diff --git a/apps/api/package.json b/apps/api/package.json
index 25fa0e90e..f277ec4e2 100644
--- a/apps/api/package.json
+++ b/apps/api/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "node src/server.js",
     "start": "node src/server.js",
-    "test": "node --test src/tests"
+    "test": "node --test \"src/tests/**/*.test.js\""
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "cors": "^2.8.5",
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     "helmet": "^7.1.0",
     "jsonwebtoken": "^9.0.2",
     "multer": "^2.1.1",
+    "stripe": "^22.1.1",
     "zod": "^3.23.8"
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/services/paymentService.js b/apps/api/src/services/paymentService.js
index 956a70dc7..859e942b9 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/services/paymentService.js
+++ b/apps/api/src/services/paymentService.js
@@ -1,9 +1,77 @@
-export async function createPaymentIntent(payload) {
-  // TODO: integrate Stripe SDK and return client secret.
-  return {
-    paymentId: `pay_${Date.now()}`,
-    amount: payload.amount,
-    currency: payload.currency ?? "usd",
-    provider: "stripe"
+import Stripe from "stripe";
+import { env } from "../config/env.js";
+
+let stripeClient;
+
+function getStripeClient() {
+  if (stripeClient) {
+    return stripeClient;
+  }
+
+  const secretKey = env.stripeSecretKey || process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY;
+
+  if (!secretKey) {
+    throw new Error("STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is required to create payment intents");
+  }
+
+  stripeClient = new Stripe(secretKey);
+  return stripeClient;
+}
+
+function validatePaymentPayload(payload) {
+  const amount = payload?.amount;
+
+  if (!Number.isInteger(amount) || amount <= 0) {
+    throw new Error("payload.amount must be a positive integer in the smallest currency unit");
+  }
+
+  const currency = payload.currency ?? "usd";
+
+  if (typeof currency !== "string" || currency.trim() === "") {
+    throw new Error("payload.currency must be a non-empty string");
+  }
+
+  const params = {
+    amount,
+    currency: currency.trim().toLowerCase()
   };
+
+  if (payload.metadata !== undefined) {
+    if (payload.metadata === null || typeof payload.metadata !== "object" || Array.isArray(payload.metadata)) {
+      throw new Error("payload.metadata must be an object when provided");
+    }
+
+    params.metadata = payload.metadata;
+  }
+
+  return params;
+}
+
+export async function createPaymentIntent(payload) {
+  const params = validatePaymentPayload(payload);
+
+  try {
+    const paymentIntent = await getStripeClient().paymentIntents.create(params);
+
+    if (!paymentIntent?.id || !paymentIntent?.client_secret) {
+      throw new Error("Stripe response did not include a payment intent id and client secret");
+    }
+
+    return {
+      paymentId: paymentIntent.id,
+      clientSecret: paymentIntent.client_secret,
+      amount: paymentIntent.amount,
+      currency: paymentIntent.currency,
+      provider: "stripe"
+    };
+  } catch (error) {
+    const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Unknown Stripe error";
+    const wrappedError = new Error(`Stripe payment intent creation failed: ${message}`);
+    wrappedError.cause = error;
+    throw wrappedError;
+  }
+}
+
+export function setStripeClientForTest(client) {
+  stripeClient = client;
 }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/tests/paymentService.test.js b/apps/api/src/tests/paymentService.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..110e4383d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/tests/paymentService.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import test, { afterEach } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { createPaymentIntent, setStripeClientForTest } from "../services/paymentService.js";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  setStripeClientForTest(undefined);
+});
+
+test("createPaymentIntent creates a Stripe PaymentIntent with validated defaults", async () => {
+  const calls = [];
+
+  setStripeClientForTest({
+    paymentIntents: {
+      async create(params) {
+        calls.push(params);
+        return {
+          id: "pi_test_123",
+          client_secret: "pi_test_123_secret_456",
+          amount: params.amount,
+          currency: params.currency
+        };
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  const result = await createPaymentIntent({
+    amount: 2500,
+    metadata: { orderId: "order_123" }
+  });
+
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, [
+    {
+      amount: 2500,
+      currency: "usd",
+      metadata: { orderId: "order_123" }
+    }
+  ]);
+  assert.deepEqual(result, {
+    paymentId: "pi_test_123",
+    clientSecret: "pi_test_123_secret_456",
+    amount: 2500,
+    currency: "usd",
+    provider: "stripe"
+  });
+});
+
+test("createPaymentIntent rejects invalid amounts before calling Stripe", async () => {
+  let createCalled = false;
+
+  setStripeClientForTest({
+    paymentIntents: {
+      async create() {
+        createCalled = true;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    () => createPaymentIntent({ amount: 0 }),
+    /payload\.amount must be a positive integer/
+  );
+  assert.equal(createCalled, false);
+});
+
+test("createPaymentIntent preserves Stripe error messages", async () => {
+  setStripeClientForTest({
+    paymentIntents: {
+      async create() {
+        const error = new Error("No such customer: cus_missing");
+        error.type = "StripeInvalidRequestError";
+        throw error;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    () => createPaymentIntent({ amount: 1000, currency: "USD" }),
+    /Stripe payment intent creation failed: No such customer: cus_missing/
+  );
+});
+
+test(
+  "createPaymentIntent smoke test creates a real Stripe test-mode PaymentIntent",
+  { skip: process.env.RUN_STRIPE_SMOKE_TESTS !== "1" || !process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY },
+  async () => {
+    setStripeClientForTest(undefined);
+
+    const result = await createPaymentIntent({
+      amount: 100,
+      currency: "usd",
+      metadata: { smokeTest: "true" }
+    });
+
+    assert.match(result.paymentId, /^pi_/);
+    assert.match(result.clientSecret, /^pi_/);
+    assert.equal(result.amount, 100);
+    assert.equal(result.currency, "usd");
+    assert.equal(result.provider, "stripe");
+  }
+);
diff --git a/demos/stripe-payment-intent-demo.mp4 b/demos/stripe-payment-intent-demo.mp4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9f271d6d7
Binary files /dev/null and b/demos/stripe-payment-intent-demo.mp4 differ
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index a19a99281..6cfdfb712 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
         "helmet": "^7.1.0",
         "jsonwebtoken": "^9.0.2",
         "multer": "^2.1.1",
+        "stripe": "^22.1.1",
         "zod": "^3.23.8"
       }
     },
@@ -742,7 +743,7 @@
       "version": "22.15.19",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-22.15.19.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-3vMNr4TzNQyjHcRZadojpRaD9Ofr6LsonZAoQ+HMUa/9ORTPoxVIw0e0mpqWpdjj8xybyCM+oKOUH2vwFu/oEw==",
-      "dev": true,
+      "devOptional": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "undici-types": "~6.21.0"
@@ -2053,6 +2054,23 @@
         "safe-buffer": "~5.2.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/stripe": {
+      "version": "22.1.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/stripe/-/stripe-22.1.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-cmodIYP27tBkJ8G7DuGgWw0PFuemlFZbuF3Wwr1TrjFjUa3T7NIgCe6TVwX8BO2ynu+xtTuDGfHafNDCPt9lXA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=18"
+      },
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "@types/node": ">=18"
+      },
+      "peerDependenciesMeta": {
+        "@types/node": {
+          "optional": true
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/styled-jsx": {
       "version": "5.1.6",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/styled-jsx/-/styled-jsx-5.1.6.tgz",
@@ -2128,7 +2146,7 @@
       "version": "6.21.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/undici-types/-/undici-types-6.21.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-iwDZqg0QAGrg9Rav5H4n0M64c3mkR59cJ6wQp+7C4nI0gsmExaedaYLNO44eT4AtBBwjbTiGPMlt2Md0T9H9JQ==",
-      "dev": true,
+      "devOptional": true,
       "license": "MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/unpipe": {