diff --git a/src/core/payments/index.js b/src/core/payments/index.js
index 074977c..bed77f9 100644
--- a/src/core/payments/index.js
+++ b/src/core/payments/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1 @@
-/**
- * Payments Module Entry Point
- * Re-exports all payment utilities
- */
-
 export * from './stripe.js';
-export { default as stripe } from './stripe.js';
diff --git a/src/core/payments/stripe.js b/src/core/payments/stripe.js
index 9e7139e..0f285d0 100644
--- a/src/core/payments/stripe.js
+++ b/src/core/payments/stripe.js
@@ -1,72 +1,33 @@
-/**
- * Stripe Payment Utilities
- * Generic Stripe integration for payment processing
- * 
- * Usage in modules:
- * import { createCheckoutSession, isEnabled } from '@zen/core/stripe';
- */
+import { createHash } from 'crypto';
+import Stripe from 'stripe';
 
-/**
- * Get Stripe instance
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe instance
- */
-export async function getStripe() {
+let _stripe = null;
+
+export function getStripe() {
   const secretKey = process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY;
-  
+
   if (!secretKey) {
     throw new Error('Stripe is not configured. Please set STRIPE_SECRET_KEY environment variable.');
   }
-  
-  const Stripe = (await import('stripe')).default;
-  return new Stripe(secretKey, {
-    apiVersion: '2023-10-16',
-  });
+
+  if (!_stripe) {
+    _stripe = new Stripe(secretKey, { apiVersion: '2023-10-16' });
+  }
+
+  return _stripe;
 }
 
-/**
- * Check if Stripe is enabled
- * @returns {boolean}
- */
 export function isEnabled() {
   return !!(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY && process.env.STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY);
 }
 
-/**
- * Get Stripe publishable key (for client-side)
- * @returns {string|null}
- */
 export function getPublishableKey() {
   return process.env.STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY || null;
 }
 
-/**
- * Create a checkout session
- * @param {Object} options - Checkout options
- * @param {Array} options.lineItems - Line items for checkout
- * @param {string} options.successUrl - Success redirect URL
- * @param {string} options.cancelUrl - Cancel redirect URL
- * @param {string} options.customerEmail - Customer email
- * @param {Object} options.metadata - Additional metadata
- * @param {string} options.mode - Payment mode (default: 'payment')
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe session object
- * 
- * @example
- * const session = await createCheckoutSession({
- *   lineItems: [{
- *     price_data: {
- *       currency: 'usd',
- *       product_data: { name: 'Product' },
- *       unit_amount: 1000,
- *     },
- *     quantity: 1,
- *   }],
- *   successUrl: 'https://example.com/success',
- *   cancelUrl: 'https://example.com/cancel',
- * });
- */
 export async function createCheckoutSession(options) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  
+  const stripe = getStripe();
+
   const {
     lineItems,
     successUrl,
@@ -74,49 +35,34 @@ export async function createCheckoutSession(options) {
     customerEmail,
     metadata = {},
     mode = 'payment',
-    paymentMethodTypes = ['card'],
     clientReferenceId,
   } = options;
-  
+
   const sessionConfig = {
-    payment_method_types: paymentMethodTypes,
     line_items: lineItems,
     mode,
     success_url: successUrl,
     cancel_url: cancelUrl,
     metadata,
   };
-  
-  if (customerEmail) {
-    sessionConfig.customer_email = customerEmail;
-  }
-  
-  if (clientReferenceId) {
-    sessionConfig.client_reference_id = clientReferenceId;
-  }
-  
-  return await stripe.checkout.sessions.create(sessionConfig);
+
+  if (customerEmail) sessionConfig.customer_email = customerEmail;
+  if (clientReferenceId) sessionConfig.client_reference_id = clientReferenceId;
+
+  return stripe.checkout.sessions.create(sessionConfig);
 }
 
-/**
- * Create a payment intent
- * @param {Object} options - Payment options
- * @param {number} options.amount - Amount in cents
- * @param {string} options.currency - Currency code
- * @param {Object} options.metadata - Additional metadata
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe payment intent
- */
 export async function createPaymentIntent(options) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  
+  const stripe = getStripe();
+
   const {
     amount,
     currency = process.env.ZEN_CURRENCY?.toLowerCase() || 'cad',
     metadata = {},
     automaticPaymentMethods = { enabled: true },
   } = options;
-  
-  return await stripe.paymentIntents.create({
+
+  return stripe.paymentIntents.create({
     amount,
     currency,
     metadata,
@@ -124,159 +70,59 @@ export async function createPaymentIntent(options) {
   });
 }
 
-/**
- * Retrieve a checkout session
- * @param {string} sessionId - Session ID
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe session
- */
 export async function getCheckoutSession(sessionId) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  return await stripe.checkout.sessions.retrieve(sessionId);
+  return getStripe().checkout.sessions.retrieve(sessionId);
 }
 
-/**
- * Retrieve a payment intent
- * @param {string} paymentIntentId - Payment intent ID
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe payment intent
- */
 export async function getPaymentIntent(paymentIntentId) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  return await stripe.paymentIntents.retrieve(paymentIntentId);
+  return getStripe().paymentIntents.retrieve(paymentIntentId);
 }
 
-/**
- * Verify webhook signature
- * @param {string} payload - Raw request body
- * @param {string} signature - Stripe-Signature header
- * @param {string} secret - Webhook secret (optional, uses env if not provided)
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Verified event
- */
-export async function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, secret = null) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  const webhookSecret = secret || process.env.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET;
-  
+export async function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature) {
+  const webhookSecret = process.env.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET;
+
   if (!webhookSecret) {
     throw new Error('Stripe webhook secret is not configured');
   }
-  
-  return stripe.webhooks.constructEvent(payload, signature, webhookSecret);
+
+  return getStripe().webhooks.constructEvent(payload, signature, webhookSecret);
 }
 
-/**
- * Create a customer
- * @param {Object} options - Customer options
- * @param {string} options.email - Customer email
- * @param {string} options.name - Customer name
- * @param {Object} options.metadata - Additional metadata
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe customer
- */
 export async function createCustomer(options) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  
   const { email, name, metadata = {} } = options;
-  
-  return await stripe.customers.create({
-    email,
-    name,
-    metadata,
-  });
+  return getStripe().customers.create({ email, name, metadata });
 }
 
 /**
  * Get or create a customer by email.
  *
- * TOCTOU note: Stripe does not provide a native atomic upsert.  To minimise
+ * TOCTOU note: Stripe does not provide a native atomic upsert. To minimise
  * the race-condition window where two concurrent calls both create a customer
  * for the same email, we use an idempotency key derived from the email address.
  * If a duplicate is created despite this guard (extremely unlikely), operators
  * should merge duplicates via the Stripe dashboard or a reconciliation job.
- *
- * @param {string} email - Customer email
- * @param {Object} defaultData - Default data if creating new customer
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe customer
  */
 export async function getOrCreateCustomer(email, defaultData = {}) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
+  const stripe = getStripe();
 
-  // Search for existing customer first.
-  const existing = await stripe.customers.list({
-    email,
-    limit: 1,
-  });
+  const existing = await stripe.customers.list({ email, limit: 1 });
+  if (existing.data.length > 0) return existing.data[0];
 
-  if (existing.data.length > 0) {
-    return existing.data[0];
-  }
-
-  // Use a deterministic idempotency key so that concurrent requests for the
-  // same email address result in a single Stripe customer even if both pass
-  // the list-check above before either create completes.
-  const { createHash } = await import('crypto');
   const idempotencyKey = 'get-or-create-customer-' + createHash('sha256').update(email).digest('hex');
-
-  return await stripe.customers.create(
-    { email, ...defaultData },
-    { idempotencyKey }
-  );
+  return stripe.customers.create({ email, ...defaultData }, { idempotencyKey });
 }
 
-/**
- * List customer's payment methods
- * @param {string} customerId - Customer ID
- * @param {string} type - Payment method type (default: 'card')
- * @returns {Promise<Array>} List of payment methods
- */
 export async function listPaymentMethods(customerId, type = 'card') {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  
-  const methods = await stripe.paymentMethods.list({
-    customer: customerId,
-    type,
-  });
-  
+  const methods = await getStripe().paymentMethods.list({ customer: customerId, type });
   return methods.data;
 }
 
-/**
- * Create a refund
- * @param {Object} options - Refund options
- * @param {string} options.paymentIntentId - Payment intent to refund
- * @param {number} options.amount - Amount to refund in cents (optional, full refund if not specified)
- * @param {string} options.reason - Reason for refund
- * @returns {Promise<Object>} Stripe refund
- */
 export async function createRefund(options) {
-  const stripe = await getStripe();
-  
   const { paymentIntentId, amount, reason } = options;
-  
-  const refundConfig = {
-    payment_intent: paymentIntentId,
-  };
-  
-  if (amount) {
-    refundConfig.amount = amount;
-  }
-  
-  if (reason) {
-    refundConfig.reason = reason;
-  }
-  
-  return await stripe.refunds.create(refundConfig);
-}
 
-// Default export for convenience
-export default {
-  getStripe,
-  isEnabled,
-  getPublishableKey,
-  createCheckoutSession,
-  createPaymentIntent,
-  getCheckoutSession,
-  getPaymentIntent,
-  verifyWebhookSignature,
-  createCustomer,
-  getOrCreateCustomer,
-  listPaymentMethods,
-  createRefund,
-};
+  const refundConfig = { payment_intent: paymentIntentId };
+  if (amount) refundConfig.amount = amount;
+  if (reason) refundConfig.reason = reason;
+
+  return getStripe().refunds.create(refundConfig);
+}