This process is handled by our teamMigrations are not self-serve today. To get started, email support@polar.sh with the account you want to migrate to, and we’ll guide you through every step.
What can be moved
| Data | Moves to your new provider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Yes | Name, email, and billing details. |
| Saved payment methods | Yes | Easiest Stripe-to-Stripe. We can also move them to any PCI-compliant provider via Stripe’s secure PAN export. |
| Products, prices, discounts, benefits | No, recreate them | These live in your Polar configuration and need to be set up again on your new provider. |
| Active subscriptions | No, recreate them | Recreate them on your new provider following your existing billing cycle, then cancel on Polar. See Recreating your subscriptions. |
Stripe to Stripe is the simplest pathIf your new provider is Stripe, we transfer your customers and their saved payment methods directly between Stripe accounts. Moving to a different provider is also supported through Stripe’s secure PAN export, which sends card data to any PCI-compliant processor. Both paths are handled by our team, so no card data ever passes through you and your customers don’t need to re-enter their details.
The holding period
When you start a migration, we set your Polar organization to an offboarding state. While offboarding:- Your existing subscriptions keep renewing until you cancel them, so customers are never cut off mid-transition.
- New checkouts are disabled, since you’re moving your business elsewhere.
- Payouts are paused for 120 days.
How the migration works
Tell us where you're going
Email support@polar.sh with the Stripe account (or other provider) you want to migrate to. We will confirm the details and set your organization to offboarding. The destination account must already exist and be under your control before we can begin the migration.
We transfer your customers and payment methods
We coordinate a secure transfer of your customers and their saved payment methods to your new account. Stripe-to-Stripe is a direct account-to-account copy. For other providers, we use Stripe’s PAN export to send card data to your PCI-compliant processor. No card data passes through you, keeping the migration PCI-compliant.
Recreate your catalog on the new provider
Set up your products, prices, discounts, and benefits on your new provider. These configurations live in Polar and don’t transfer automatically. Depending on your new provider, this can often be automated using their APIs or bulk import tools and we don’t offer personalized exports of data.
Recreate your subscriptions
Recreate active subscriptions on your new provider, aligned to each customer’s existing Polar billing cycle, then cancel them on Polar. See the warning below to avoid double billing.
Withdraw your remaining balance
After the 120-day holding period, withdraw your released balance. See Withdrawing your remaining balance.
Recreating your subscriptions
To keep billing seamless, recreate each active subscription on your new provider so its first charge lands on the same date as the next Polar renewal. This way the customer is billed once per period, by exactly one provider.Withdrawing your remaining balance
After the 120-day holding period ends, your remaining balance is released and you can withdraw it to your connected bank account, subject to the standard minimum payout threshold. If your balance is below the minimum for your country, reach out to support and we’ll help you withdraw the remainder.Frequently asked questions
How long does a migration take?
How long does a migration take?
The timeline depends on the payment provider you’re migrating to. If you’re migrating to your own Stripe account, migrations can typically be completed within a few business days. For other billing providers, migrations usually take several weeks due to coordination between multiple parties.
Does Polar charge for migrations?
Does Polar charge for migrations?
No. Polar does not charge a fee to migrate your customers or saved payment methods to another provider.
Will my customers notice the migration?
Will my customers notice the migration?
They shouldn’t experience an interruption. Subscriptions keep renewing on Polar until you cancel them, and we transfer saved payment methods so they don’t need to re-enter card details. The main visible change is who appears on their statement once you start billing from your new provider.
Can I move to a provider other than Stripe?
Can I move to a provider other than Stripe?
Yes. Stripe-to-Stripe is the easiest path, but we can also move your saved payment methods to another provider through Stripe’s secure PAN export, as long as your new processor is PCI-compliant and able to receive the data.
Why can't I just export the card numbers myself?
Why can't I just export the card numbers myself?
Raw card data is subject to strict PCI and card network rules and is never handed to merchants directly. Payment methods are moved account-to-account through the processor’s secure migration process, which is why this step is handled by our team.
What happens to refunds and chargebacks during the holding period?
What happens to refunds and chargebacks during the holding period?
We continue to process refunds and handle any chargebacks on payments made while you were on Polar, drawing from your held balance. This is the reason for the 120-day hold.
What happens to my historical sales data?
What happens to my historical sales data?
Your historical orders, invoices, and reporting remain available in Polar during the offboarding period. We retain transaction records for compliance purposes for at least five years after processing, even after your migration is complete.
How do I start?
How do I start?
Email support@polar.sh with your destination account and we’ll take it from there.