Payments · Guide9 min readUpdated November 2, 2026

How to Migrate Away From Stripe

How to leave Stripe without losing customers: what its card export includes, what your new processor needs, the steps, the delays, and what to rebuild.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 12 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

Ask Stripe, from your Dashboard, to send your customers' card data to the new processor. Stripe sends an encrypted file, only to a PCI DSS Level 1 processor. Cards, emails and metadata move; Link cards, subscriptions and payment history don't. Rebuild subscriptions yourself, run both processors for a cycle, and keep the Stripe account open.

Stripe transfers card data only to "another PCI DSS Level 1-compliant payment processor" with a current AOC or a Visa registry listing.
The new processor's PGP key "must be 4096 bits or greater" and hosted over HTTPS on its own domain.
Stripe "doesn't export your account's payment history, subscriptions, or other objects", and excludes cards saved with Link.
Stripe answers migration requests by email within 3 business days; there's no phone or chat support for them.
Cardholders can generally dispute for up to 120 days, and a closed Stripe account "can't be reopened".

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On this page

This page covers leaving Stripe specifically: its export, its rules, its delays. For the general method with any processor, see how to switch payment processors. More Stripe guides are in the Stripe hub.

What Stripe exports, and what it doesn't

Stripe's position is clear: "We believe our customers own the sensitive data they entrust to Stripe"1. It prepares an encrypted JSON file and arranges the transfer with your new processor1. Here is what's in it.

Data	In Stripe's export?	What to do
Card number, expiry, cardholder name	Yes1	Nothing: the new processor imports it
Billing address on the card	YesIn the file's card fields1	Check the new processor maps it
Customer ID, email, description, metadata	Yes1	Keep Stripe's customer ID: it links everything else
Default card per customer	YesAs `default_source`1	Check it stays the default after import
Cards saved with Link	No"You can't transfer the payment credentials saved with Link"1	Ask those customers for a card again
Subscriptions, prices, schedules	No1	Export through the API or Dashboard, rebuild
Payment history, invoices, other objects	No1	Export through the API or Dashboard before you leave
Stripe's tokens	No	The new processor issues its own: "Each PSP issues its own token format"4

Stripe's export page covers cards. If you collect bank debits (ACH or SEPA mandates), ask Stripe and the new processor how those move before you plan around them.

Fig. 1Three piles when you leave Stripe

Stripe sends
Card numbers, expiry dates, names, billing addresses, emails and metadata, in one encrypted file.
You export and rebuild
Subscriptions, prices, next charge dates, trials, coupons, payment history.
You ask for again
Cards saved with Link. They never leave Stripe.

only the first pile travels on its own

Based on Stripe Docs, Request a payment data export, read November 2, 2026.

What your new processor must have

Check this before you sign anything. Stripe requires, for the receiving processor1:

PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, proven by its current PCI Attestation of Compliance (AOC) or its listing on Visa's Global Registry of Service Providers.
A PGP public key of 4096 bits or more, hosted over HTTPS on a domain named in that AOC or registry listing.

Stripe says that once you name the processor, "we can usually confirm if they meet these requirements"1. A gateway or software tool that doesn't hold card data itself can't receive the file: the import goes to the PCI DSS Level 1 vault behind it. More on how vaults move: token vault migration.

The migration, step by step

Start with the new account, not with Stripe. Nothing should renew on the new processor before a test charge and a refund have gone through.

Open and test the new processor account. Get its AOC and PGP key ready for Stripe1.
Export what Stripe won't send: subscriptions, prices, next charge dates, trials, discounts and payment history, through the API or Dashboard1.
Submit Stripe's migration form, logged in as the account owner, naming the new processor2.
Wait for Stripe's email, within 3 business days, with the export details2.
Receive the file. Payabli describes a secure SFTP link sent to the merchant, which you pass to the new processor3.
Import and map customers by Stripe customer ID and email, then rebuild subscriptions with the same dates and prices.
Run both processors for one full billing cycle5, moving renewals as cards land, then stop each subscription on Stripe once it's live elsewhere.
Keep the Stripe account open for refunds, disputes and data access1 6.

Sources: Stripe Docs and Support, read November 2, 2026; Payabli Docs, read November 2, 2026; Shuttle Global.

How long it takes

Stripe publishes no deadline for the export itself. Payabli tells its merchants to expect "about 10 working days after it receives all requirements", then 3 to 5 business days for its own import3. Plan for the longer end, and add the parallel run.

Fig. 2A planned migration from Stripe

Week 0New account tested; form sent to Stripe
Within 3 business daysStripe replies by email
About 2 to 3 weeksFile exported and imported
One billing cycleBoth processors live
120 days after the last saleDispute window over; close Stripe

the account closes last, not first

Timings from Stripe Support, Payabli Docs and Stripe Docs, read November 2, 2026. Other processors' import times vary.

Rebuilding subscriptions

The card file doesn't know who pays what, or when. That part is yours, and it's where migrations lose customers.

Export per subscription: customer ID, plan, price, interval, next charge date, trial end, discount, status.
Rebuild with the same dates, so nobody is charged twice or skipped in the month of the move.
Stop each Stripe subscription as soon as its copy is live elsewhere. Smart Retries keeps retrying failed renewals on Stripe for up to 2 months if you configured it that way9.
Don't stack retries. A renewal declined on Stripe and charged again on the new processor is still a reattempt for Visa: up to 20 attempts in 30 days, and none after a category 1 decline such as a lost card10.
Tell subscribers if the name on their statement or the billing date changes. An unfamiliar descriptor turns into "I don't recognize this" disputes.
Plan for Link users: send them a link to add a card before their next renewal1.

Tagada follows Visa and Mastercard rules and the laws that apply to payments.

Keep the Stripe account open

Leave it open until the dispute window has passed. Three reasons, all from Stripe:

Disputes keep coming. Cardholders can generally dispute a payment for up to 120 days6, and you remain responsible for refunds and disputes on a closed account8.
Your data stays reachable. You keep Dashboard and API access after you stop processing "as long as you don't close or delete your account"1.
Closing is final. "Once a Stripe account is closed, it can't be reopened"7.

Leaving under pressure

If Stripe restricted or closed the account, the same export applies, and timing matters more. Request it on day one, while payouts are paused, typically for 120 days under Stripe's Unacceptable Risk Policy11. The full playbook: Stripe closed your account. If charges are paused but the account is open: Stripe account restricted.

Switch, or add a processor?

A full switch moves all your risk to one new provider. Adding a processor next to Stripe keeps sales running if either one reviews you.

Fig. 3Two ways to leave Stripe's single point of failure

Full switch

Export from Stripe
all volume toNew processor onlyApproved

One processor again, a new one

Two processors

Your checkout
routes toStripe and a second processorApproved

A review on one doesn't stop sales

the second keeps a fallback

Illustrative example.

Running several accounts is allowed, within the rules: never to split volume under a dispute threshold. See multiple merchant accounts.

By industry

Industry	What changes	Guide
Supplements	Subscribers on auto-ship are most of the value: rebuild schedules before anything else	Switching processors for supplement brands
Skincare	Refill subscriptions and a recognizable descriptor keep disputes down during the move	Switching processors for skincare brands
Fitness	Keep the Stripe account open until late equipment deliveries and their disputes have cleared	Switching processors for fitness brands
Info products	Check who holds the cards first: your own Stripe account, or a course platform's built-in payments	Switching processors for info product businesses
Online pharmacy	The new acquirer must register you with Mastercard, and with Visa unless you hold a recognized accreditation, before it processes	Switching processors for online pharmacies
Telehealth	Strip anything clinical from the export, settle open authorizations and keep consent records yourself	Switching processors for telehealth companies

How Tagada helps

A vault you own, wherever you process

Acceptance: "If you sell something real, we will get you paid."12
A vault you own: "Your PCI-tokenized cards, your customer profiles, your subscription data, all portable."12
No lock-in: "Switch processors without re-onboarding customers. No vendor lock-in. Ever." and "Export your vault, cards, and customers anytime."12
Stripe kept if you want it: "Already on Stripe, NMI or Airwallex? We orchestrate those too."12
Onboarding: "One KYC. One signed package. We distribute it across our processor network and follow up so you don't have to." TagadaPay says most merchants are live in under 24 hours.12
Security: PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR, as listed by TagadaPay.

Tagada CRM plans are on the pricing page.

Apply today · Go live in under 24 hours

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Updated on November 2, 2026

Nick Bonnassies

CMO at Tagada

CMO at Tagada. Before Tagada, Nick built direct-to-consumer brands that generated over $115M in sales, raised over $25M in crowdfunding and sold two of them. He also works as a fractional CMO on marketing operations and AI systems.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export my customers' credit cards from Stripe?

Yes. Stripe sends an encrypted export of card details, emails and metadata to your new processor, if it is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant and provides its AOC or Visa registry listing and a 4096-bit PGP key. You can't download the card numbers yourself, and cards saved with Link are excluded.

How long does a Stripe card data migration take?

Stripe replies to the request within 3 business days but publishes no deadline for the export. Payabli tells merchants to expect about 10 working days once requirements are met, plus 3 to 5 business days for its import. Add one billing cycle of parallel running before you move all renewals.

Do my subscriptions transfer when I leave Stripe?

No. Stripe doesn't export subscriptions, payment history or other objects. Export plans, prices, next charge dates, trials and discounts through the API or Dashboard, and rebuild them on the new system with the same dates. Then stop each subscription on Stripe so nobody is charged twice.

Does Stripe charge for exporting card data?

Stripe's export page lists no fee for it. Ask your new processor whether it charges for the import. Factor in the cost of the overlap too: two processors live for a billing cycle, and Stripe kept open for disputes.

Should I close my Stripe account after migrating?

Not right away. Disputes can arrive up to 120 days after a payment, you stay responsible for them, and you lose Dashboard and API access once the account is closed. A closed Stripe account can't be reopened. Close it once the dispute window on your last Stripe sale has passed.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026

TagadaPay

Move your cards once, and keep them portable

Tell us what you sell and how you sell it. Each application is underwritten, and approval is not guaranteed.

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01Tell us what you sell and how
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