How to Resolve Stripe Payment Gateway Icons Displayed in Large Size and Credit Card Fields are not Editable?

If you’re seeing oversized Stripe payment icons or the credit card fields are unresponsive on the checkout page, this guide will walk you through resolving the issue.
This behavior is usually related to caching problems, where Stripe’s AJAX call fails to fetch required styling and form fields. Let’s break down the common causes and how to fix them.

What Causes This Issue?

Stripe uses dynamic JavaScript to load its CSS and payment fields. If this AJAX call is cached or blocked, it can result in:

• Card icons appearing unusually large
• Card input fields not responding or editable

In most cases, the browser’s developer console will show a 403 error response from Stripe, which prevents the card fields and styles from loading correctly.

How to Identify the 403 Error

Follow these steps to check for the error:

1. Open the affected checkout page.
2. Right-click on the page and select Inspect.
3. Go to the Console tab.
4. Look for any error messages, especially ones related to Stripe or 403 errors.

Possible Reasons and Solutions

1. Page Caching (Local or Server-Side)

Dynamic requests like Stripe’s payment fields should not be cached. Make sure your CartFlows checkout page is excluded from:

• Page caching
• Server-level caching (e.g., Varnish, NGINX, or hosting-level rules)
• CDN-level caching (e.g., Cloudflare)

Tip: Most cache plugins allow you to exclude specific pages. Ensure both CartFlows’ Checkout and Thank You pages are excluded.

2. Firewall or Security Plugins

Security/firewall plugins (like Wordfence or Sucuri) may block Stripe’s requests if flagged as suspicious. Whitelist the checkout page and allowlist Stripe’s script URLs if necessary.

3. Hosting Restrictions

Some hosting setups only allow payment requests on the default WooCommerce checkout page. Since CartFlows uses a custom page, your host may require manual exclusion rules for it. Contact your hosting provider to:

• Exclude the CartFlows Checkout page from security rules
• Allow dynamic AJAX calls on custom URLs

4. Plugin or Theme Conflicts

If the above steps don’t solve the issue, perform a conflict test:

1. Disable all other plugins except WooCommerce, CartFlows, and Stripe
2. Switch to a default theme (like Storefront)
3. Re-test the checkout page
4. Gradually re-enable plugins to identify the conflict

To find out the conflict you can also follow these troubleshooting steps.

What Is a 403 Error?

A 403 Forbidden error means the server understands your request but is refusing to authorize it. In the case of Stripe, this often means the server or a plugin is blocking access to essential resources due to caching or security rules.

Still Seeing the Issue?

If the issue persists:

• Open the checkout page in a new tab
• Inspect the console again for updated error messages
• Note the filename or script generating the error
• Reach out to the plugin author or submit a ticket through the CartFlows support portal

Note: Payment gateway scripts rely on real-time data and should never be cached. Ensuring dynamic checkout pages are excluded from all caching mechanisms is crucial for proper functionality.