Stripe has become a go-to platform for managing payments, subscriptions, and invoicing. If you’re shifting from another processor, the move can feel like a big lift. Maybe your old system lacks flexibility. Maybe you're facing rising chargebacks, confusing fee structures, or limitations in dispute management. Whatever the reason, Stripe offers strong tools, but migrating without a plan can cost you.
Let’s walk through a step-by-step migration checklist that keeps your data intact, your customers billed correctly, and your systems running without surprises.
Pre-Migration Prep
1. Inventory Current Integrations
Start with a complete list of what connects to your current billing platform. This includes your CRM, subscription tools, analytics dashboards, fraud filters, and any custom code. Knowing where everything connects helps prevent disruptions when you make the switch.
2. Map All Billing Data
Before moving anything, organize your customer profiles, active subscriptions, payment methods, and transaction history. Having a clear data map helps ensure nothing gets lost or duplicated. It also makes it easier to spot and fix issues once you go live.
3. Review Compliance Requirements
Check your PCI DSS responsibilities. If your team handles or stores card data, you need to make sure the new Stripe setup follows all security standards. This is also a good time to confirm that your processes for handling failed payments, refunds, and disputes are in place and documented.
Stripe Migration Checklist
Back Up Your Current System
Before doing anything else, create a full backup. Export your customer data, transaction records, subscription settings, and any other billing information. If something goes wrong, this gives you a clean rollback point.
Set Up a Stripe Sandbox
Use the test environment to simulate transactions, webhooks, and refunds. Test each scenario your business uses—from basic payments to subscription upgrades—so you can confirm your logic works as expected.
Map Subscription Logic
Every billing platform handles subscriptions a little differently. Look at how Stripe treats trial periods, prorated charges, upgrades, and cancellations. Adjust your logic to match Stripe’s behavior so customers aren’t overcharged or missed entirely.
Import Customer Records
Bring over all necessary customer details: names, emails, saved cards (if possible), subscription plans, and billing history. Include metadata you may need later for reporting or support issues. Take extra care with active subscriptions so recurring billing continues without a hitch.
Test Webhook Events
Stripe uses webhooks to alert your system when payments succeed, fail, or change status. Make sure you're capturing events like invoice.payment_failed, customer.subscription.updated, and charge.refunded. Build in error handling and logging so nothing slips through the cracks.
Validate Dunning and Retry Logic
Stripe lets you customize how and when it retries failed payments. Make sure the settings match your business model. Consider the number of retries, the timing between attempts, and how to notify the customer. This helps reduce involuntary churn.
Go-Live Protocol
Monitor Transactions in Real Time
Once you switch to live mode, keep an eye on Stripe’s dashboard. Watch for failed charges, fraud alerts, and any delays in email notifications or webhooks. Early detection means fewer customer complaints and faster fixes.
Resolve Any Webhook or Auth Failures
Failed webhooks can cause missed emails, delayed order fulfillment, or broken subscriptions. Monitor your webhook delivery logs and set up alerts for failures. Double-check that card authentication, like 3D Secure, is functioning properly.
Post-Migration Audit
Verify Recurring Billing
Make sure subscriptions are charging on schedule. Run a report on upcoming charges and match them against your customer records. If any charges were missed or duplicated, fix them before they trigger refund requests or complaints.
Check Dispute Handling Setup
Make sure your team receives alerts for new disputes and knows how to respond. Set up internal workflows or use a platform that helps manage dispute evidence and timing. Stripe automates part of this process, but your team still needs to be ready.
Run Dashboard Reconciliation
Use Stripe's reports to reconcile charges, fees, payouts, refunds, and disputes. Compare these reports to your internal records to ensure everything was imported correctly and is behaving as expected.
Final Thoughts
Migrating to Stripe isn’t just a data transfer. It’s a system-wide change that touches customer experience, financial reporting, and backend logic. If you prep carefully, test thoroughly, and monitor closely after launch, your migration can be smooth—and your billing stronger for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I watch out for when migrating billing systems?
Look out for issues with recurring billing, data formatting, and webhook integration. Subscription behavior may change slightly between platforms, so test those flows closely. Failed payments and webhook misfires are two of the most common problems.
How long does a Stripe migration take?
A simple migration for a small business could take just a few days. For more complex billing setups with custom logic, multiple products, and large customer datasets, plan for at least two to three weeks. That includes time for sandbox testing, data review, and post-launch auditing.
Upgrading Your Stack? Don’t Let Billing Set You Back.
Switching to Stripe is a smart move, but only if you bring the right tools with you. If your billing setup is creating more problems than it solves, Chargeblast can help automate alerts, manage disputes, and keep your recurring revenue on track.
Want to see how we fit into your new stack? Book a demo below or dive in yourself. We’ll help you make the most of your Stripe migration—and stay one step ahead of the chaos.
