diff --git a/lib/StripeMethod.js b/lib/StripeMethod.js
index c3d850f717..a1b5dac6bf 100644
--- a/lib/StripeMethod.js
+++ b/lib/StripeMethod.js
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@ function stripeMethod(spec) {
         urlData[param] = args.shift();
       }
 
-      var data = encode(utils.getDataFromArgs(args));
+      var data;
+      try {
+        data = encode(utils.getDataFromArgs(args));
+      } catch(e) {
+        reject(e);
+      }
       var opts = utils.getOptionsFromArgs(args);
 
       if (args.length) {
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index b936bb35da..a435683557 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -53,14 +53,30 @@ var utils = module.exports = {
   /**
    * Return the data argument from a list of arguments
    */
-  getDataFromArgs: function(args) {
-    if (args.length > 0) {
-      if (isPlainObject(args[0]) && !utils.isOptionsHash(args[0])) {
+   getDataFromArgs: function(args) {
+      if (args.length < 1 || !isPlainObject(args[0])) {
+        return {};
+      }
+
+      if (!utils.isOptionsHash(args[0])) {
         return args.shift();
       }
-    }
-    return {};
-  },
+
+      var argKeys = Object.keys(args[0]);
+
+      var optionKeysInArgs = argKeys.filter(function(key) {
+        return ['api_key', 'idempotency_key', 'stripe_account'].indexOf(key) > -1;
+      });
+
+      if (argKeys.length > optionKeysInArgs.length) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'Stripe: Options found in arguments (' + optionKeysInArgs.join(', ') + '). Did you mean to pass an options ' +
+          'object? See https://github.com/stripe/stripe-node/wiki/Passing-Options.'
+        );
+      }
+
+      return {};
+    },
 
   /**
    * Return the options hash from a list of arguments
diff --git a/test/utils.spec.js b/test/utils.spec.js
index 323531f974..11c290c49c 100644
--- a/test/utils.spec.js
+++ b/test/utils.spec.js
@@ -106,11 +106,15 @@ describe('utils', function() {
       expect(utils.getDataFromArgs(args)).to.deep.equal({});
       expect(args.length).to.equal(2);
     });
-    it('ignores an options hash', function() {
+    it('ignores a hash with only options', function() {
       var args = [{api_key: 'foo'}];
       expect(utils.getDataFromArgs(args)).to.deep.equal({});
       expect(args.length).to.equal(1);
     });
+    it('throws an error if the hash contains both data and options', function() {
+      var args = [{foo: 'bar', api_key: 'foo', idempotency_key: 'baz'}];
+      expect(function() { utils.getDataFromArgs(args); }).to.throw(/Options found in arguments/);
+    });
     it('finds the data', function() {
       var args = [{foo: 'bar'}, {api_key: 'foo'}];
       expect(utils.getDataFromArgs(args)).to.deep.equal({foo: 'bar'});