stripe-python `del StripeOject.metadata['some

The Fix

pip install stripe==14.4.0a2

Based on closed stripe/stripe-python issue #596 · PR/commit linked

Production note: Most teams hit this during upgrades or environment changes. Roll out with a canary and smoke critical endpoints (health, OpenAPI/docs) before 100%.

Open PR/Commit

@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ def __delitem__(self, k):
 
         # Allows for unpickling in Python 3.x
-        if hasattr(self, "_unsaved_values"):
+        if hasattr(self, "_unsaved_values") and k in self._unsaved_values:
             self._unsaved_values.remove(k)

fix.md

Option A — Upgrade to fixed release\npip install stripe==14.4.0a2\nWhen NOT to use: Do not use del on metadata if you expect the key may not exist.\n\n

Why This Fix Works in Production

Trigger: In [1]: from utils.stripe import stripe # (= import stripe + stripe.api_key = settings.STRIPE['SECRET_KEY'])
Mechanism: Fixes the issue where using `del` on StripeObject.metadata raised a KeyError.
Why the fix works: Fixes the issue where using `del` on StripeObject.metadata raised a KeyError. (first fixed release: 14.4.0a2).

Production impact:

If left unfixed, the same config can fail only in production (env differences), causing startup failures or partial feature outages.

Why This Breaks in Prod

Shows up under Python 3.5.3 in real deployments (not just unit tests).
Surfaces as: In [1]: from utils.stripe import stripe # (= import stripe + stripe.api_key = settings.STRIPE['SECRET_KEY'])

Proof / Evidence

GitHub issue: #596
Fix PR: https://github.com/stripe/stripe-python/pull/599
First fixed release: 14.4.0a2
Reproduced locally: No (not executed)
Last verified: 2026-02-08
Confidence: 0.85
Did this fix it?: Yes (upstream fix exists)
Own content ratio: 0.36

Discussion

High-signal excerpts from the issue thread (symptoms, repros, edge-cases).

Jump to Sources Open on GitHub

“I just released version 2.33.1, using del should no longer throw a KeyError. Though note that to unset metadata keys you'd still need to use…”

@ob-stripe · 2019-08-06 · confirmation · source

“Hi @apinsard, thanks for the report. You can unset metadata keys like this: or like this: Nevertheless, the KeyError when using the del keyword is…”

@ob-stripe · 2019-08-02 · source

“Thank you for the quick answer and the provided workaround!”

@apinsard · 2019-08-02 · source

Failure Signature (Search String)

In [1]: from utils.stripe import stripe # (= import stripe + stripe.api_key = settings.STRIPE['SECRET_KEY'])

Error Message

Stack trace

error.txt

Error Message
-------------
In [1]: from utils.stripe import stripe  # (= import stripe + stripe.api_key = settings.STRIPE['SECRET_KEY'])

In [2]: pi = stripe.PaymentIntent.retrieve('pi_deadbeef')

In [3]: pi.metadata
Out[3]: 
<StripeObject at 0x7f92140c5098> JSON: {
  "booking_id": "13506",
  "damage_deposit_amount": "20000",
  "waiting_for_webhook": "True"
}

In [4]: 'foobar' in pi.metadata
Out[4]: False

In [5]: del pi.metadata['damage_deposit_amount']
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KeyError                                  Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-5-e399e0ff7d29> in <module>
----> 1 del pi.metadata['damage_deposit_amount']

/usr/share/virtualenvs/cocoonr/lib/python3.5/site-packages/stripe/stripe_object.py in __delitem__(self, k)
    136         # Allows for unpickling in Python 3.x
    137         if hasattr(self, "_unsaved_values"):
--> 138             self._unsaved_values.remove(k)
    139
    140     # Custom unpickling method that uses `update` to update the dictionary

KeyError: 'damage_deposit_amount'

In [6]: pi.metadata
Out[6]: 
<StripeObject at 0x7f92140c5098> JSON: {
  "booking_id": "13506",
  "waiting_for_webhook": "True"
}

In [7]: pi.save()
Out[7]: 
<PaymentIntent payment_intent id=pi_deadbeef at 0x7f9214136598> JSON: {
  ...
  "metadata": {
    "booking_id": "13506",
    "waiting_for_webhook": "True"
  },
  ...
}

In [8
... (truncated) ...

Environment

Python: 3.5.3

What Broke

Using del on metadata raised KeyError, causing unexpected behavior in production.

Fix Options (Details)

Option A — Upgrade to fixed release Safe default (recommended)

pip install stripe==14.4.0a2

When NOT to use: Do not use del on metadata if you expect the key may not exist.

Use when you can deploy the upstream fix. It is usually lower-risk than long-lived workarounds.

Fix reference: https://github.com/stripe/stripe-python/pull/599

First fixed release: 14.4.0a2

Last verified: 2026-02-08. Validate in your environment.

When NOT to Use This Fix

Do not use del on metadata if you expect the key may not exist.

Did This Fix Work in Your Case?

Quick signal helps us prioritize which fixes to verify and improve.

Prevention

Capture the exact failing error string in logs and tests so you can reproduce via a minimal script.
Pin production dependencies and upgrade only with a reproducible test that hits the failing path.

Version Compatibility Table

Version	Status
14.4.0a2	Fixed

Related Issues

No related fixes found.

Cluster: stripe-python:configuration-error stripe-python hub stripe-python best practices All hubs All clusters

Related clusters: Data consistency Other Payments

Sources

We don’t republish the full GitHub discussion text. Use the links above for context.

stripe-python `del StripeOject.metadata['some_key']` deletes key AND raises `KeyError` (Fix)