Troubleshooting Common Fatal Errors in WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway

Common Fatal Errors in WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway and How to Fix Them

Many WordPress site owners using the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway plugin encounter frustrating PHP fatal errors. These errors often appear during critical actions like editing the checkout page, processing payments, or updating order totals. Based on community reports and troubleshooting threads, this guide covers the most common errors and their solutions.

1. The "Call to a member function needs_shipping() on null" Error

Problem: This is one of the most frequently reported errors. It typically occurs when an administrator tries to edit the checkout or cart page in the WordPress block editor. The error appears because the plugin tries to check shipping requirements on a cart object that doesn't exist in the editing context.

Location: The error is usually found in the file woocommerce-gateway-stripe/includes/payment-methods/class-wc-stripe-express-checkout-helper.php around lines 606 or 629.

Solution: The WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway team is aware of this issue and has a fix in development. In the meantime, you can:

• Update the plugin: Check if a new version of the Stripe gateway plugin is available, as it may contain the fix.
• Use a code snippet (for developers): A potential workaround involves modifying the problematic line of code from WC()->cart->needs_shipping() to the null-safe operator WC()->cart?->needs_shipping(). This should only be done as a temporary measure if you are comfortable editing plugin files, and you must note that changes will be overwritten on the next plugin update.

2. The "Call to undefined method" Error with Subscriptions

Problem: Users with subscription products, particularly from YITH or WooCommerce Subscriptions, may encounter an error stating Call to undefined method YITH_WC_Subscription_WC_Stripe::get_upe_enabled_at_checkout_payment_method_ids(). This indicates a compatibility issue between the Stripe plugin and the subscriptions plugin.

Solution:

• Update all plugins: Ensure that all your WooCommerce-related plugins (WooCommerce core, Stripe Gateway, and your subscriptions plugin) are updated to their latest versions. Developers often release compatibility updates.
• Check for known conflicts: Review the changelogs and support forums for your specific subscriptions plugin to see if there are known issues with the latest Stripe gateway.

3. The "Error Processing Checkout" and Internal Server Errors

Problem: Customers see a generic "Error Processing Checkout" message during order placement, or your custom checkout integration returns a 500 Internal Server Error, especially after disabling the legacy checkout experience.

Location: Errors often point to files like abstract-wc-stripe-payment-gateway.php or class-wc-stripe-upe-payment-gateway.php and involve calls to methods like get_token() on null.

Solution:

• Revert to Legacy Checkout (Temporary): If the error started immediately after disabling the legacy checkout, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Stripe and re-enable the "Enable the legacy checkout experience" option. This can serve as a temporary workaround while you investigate further.
• Debugging: Enable WordPress debugging by adding define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); and define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true ); to your wp-config.php file. This will log the exact error to a wp-content/debug.log file, providing more details than the generic message shown to users.

4. Checkout Page Prints Error Codes in Tooltips

Problem: Your live checkout page displays raw error codes or messages within the payment tooltips, which looks unprofessional.

Solution: This is a known bug tracked by the plugin developers. The current workaround is to disable the Stripe Link payment method. Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Stripe, click "Manage," and under the Payment Methods tab, toggle off "Link" to see if the issue resolves.

General Troubleshooting Steps for All Errors

If the above solutions don't apply to your specific error, follow these standard troubleshooting steps:

1. Conflict Test: Temporarily disable all plugins except WooCommerce and WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway. If the error disappears, re-enable your other plugins one by one to identify which one is causing the conflict.
2. Theme Test: Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four. If the error is resolved, the issue is likely with your theme's compatibility.
3. Check Logs: Always check your WooCommerce status logs (WooCommerce > Status > Logs) and server error logs for detailed error messages and stack traces, which are essential for diagnosing the problem.

For ongoing issues, it is recommended to search for your specific error message on the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway GitHub repository to see if it is a known bug with an upcoming fix.