AtomChat Pay-per-Minute via Stripe: Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Introduction

AtomChat's Pay-per-Minute feature powered by Stripe allows platform owners to monetize conversations by charging users for one-on-one text chats and audio/video calls. This feature is perfect for coaches, consultants, experts, or any platform facilitating paid interactions between users.

With full control over who gets paid and how much, site admins can set per-minute rates for individual users or apply default pricing. Seamless Stripe integration ensures fast and secure payments.

Example Use-Cases

  • Online coaching platforms where coaches charge clients per minute for advice
  • Consultation websites offering pay-per-minute video or text sessions with experts
  • Creator platforms where fans pay to chat with influencers or content creators

Getting Started

1. Pro Plan Required

Ensure your AtomChat subscription is on the Pro Plan or higher. This feature is not available on lower tiers.

Setup Instructions

2. Enable Pay-per-Minute Calling

Navigate to your AtomChat Admin Panel:

  • Go to Features tab
  • Toggle "Pay-per-Minute Calling" to Enabled

3. Configure Pay-per-Minute via Stripe Settings

Go to: Monetize > Pay-per-Minute via Stripe

i. Enable Pay-per-Minute for:

Options: Text Chat, Calling, or Both

You can choose to charge only for chats, only for calls, or enable both monetization types.

ii. Set per-minute charge for:

You can define who gets charged and how much based on three options:

Roles (Coming Soon)

Note: Role-based amount setting is in development and not live yet.

Individual Users
  1. Go to Users section in Admin Panel
  2. Click the Edit button next to the user
  3. In the popup, you'll find two fields:
    • Amount per minute - Calling
    • Amount per minute - Text Chat
  4. Add the desired amounts here. This must be done manually for every paid user.
  5. If left blank, chat and call with that user will be free.
Default
  1. Select "Default"
  2. Enter the default amount per minute for both text chat and calling
  3. This amount will apply to all users unless they have individual pricing

iii. Stripe Payment Mode

Choose between:

  • Test – For sandbox/test transactions
  • Live – For actual user payments using your connected Stripe account

iv. Stripe Secret Key

Paste your Secret Key from your Stripe account here.

v. Stripe Restricted Key

To generate a restricted key:

  1. Log in to your Stripe Dashboard
  2. Navigate to Developers > API Keys
  3. Under Restricted Keys, click Create restricted key
  4. Choose "Providing this key to another website", then Continue
  5. Enter a name and URL (e.g., https://coachpresso.com)
  6. (Optional) Enable Customize Permissions, then:
    • Set Write access to: Customers, Payment Intents, Checkout
    • Set None for all other resources
  7. Click Create key

vi. Upload Your Terms and Conditions Link

Enter the link to your website's Terms & Conditions page.

This will be shown to users in the payment popup before they confirm their payment.

Why this matters: It ensures legal clarity and user consent, especially if disputes arise.

vii. Pre-set Minutes for Quick Selection

Define time options like 10, 30, 45 minutes.

These will show up in the payment popup as quick-selection buttons for users.

viii. Choose Currency

Select your desired currency for transactions (e.g., USD, EUR, GBP).

Ensure this matches your Stripe account's settings.

Visual Walkthrough

Include the following screenshots in your documentation:

  1. Quick Send + Payment Prompt – When user starts chat
  2. Stripe Payment Popup – User chooses minutes & confirms
  3. Active Session UI – Remaining time countdown during chat

Conclusion

You're now ready to start earning from your chat or call platform using AtomChat's Pay-per-Minute system. Customize it to suit your monetization strategy and deliver a premium experience for your users.

Need Help?

Let us help you set it up right the first time!