn't show all local payment methods. You have to enable each method explicitly in your Payment Method Settings. iDEAL works automatically for EUR transactions to Dutch customers. Bizum requires a Spanish beneficiary bank account and an ESR contract.

Second pitfall: the checkout page's button order. If iDEAL comes first, the Spanish checkout loses conversion. Stripe Checkout recognizes the browser locale and sorts accordingly, but only if you've specified both markets in your account. In Custom Checkouts you have to do that yourself based on `Accept-Language`.

Third: SEPA fallback. Dutch customers who miss iDEAL want SEPA, Spanish customers prefer card over SEPA. Stripe lets you choose the method priority per country code. That saves us four percent conversion.

Our setup for a multi-market SaaS: Stripe Checkout with automatic payment methods, a GEO-based redirect to a regional branded portal (thanks to next-intl) and a `billing_details.address.country` dropdown that filters the method list. Four weeks of work from design to live for a junior developer, two weeks for us.

A small bonus: for Dutch B2B clients who want to work with reverse-charged VAT, Stripe Tax is indispensable. Without it you get lost in EORI numbers and reverse-charge flags. With Stripe Tax: one tickbox and done.