diff --git a/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.test.ts b/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.test.ts
index c03a6f84..6b4b378a 100644
--- a/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,98 @@
-import { contractTestTarget } from '@profullstack/sh1pt-core/testing';
+import { contractTestTarget, fakeShipContext } from '@profullstack/sh1pt-core/testing';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+const { execMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  execMock: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@profullstack/sh1pt-core', async () => ({
+  ...await vi.importActual<typeof import('@profullstack/sh1pt-core')>('@profullstack/sh1pt-core'),
+  exec: execMock,
+}));
+
 import target from './index.js';
 
 contractTestTarget(target, {
   sampleConfig: { command: 'create', args: { amount: 2000, currency: 'usd' }, description: 'test payment' },
-  requiredSecrets: ['STRIPE_API_KEY'],
+});
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.clearAllMocks();
+  execMock.mockResolvedValue({ exitCode: 0, stdout: '{"ok":true}', stderr: '' });
+});
+
+describe('payment-stripe target adapter', () => {
+  it('normalizes currency before invoking the Stripe CLI', async () => {
+    const ctx = fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false });
+
+    await target.ship(ctx as any, {
+      command: 'create',
+      args: { amount: 2500, currency: 'USD' },
+      description: 'Test payment',
+    });
+
+    expect(execMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith('stripe', [
+      'payment_intents',
+      'create',
+      '--amount',
+      '2500',
+      '--currency',
+      'usd',
+      '--description',
+      'Test payment',
+    ], {
+      log: ctx.log,
+      throwOnNonZero: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('rejects invalid create amounts before invoking the Stripe CLI', async () => {
+    await expect(target.ship(fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false }) as any, {
+      command: 'create',
+      args: { amount: 12.5, currency: 'usd' },
+    })).rejects.toThrow('amount must be a positive integer');
+
+    expect(execMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('rejects invalid currency codes before invoking the Stripe CLI', async () => {
+    await expect(target.ship(fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false }) as any, {
+      command: 'create',
+      args: { amount: 1000, currency: 'US' },
+    })).rejects.toThrow('currency must be a three-letter ISO code');
+
+    expect(execMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('requires payment intent IDs for get and refund commands', async () => {
+    await expect(target.ship(fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false }) as any, {
+      command: 'get',
+      args: { paymentIntentId: '   ' },
+    })).rejects.toThrow('paymentIntentId required');
+
+    await expect(target.ship(fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false }) as any, {
+      command: 'refund',
+      args: {},
+    })).rejects.toThrow('paymentIntentId required');
+
+    expect(execMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('requires a positive integer list limit', async () => {
+    await expect(target.ship(fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false }) as any, {
+      command: 'list',
+      args: { limit: -1 },
+    })).rejects.toThrow('limit must be a positive integer');
+
+    expect(execMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('requires a valid customer email', async () => {
+    await expect(target.ship(fakeShipContext({ dryRun: false }) as any, {
+      command: 'customer',
+      args: { email: 'not-an-email' },
+    })).rejects.toThrow('email must be a valid email address');
+
+    expect(execMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.ts b/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.ts
index dcc0dcc3..02a54604 100644
--- a/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/targets/payment-stripe/src/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,31 @@ interface Config {
   description?: string;
 }
 
+function requireText(value: unknown, name: string): string {
+  if (typeof value !== 'string' || !value.trim()) throw new Error(`${name} required`);
+  return value.trim();
+}
+
+function requirePositiveInteger(value: unknown, name: string, defaultValue: number): number {
+  const numberValue = value ?? defaultValue;
+  if (typeof numberValue !== 'number' || !Number.isInteger(numberValue) || numberValue <= 0) {
+    throw new Error(`${name} must be a positive integer`);
+  }
+  return numberValue;
+}
+
+function requireCurrency(value: unknown): string {
+  const currency = typeof value === 'string' ? value.trim().toLowerCase() : 'usd';
+  if (!/^[a-z]{3}$/.test(currency)) throw new Error('currency must be a three-letter ISO code');
+  return currency;
+}
+
+function requireEmail(value: unknown): string {
+  const email = requireText(value, 'email');
+  if (!/^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email)) throw new Error('email must be a valid email address');
+  return email;
+}
+
 export default defineTarget<Config>({
   id: 'payment-stripe',
   kind: 'payment',
@@ -50,8 +75,8 @@ export default defineTarget<Config>({
     switch (cmd) {
       case 'create': {
         const args = ['payment_intents', 'create'];
-        const amount = config.args?.amount ?? 100;
-        const currency = (config.args?.currency as string) ?? 'usd';
+        const amount = requirePositiveInteger(config.args?.amount, 'amount', 100);
+        const currency = requireCurrency(config.args?.currency);
         args.push('--amount', String(amount));
         args.push('--currency', currency);
         if (config.description) args.push('--description', config.description);
@@ -61,28 +86,25 @@ export default defineTarget<Config>({
       }
 
       case 'get': {
-        const pi = config.args?.paymentIntentId as string;
-        if (!pi) throw new Error('paymentIntentId required');
+        const pi = requireText(config.args?.paymentIntentId, 'paymentIntentId');
         const { stdout } = await exec('stripe', ['payment_intents', 'retrieve', pi], { log: ctx.log });
         return { id: pi, meta: { raw: stdout.trim() } };
       }
 
       case 'list': {
-        const limit = config.args?.limit ?? 10;
+        const limit = requirePositiveInteger(config.args?.limit, 'limit', 10);
         const { stdout } = await exec('stripe', ['payment_intents', 'list', `--limit=${limit}`], { log: ctx.log });
         return { id: `list-${Date.now()}`, meta: { raw: stdout.trim() } };
       }
 
       case 'customer': {
-        const email = config.args?.email as string;
-        if (!email) throw new Error('email required');
+        const email = requireEmail(config.args?.email);
         const { stdout } = await exec('stripe', ['customers', 'create', `--email=${email}`], { log: ctx.log });
         return { id: `cus_${Date.now()}`, meta: { raw: stdout.trim() } };
       }
 
       case 'refund': {
-        const pi = config.args?.paymentIntentId as string;
-        if (!pi) throw new Error('paymentIntentId required');
+        const pi = requireText(config.args?.paymentIntentId, 'paymentIntentId');
         const { stdout } = await exec('stripe', ['refunds', 'create', `--payment-intent=${pi}`], { log: ctx.log });
         return { id: `refund_${Date.now()}`, meta: { raw: stdout.trim() } };
       }