diff --git a/app/Http/Middleware/StartupCheck.php b/app/Http/Middleware/StartupCheck.php
index 3a356bad854b..e4072784ead9 100644
--- a/app/Http/Middleware/StartupCheck.php
+++ b/app/Http/Middleware/StartupCheck.php
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ class StartupCheck
         if (Input::has('clear_cache')) 
             Session::flash('message', 'Cache cleared');
         
-        
         foreach ($cached_tables as $name => $class) {
             if (Input::has('clear_cache') || ! Cache::has($name)) {
                 // check that the table exists in case the migration is pending
diff --git a/app/Models/Activity.php b/app/Models/Activity.php
index 002a2ae6ddc8..14d04325fe82 100644
--- a/app/Models/Activity.php
+++ b/app/Models/Activity.php
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ class Activity extends StaticModel
     const DELETE_USER=51;
     const RESTORE_USER=52;
 
+    protected $casts = [
+        'is_system' => 'boolean',
+    ];
 
     public function backup()
     {
diff --git a/app/Models/Country.php b/app/Models/Country.php
index 79556d5f6c24..1578db2874b2 100644
--- a/app/Models/Country.php
+++ b/app/Models/Country.php
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ class Country extends StaticModel
 {
     public $timestamps = false;
 
+    protected $casts = [
+        'eea' => 'boolean',
+        'swap_postal_code' => 'boolean',
+        'swap_currency_symbol' => 'boolean',
+    ];
+    
     /**
      * Localizes the country name for the clients language.
      * 	
@@ -26,4 +32,7 @@ class Country extends StaticModel
     {
         return trans('texts.country_' . $this->name);
     }
+
+
 }
+
diff --git a/app/Models/Currency.php b/app/Models/Currency.php
index d45727de7332..79c4bfd04e1b 100644
--- a/app/Models/Currency.php
+++ b/app/Models/Currency.php
@@ -17,4 +17,8 @@ class Currency extends StaticModel
 {
     public $timestamps = false;
 
+    protected $casts = [
+        'swap_currency_symbol' => 'boolean',
+    ];
+
 }
diff --git a/app/Models/Gateway.php b/app/Models/Gateway.php
index b1ae677caac6..1cc1dd03e772 100644
--- a/app/Models/Gateway.php
+++ b/app/Models/Gateway.php
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ use Omnipay\Omnipay;
 class Gateway extends StaticModel
 {
 
+    protected $casts = [
+        'is_offsite' => 'boolean',
+        'is_secure' => 'boolean',
+    ];
+
     /**
      * @return mixed
      */
diff --git a/app/Models/PaymentLibrary.php b/app/Models/PaymentLibrary.php
index 87e1d9357d05..28cb2cdf9440 100644
--- a/app/Models/PaymentLibrary.php
+++ b/app/Models/PaymentLibrary.php
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 class PaymentLibrary extends BaseModel
 {
 
+    protected $casts = [
+        'visible' => 'boolean',
+    ];
+
     /**
      * @return \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany
      */
@@ -26,4 +30,5 @@ class PaymentLibrary extends BaseModel
     {
         return $this->hasMany(Gateway::class, 'payment_library_id');
     }
+
 }
diff --git a/app/PaymentDrivers/StripePaymentDriver.php b/app/PaymentDrivers/StripePaymentDriver.php
index a68ee179de46..3763f08efa47 100644
--- a/app/PaymentDrivers/StripePaymentDriver.php
+++ b/app/PaymentDrivers/StripePaymentDriver.php
@@ -52,10 +52,15 @@ class StripePaymentDriver extends BasePaymentDriver
 	 */
 	/************************************** Stripe API methods **********************************************************/
 
-	public function init()
+    /**
+     * Initializes the Stripe API
+     * @return void
+     */
+	public function init() :void
 	{
         Stripe::setApiKey($this->company_gateway->getConfigField('23_apiKey'));
 	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the gateway types
 	 */
diff --git a/database/migrations/2014_10_13_000000_create_users_table.php b/database/migrations/2014_10_13_000000_create_users_table.php
index e2cb6928a524..a9ec682dff4e 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2014_10_13_000000_create_users_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2014_10_13_000000_create_users_table.php
@@ -213,9 +213,9 @@ class CreateUsersTable extends Migration
             $table->integer('theme_id')->nullable();
             $table->smallInteger('failed_logins')->nullable();
             $table->string('referral_code')->default('');
-            $table->string('oauth_user_id',100)->default('');
-            $table->string('oauth_provider_id')->default('');
-            $table->string('google_2fa_secret')->default('');
+            $table->string('oauth_user_id',100)->nullable();
+            $table->string('oauth_provider_id')->nullable();
+            $table->string('google_2fa_secret')->nullable();
             $table->string('accepted_terms_version')->default('');
             $table->string('avatar', 100)->default('');
             $table->unsignedInteger('avatar_width')->nullable();
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ class CreateUsersTable extends Migration
             $table->unsignedInteger('payment_library_id')->default(1);
             $table->unsignedInteger('sort_order')->default(10000);
             $table->boolean('recommended')->default(0);
-            $table->string('site_url', 200)->nullable();
+            $table->string('site_url', 200)->default('');
             $table->boolean('is_offsite')->default(false);
             $table->boolean('is_secure')->default(false);
         });