Stripe Integration ​

Rational leverages the power of Stripe Connect to provide a seamless and integrated payment and subscription management system. With this integration, you are empowered to use your own Stripe account to manage your customer base, set up your payment configurations, and handle bank account details directly from within Rational.

Stripe Connect Responsibilities ​

When you use Stripe Connect, it creates a direct financial relationship between you and Stripe. This puts you in the driver's seat, making you responsible for understanding and adhering to Stripe's terms of service and regulations. To help you navigate this, Stripe offers comprehensive official Connect documentation. It provides in-depth guidance on responsibilities, risks, and the ins and outs of managing your financial operations through Stripe.

Customer and Subscription Management ​

Rational offers flexibility when it comes to customer and subscription management. You can create customers in Rational without the immediate need to associate them with Stripe. This is particularly useful if the customer is not ready for billing or they're utilizing a free tier of your services. However, when the time comes to initiate billing or handle payments, Rational allows you to effortlessly link the customer with an existing or a new Stripe customer object.

In addition, Rational also keeps track of your customers' active subscriptions. This feature provides essential data for managing access to your products. This means that if a new subscription is created in Stripe, the status of that subscription will automatically reflect in Rational, ensuring a consistent customer experience.

Auto Sync between Rational and Stripe ​

Our auto-sync feature is an example of Rational's commitment to streamline and automate your operations. With this feature, changes made either in Rational or Stripe get reflected on the other platform automatically. The benefits extend to the customer onboarding process as well. When customers are created through Stripe, they automatically gain access to Rational and receive an email invitation to complete the Rational sign-up process.

Stripe Customer Portal ​

Rational encourages you to utilize the Stripe Customer Portal. By enabling this feature, you provide your customers with a platform where they can self-manage their subscriptions. It's a one-stop-shop for them to update payment methods, view billing history, and handle failed payments. This self-service portal can significantly reduce your administrative load and enhance your customers' experience.

Products and Pricing ​

In Rational, you have the flexibility to associate your products with both a Stripe test and live product. This dual association allows for comprehensive testing scenarios before deploying a product live. With this, you can confidently make changes, trial new pricing models, and experiment with different subscription configurations without affecting your live operations.

Invoicing and Billing ​

Stripe plays a significant role in managing invoicing and billing. When a billing event occurs, such as failed payments or chargebacks, it is Stripe's responsibility to handle these. Rational keeps track of these events by noting the status of invoices, which can impact the active subscription status in Rational. This integrated approach helps you stay on top of your finances while minimizing manual tracking.

Disputes and Refunds ​

Handling disputes and processing refunds are critical aspects of any financial operation. These are managed directly in Stripe according to their established procedures and policies. Therefore, it's crucial to promptly manage these issues as they can impact a customer's subscription status in Rational. This underlines the importance of maintaining an active overview of your Stripe account.

Test Mode and Live Mode ​

Rational provides flexibility in operating in test mode or live mode. Customers can be linked to either a test or live customer in Stripe. This flexibility allows you to thoroughly test your products and billing setups before going live. However, be cautious when remapping customers or products, as it could inadvertently affect your customers' access to the services.

Reporting and Analytics ​

Rational provides a snapshot of your financial metrics and analytics for quick overviews. However, for more in-depth and accurate financial reports, refer to the Stripe Dashboard. It serves as the primary source for financial information and gives you detailed insights into your earnings, payouts, and customer growth.

Security and Compliance ​

With Stripe Connect, you are assured of secure transactions that are compliant with financial regulations. For more details on Stripe's security measures and compliance certifications, refer to their Security and Compliance documentation.

Remember, a comprehensive understanding of Stripe Connect can be obtained from Stripe's official documentation. Rational provides the integration, but the primary relationship for payment and subscription management remains between you and Stripe.