Why Businesses Need to Move Stripe Accounts
There are several scenarios where businesses need to migrate their Stripe subscriptions to a new account:
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Business Restructuring: Creating separate entities for different product lines or markets
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Mergers & Acquisitions: Consolidating payment processing after company acquisitions
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Compliance Requirements: Meeting regional regulations like GDPR or PCI compliance
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Geographic Expansion: Setting up local Stripe accounts for better payment processing
Prerequisites and Preparation
Before starting any migration, ensure you have the following:
Important: Always perform migrations during low-traffic periods and notify customers in advance if any disruption is expected.
Required Access and Permissions
- API Keys: Restricted keys with read/write access to both source and destination accounts
- Admin Access: Full administrative privileges in both Stripe dashboards
- Customer Data Export: Ability to export customer lists and subscription details
- Testing Environment: A test mode account for validation before production migration
The Manual Migration Process
While we recommend using automated tools, understanding the manual process helps appreciate the complexity involved:
Step 1: Export Data from Source Account
# Using Stripe CLI
stripe products list --limit 100 > products.json
stripe prices list --limit 100 > prices.json
stripe customers list --limit 100 > customers.json
stripe subscriptions list --limit 100 > subscriptions.json
stripe coupons list --limit 100 > coupons.jsonStep 2: Create Products in Destination Account
# Example: Creating a product
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/products \
-u sk_test_destination_key: \
-d name="Premium Plan" \
-d description="Premium subscription plan"Step 3: Map IDs Between Accounts
Create a mapping table to track old vs new IDs:
| Old Product ID | New Product ID | Status |
|---|---|---|
| prod_old_123 | prod_new_456 | Migrated |
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
❌ Pitfall: Duplicate Subscriptions
Running migration scripts multiple times can create duplicate subscriptions, leading to double-charging customers.
Solution: Implement idempotency keys and duplicate detection logic.
❌ Pitfall: Broken Billing Cycles
Subscriptions created with new start dates will disrupt customer billing cycles.
Solution: Use billing_cycle_anchor to preserve original billing dates.
❌ Pitfall: Lost Payment Methods
Payment methods cannot be directly transferred between Stripe accounts for security reasons.
Solution: Implement a secure customer portal for payment method updates.
Using SubMigrations for Automated Migration
SubMigrations automates the entire process, handling all the complexity and edge cases:
Why Choose Automated Migration?
✓ 100% Accuracy
Automated validation ensures no data loss or corruption
✓ Minutes vs Weeks
Complete migrations in under 10 minutes
✓ Zero Downtime
Customers experience no service interruption
✓ Full Rollback
One-click rollback if anything goes wrong
Post-Migration Verification Checklist
After completing your migration, verify everything is working correctly:
✓ Migration Verification Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate subscriptions without disrupting billing?
Yes, with proper planning and tools like SubMigrations, billing cycles can be preserved exactly as they were, ensuring no disruption to customer billing.
What about payment methods and PCI compliance?
Payment methods cannot be directly migrated for security reasons. Customers will need to update their payment methods, which can be facilitated through a secure portal or during their next billing cycle.
How long does a typical migration take?
Manual migrations can take weeks to months depending on volume. With SubMigrations, most migrations complete in under 10 minutes, with larger migrations (10,000+ subscriptions) taking up to an hour.
Is it possible to do a partial migration?
Yes, you can migrate specific products, customer segments, or subscription types. This is useful for phased migrations or testing.