diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index f32ecda..2337531 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ dotenv.config({ path: path.join(__dirname, '.env.local'), override: true });
 dotenv.config({ path: path.join(__dirname, '..', '.env') });
 dotenv.config({ path: path.join(__dirname, '..', '.env.local') });
 
-const { closeDatabase, getDefaultDbPath, openDatabase } = require('./lib/sqlite');
+const { closeDatabase, getDefaultDbPath, openDatabase, get, run } = require('./lib/sqlite');
 const { ensureAuthSchema, signUp: authSignUp, login: authLogin, issueToken, verifyJwt } = require('./lib/auth');
 const {
   PlantImportValidationError,
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ const {
 
 const app = express();
 const port = Number(process.env.PORT || 3000);
-const stripe = new Stripe((process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY || '').trim() || 'sk_test_mock_key');
+const stripeSecretKey = (process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY || '').trim();
+if (!stripeSecretKey) {
+  console.error('STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is not set. Payment endpoints will fail.');
+}
+const stripe = new Stripe(stripeSecretKey || 'sk_test_placeholder_key_not_configured');
 
 const resolveStripeModeFromKey = (key, livePrefix, testPrefix) => {
   const normalized = String(key || '').trim();
@@ -182,9 +186,15 @@ const pickCatalogFallback = (entries, imageUri, preferHighConfidence = false) =>
   if (!Array.isArray(entries) || entries.length === 0) return null;
   const baseHash = hashString(`${imageUri || ''}|${entries.length}`);
   const index = baseHash % entries.length;
+  // Low confidence so the user knows this is a hash-based guess, not a real identification
   const confidence = preferHighConfidence
-    ? 0.84 + ((baseHash % 7) / 100)
-    : 0.62 + ((baseHash % 18) / 100);
+    ? 0.22 + ((baseHash % 3) / 100)
+    : 0.18 + ((baseHash % 7) / 100);
+  console.warn('Using hash-based catalog fallback — OpenAI is unavailable or returned null.', {
+    plant: entries[index]?.name,
+    confidence,
+    imageHint: (imageUri || '').slice(0, 80),
+  });
   return toPlantResult(entries[index], confidence);
 };
 
@@ -836,8 +846,13 @@ const start = async () => {
 
   const stripeMode = getStripeSecretMode();
   const stripePublishableMode = getStripePublishableMode();
-  console.log(`Stripe mode: ${stripeMode}`);
-  console.log(`Stripe publishable mode: ${stripePublishableMode}`);
+  const maskKey = (key) => {
+    const k = String(key || '').trim();
+    if (k.length < 12) return k ? '(too short to mask)' : '(not set)';
+    return `${k.slice(0, 7)}...${k.slice(-4)}`;
+  };
+  console.log(`Stripe Mode: ${stripeMode} | Secret: ${maskKey(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY)}`);
+  console.log(`Stripe Publishable Mode: ${stripePublishableMode} | Key: ${maskKey(process.env.STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY || process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY)}`);
 
   const server = app.listen(port, () => {
     console.log(`GreenLns server listening at http://localhost:${port}`);