Polar Billing System

Comprehensive guide to Polar's billing infrastructure, covering entities, flows, Stripe integration, and benefit provisioning.

Quick Reference

Checkout → Payment → Order → Transaction → Benefits
                         ↓
                   Subscription (if recurring)
                         ↓
                   Subscription Cycle → Order → ...

Table of Contents

1. Core Entities
2. Entity Relationships
3. Main Services
4. Dramatiq Background Tasks
5. Stripe Integration
6. Subscription Lifecycle
7. Proration System
8. Benefits & Credits
9. Dunning & Payment Retry
10. Transaction Ledger
11. Key File Locations

1. Core Entities

Checkout

File: server/polar/models/checkout.py

Shopping cart/payment session before order confirmation.

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | status | CheckoutStatus | open, expired, confirmed, succeeded, failed | | payment_processor | PaymentProcessor | stripe, manual | | client_secret | str | Unique identifier for frontend | | amount, currency | int, str | Price in cents | | tax_amount, discount_amount | int | Calculated amounts | | allow_trial, trial_end | bool, datetime | Trial configuration | | seats | int | For seat-based products |

Relationships: organization, customer, product, product_price, discount, subscription (for upgrades)

CheckoutLink

File: server/polar/models/checkout_link.py

Persistent URL that creates Checkout Sessions on visit.

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | client_secret | str | Unique identifier for the URL | | seats | int \| None | Preconfigured seat count for seat-based pricing | | discount_id | UUID \| None | Preset discount to apply | | trial_interval, trial_interval_count | Trial config | Override product trial settings |

Relationships: organization, products, discount

Order

File: server/polar/models/order.py

Represents a billing event (one-time purchase or subscription cycle).

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | status | OrderStatus | pending, paid, refunded, partially_refunded | | billing_reason | OrderBillingReason | purchase, subscription_create, subscription_cycle, subscription_update | | subtotal_amount | int | Amount before discount/tax | | discount_amount | int | Discount applied | | tax_amount | int | Tax collected | | applied_balance_amount | int | Account balance applied | | platform_fee_amount | int | Polar's fee | | refunded_amount | int | Already refunded | | next_payment_attempt_at | datetime | Dunning retry time |

Computed Properties:

• net_amount = subtotal - discount
• total_amount = net + tax
• due_amount = max(0, total + applied_balance)
• payout_amount = net - platform_fee - refunded

Subscription

File: server/polar/models/subscription.py

Recurring billing relationship.

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | status | SubscriptionStatus | incomplete, trialing, active, past_due, canceled, unpaid | | amount, currency | int, str | Subscription gross price | | net_amount | int | Net amount (gross minus inclusive tax, equal to gross if tax-exclusive) | | tax_behavior | TaxBehavior \| None | Inclusive, exclusive, or null (set at creation) | | recurring_interval | Interval | month, year | | current_period_start/end | datetime | Billing period | | trial_start/end | datetime | Trial period | | cancel_at_period_end | bool | Scheduled cancellation | | canceled_at, ended_at | datetime | Lifecycle timestamps | | past_due_at | datetime | When payment failed | | seats | int | For seat-based pricing |

Relationships: organization, customer, product, payment_method, discount, meters, grants (benefits)

Transaction

File: server/polar/models/transaction.py

All money flows in the system.

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | type | TransactionType | payment, processor_fee, refund, dispute, balance, payout | | processor | Processor | stripe, manual | | amount, currency | int, str | Transaction amount | | tax_amount | int | Tax portion |

Self-referential relationships: payment_transaction, balance_transactions, incurred_transactions

Payment

File: server/polar/models/payment.py

Individual payment transaction.

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | status | PaymentStatus | pending, succeeded, failed | | processor_id | str | Stripe charge ID | | method | str | card, bank_transfer, etc. | | trigger | PaymentTrigger \| None | What initiated payment: purchase, subscription_cycle, retry_dunning, retry_customer, retry_payment_method_update, retry_admin | | decline_reason | str | Why payment failed | | risk_level, risk_score | str, int | Fraud assessment |

Refund

File: server/polar/models/refund.py

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | status | RefundStatus | pending, succeeded, failed, canceled | | reason | RefundReason | duplicate, fraudulent, customer_request, etc. | | amount, tax_amount | int | Refund amounts | | revoke_benefits | bool | Whether to revoke customer benefits |

Customer

File: server/polar/models/customer.py

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | email, name | str | Contact info | | billing_name | str | Name for invoices (falls back to name) | | stripe_customer_id | str | Stripe link | | billing_address | Address | Stored address | | tax_id | str | For tax compliance |

Product & ProductPrice

Files: server/polar/models/product.py, server/polar/models/product_price.py

| ProductPrice Types | Description | |-------------------|-------------| | ProductPriceFixed | Fixed amount (set price_amount=0 for free) | | ProductPriceCustom | Merchant sets at checkout | | ProductPriceMeteredUnit | Pay-per-unit | | ProductPriceSeatUnit | Per-seat with tiers |

BillingEntry

File: server/polar/models/billing_entry.py

Audit log for billing calculations.

| Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | type | BillingEntryType | cycle, proration, metered, seats_increase, seats_decrease | | direction | Direction | debit, credit | | amount | int | Entry amount |

2. Entity Relationships

Organization
├── Product
│   ├── ProductPrice (multiple per product)
│   └── ProductBenefit → Benefit
├── Customer
│   ├── Subscription → Organization, Product, Discount
│   │   ├── SubscriptionProductPrice
│   │   ├── SubscriptionMeter
│   │   └── BenefitGrant
│   ├── Order → Product, Subscription
│   │   └── OrderItem
│   ├── PaymentMethod
│   └── Wallet
├── Checkout → Customer, Product
├── Discount
│   └── DiscountRedemption
└── Account (for payouts)
    └── Payout → Transaction

Transaction (ledger)
├── payment → Order, Customer
├── refund → Refund, Order
├── dispute → Dispute, Order
├── processor_fee → parent payment
└── payout → Account

3. Main Services

SubscriptionService

File: server/polar/subscription/service.py

Core subscription operations:

python
# Creation
create_or_update_from_checkout(checkout, payment_method) → (Subscription, created)

# Updates
update_product(subscription, product_id, proration_behavior, discount=None)
update_seats(subscription, seats, proration_behavior)
update_discount(subscription, discount)  # discount: UUID | Literal["unset"]
update_trial(subscription, trial_end)

# Lifecycle
cycle(subscription)  # Period renewal
cancel(subscription)  # At period end
revoke(subscription)  # Immediately
uncancel(subscription)

# Benefits
enqueue_benefits_grants(task="grant"|"revoke", customer, product)

OrderService

File: server/polar/order/service.py

python
create_from_checkout(checkout)  # One-time purchase
create_subscription_order(subscription, billing_reason)  # Recurring
trigger_payment(order)  # Charge customer
create_order_balance(order)  # Ledger entries

CheckoutService

File: server/polar/checkout/service.py

python
create(product, customer_data, discount_code)
confirm(checkout)  # Lock checkout for payment
handle_stripe_success(checkout, charge)
handle_free_success(checkout)  # No payment needed

PaymentService

File: server/polar/payment/service.py

python
upsert_from_stripe_charge(charge, checkout, order)
handle_success(payment)  # Complete order
handle_failure(payment)  # Update order status

RefundService

File: server/polar/refund/service.py

python
create(order, amount, reason, revoke_benefits)
upsert_from_stripe(stripe_refund)
# Also enqueues chargeback prevention notice for dispute_prevention refunds

BenefitGrantService

File: server/polar/benefit/grant/service.py

python
enqueue_benefits_grants(task, customer, product, order=None, subscription=None)
grant_benefit(customer, benefit)
revoke_benefit(customer, benefit)

4. Dramatiq Background Tasks

Subscription Tasks

File: server/polar/subscription/tasks.py

| Task | Trigger | Action | |------|---------|--------| | subscription.cycle | Scheduler at period end | Renew subscription, create order | | subscription.update_product_benefits_grants | Product benefits changed | Update all grants | | subscription.cancel_customer | Customer deleted | Cancel all billable subscriptions (trialing, active, past_due) |

Order Tasks

File: server/polar/order/tasks.py

| Task | Trigger | Action | |------|---------|--------| | order.create_subscription_order | Subscription cycle | Create billing order | | order.trigger_payment | Order ready | Charge payment method | | order.balance | Payment success | Create ledger entries | | order.invoice | Order created | Generate PDF invoice | | order.process_dunning | Hourly cron | Find orders for retry | | order.process_dunning_order | Individual retry | Retry single payment |

Stripe Webhook Tasks

File: server/polar/integrations/stripe/tasks.py

| Task | Stripe Event | Action | |------|--------------|--------| | charge.succeeded | Payment complete | Create order, provision benefits | | charge.failed | Payment failed | Mark order failed | | charge.updated | Charge settled | Create ledger transaction | | refund.created/updated | Refund processed | Update refund record | | charge.dispute.created | Chargeback | Create dispute, revoke benefits | | payout.paid | Payout complete | Update payout status |

Benefit Tasks

File: server/polar/benefit/tasks.py

| Task | Trigger | Action | |------|---------|--------| | benefit.enqueue_benefits_grants | Order/subscription | Queue individual grants | | benefit.grant | Individual benefit | Provision access (GitHub, Discord, etc.) | | benefit.revoke | Cancellation/refund | Remove access | | benefit.cycle | Subscription renewal | Reset credits with rollover |

Checkout Tasks

File: server/polar/checkout/tasks.py

| Task | Trigger | Action | |------|---------|--------| | checkout.handle_free_success | Free product | Complete without payment | | checkout.expire_open_checkouts | Every 15 min | Mark expired checkouts |

Payout Tasks

File: server/polar/payout/tasks.py

| Task | Trigger | Action | |------|---------|--------| | payout.trigger_stripe_payouts | Daily 00:15 UTC | Initiate pending payouts | | payout.created | Payout created | Event hook (fires for held payouts too) | | payout.transfer | After payout.created | Stripe transfer (skipped for held) | | payout.release_held_payouts | Org approved | Move held → pending, enqueue transfers | | payout.cancel_account_payouts | Org denied/blocked/offboarding | Cancel held+pending payouts | | payout.cancel_held_payouts | Payout account swap | Cancel only held payouts on old account |

Refund Tasks

File: server/polar/refund/tasks.py

| Task | Trigger | Action | |------|---------|--------| | refund.send_chargeback_prevention_notice | Dispute prevention refund created | Email org owners/admins about refund |

5. Stripe Integration

Webhook Endpoints

File: server/polar/integrations/stripe/endpoints.py

• /v1/integrations/stripe/webhook - Direct webhooks
• /v1/integrations/stripe/webhook-connect - Connect account webhooks

Implemented Webhooks

Payment Flow:

• payment_intent.succeeded - Payment complete
• payment_intent.payment_failed - Payment failed
• setup_intent.succeeded - Card saved
• charge.pending/failed/succeeded/updated - Charge lifecycle

Refunds:

• refund.created/updated/failed

Disputes:

• charge.dispute.created/updated/closed

Connect:

• account.updated - Account info changed
• payout.updated/paid - Payout lifecycle

Webhook Processing Flow

Stripe POST → Verify signature → ExternalEvent.enqueue()
                                        ↓
                               Store in external_events table
                                        ↓
                               Enqueue Dramatiq task
                                        ↓
                               Worker processes async
                                        ↓
                               Mark handled_at on success

StripeService

File: server/polar/integrations/stripe/service.py

Key methods:

• create_payment_intent(), create_setup_intent()
• create_refund(), get_refund()
• create_tax_calculation(), create_tax_transaction()
• transfer(), create_payout()

6. Subscription Lifecycle

Creation Flow

1. Checkout created (status=open)
2. Customer completes payment
3. Stripe charge.succeeded webhook
4. payment.handle_success() called
5. checkout_service.handle_stripe_success()
6. subscription_service.create_or_update_from_checkout()
   - Creates Subscription (status=active or trialing)
   - Sets billing period
   - Applies discount
   - Resets meters
7. Enqueue benefit grants
8. Send confirmation email

Cycle Flow (Renewal)

1. APScheduler triggers at period end
2. subscription.cycle task runs
3. subscription_service.cycle()
   - Check cancel_at_period_end
   - If true: set status=canceled, revoke benefits
   - If false: advance period dates, check discount expiry
4. Create billing entry (type=cycle)
5. Enqueue order.create_subscription_order
6. Order created with billing_reason=subscription_cycle
7. Enqueue order.trigger_payment
8. Stripe charges payment method
9. charge.succeeded → ledger entries → benefits renewed

Cancellation Flow

At Period End:

python
subscription_service.cancel(subscription)
# Sets cancel_at_period_end=True, ends_at=current_period_end
# Benefits remain until period ends
# On next cycle: status=canceled, benefits revoked

Immediately:

python
subscription_service.revoke(subscription)
# Sets status=canceled, ended_at=now
# Benefits revoked immediately
# Seats canceled if seat-based

Trial Flow

1. Checkout with trial_end set
2. Subscription created with status=trialing
3. No payment during trial
4. At trial_end, cycle task runs
5. Status transitions to active
6. Order created with billing_reason=subscription_cycle_after_trial
7. First payment charged

7. Proration System

When Prorations Occur

1. Product change - Upgrade/downgrade to different tier
2. Seat change - Add/remove seats
3. Interval change - Monthly to yearly

Proration Calculation

python
# Calculate time remaining in period
pct_remaining = (period_end - now) / (period_end - period_start)

# Old product credit (what they paid but won't use)
old_credit = old_price * old_pct_remaining

# New product debit (what they owe for remainder)
new_debit = new_price * new_pct_remaining

# Net proration
net = new_debit - old_credit

Proration Behaviors

| Behavior | Action | |----------|--------| | prorate | Add to next invoice | | invoice | Create order immediately |

BillingEntry for Prorations

python
# Credit entry (old product)
BillingEntry(
    type=BillingEntryType.proration,
    direction=BillingEntryDirection.credit,
    amount=prorated_old_amount
)

# Debit entry (new product)
BillingEntry(
    type=BillingEntryType.proration,
    direction=BillingEntryDirection.debit,
    amount=prorated_new_amount
)

Seat Proration

python
# Adding 2 seats at $10/seat with 50% time remaining
delta_amount = 2 * $10 * 0.5 = $10

BillingEntry(
    type=BillingEntryType.subscription_seats_increase,
    direction=BillingEntryDirection.debit,
    amount=1000  # cents
)

8. Benefits & Credits

Benefit Types

| Type | Description | Grant Action | |------|-------------|--------------| | meter_credit | Usage allowances | Create meter_credited event | | github_repository | Repo access | Add to GitHub team | | discord | Server role | Assign Discord role | | license_keys | License distribution | Generate key | | downloadables | File access | Grant download permission | | slack_shared_channel | Slack Connect channel | Create/invite to shared channel | | feature_flag | Feature toggle (API-only) | None — merchant reads via API | | custom | Customer-visible note | None — displayed in customer portal |

Benefit Grant Flow

1. Order/Subscription created
2. enqueue_benefits_grants(task="grant")
3. For each benefit in product:
   - Skip if already granted
   - Enqueue benefit.grant task
4. benefit.grant task:
   - Get/create BenefitGrant record
   - Call strategy.grant() (type-specific)
   - Set granted_at
   - Store properties
   - Send webhook

Benefit Revocation Flow

1. Subscription canceled or order refunded
2. enqueue_benefits_grants(task="revoke")
3. For each granted benefit:
   - Enqueue benefit.revoke task
4. benefit.revoke task:
   - Call strategy.revoke() (type-specific)
   - Set revoked_at
   - Send webhook

Meter Credits

Grant:

python
# Create event with units
Event(type="meter_credited", units=100)
# Update CustomerMeter

Cycle (renewal):

python
# Calculate rollover
rollover = min(remaining_units, rollover_limit)
# Reset meter
Event(type="meter_reset")
# Credit new period + rollover
Event(type="meter_credited", units=base_units + rollover)

Revoke:

python
# Negative credit event
Event(type="meter_credited", units=-remaining_units)

Grace Period

Organizations can configure benefit_revocation_grace_period (days) to delay benefit revocation for past_due subscriptions.

9. Dunning & Payment Retry

Dunning Process

1. order.process_dunning runs hourly
2. Finds orders where next_payment_attempt_at <= now
3. For each order:
   - Enqueue order.process_dunning_order
4. process_dunning_order:
   - Get customer's payment method
   - Attempt payment via Stripe
   - On success: mark order paid
   - On failure: schedule next attempt

Retry Schedule

Configured in organization settings. Typical pattern:

• Day 1: First failure
• Day 3: Retry 1
• Day 5: Retry 2
• Day 7: Final retry, then mark unpaid

Subscription Status During Dunning

payment fails → status=past_due, past_due_at=now
               ↓
         benefits may continue (grace period)
               ↓
         retry succeeds → status=active
               ↓
         retry fails → status=unpaid, benefits revoked

10. Transaction Ledger

Transaction Types

| Type | Description | |------|-------------| | payment | Customer payment received | | processor_fee | Stripe fees | | refund | Money returned to customer | | refund_reversal | Refund failed/reversed | | dispute | Chargeback loss | | dispute_reversal | Won dispute | | balance | Internal balance transfer | | payout | Money sent to creator |

Creating Payment Transactions

1. charge.updated webhook (charge settled)
2. Get balance_transaction from Stripe
3. Extract settlement amount and fees
4. Create Transaction(type=payment)
5. Enqueue processor_fee.create_payment_fees
6. Create Transaction(type=processor_fee)

Payout Flow

1. Creator has balance from transactions
2. payout.trigger_stripe_payouts (daily)
3. Calculate available balance
4. Create Payout record
   - ACTIVE/OFFBOARDED org: status=pending, enqueue payout.created + payout.transfer
   - REVIEW/SNOOZED org: status=held, enqueue payout.created only
5. stripe_service.transfer() to Connect account (skipped for held)
6. stripe_service.create_payout() to bank
7. payout.paid webhook → update status

Held payout lifecycle:
- When org approved: payout.release_held_payouts → status=pending, enqueue transfer
- When org denied/blocked/offboarding: payout.cancel_account_payouts → cancel + refund
- When payout account swapped: payout.cancel_held_payouts (old account only)

11. Key File Locations

Models

server/polar/models/
├── checkout.py
├── order.py
├── order_item.py
├── subscription.py
├── subscription_product_price.py
├── transaction.py
├── payment.py
├── refund.py
├── dispute.py
├── payout.py
├── customer.py
├── product.py
├── product_price.py
├── discount.py
├── benefit.py
├── benefit_grant.py
└── billing_entry.py

Services

server/polar/
├── subscription/service.py
├── order/service.py
├── checkout/service.py
├── payment/service.py
├── refund/service.py
├── dispute/service.py
├── payout/service.py
├── benefit/
│   ├── service.py
│   ├── grant/service.py
│   └── strategies/
│       ├── meter_credit/service.py
│       ├── github_repository/service.py
│       ├── discord/service.py
│       └── ...
└── transaction/service/
    ├── payment.py
    ├── refund.py
    └── dispute.py

Background Tasks

server/polar/
├── subscription/tasks.py
├── order/tasks.py
├── checkout/tasks.py
├── benefit/tasks.py
├── payout/tasks.py
├── refund/tasks.py
└── integrations/stripe/tasks.py

Stripe Integration

server/polar/integrations/stripe/
├── endpoints.py    # Webhook handlers
├── service.py      # Stripe API wrapper
├── tasks.py        # Webhook processing tasks
└── payment.py      # Payment resolution helpers

Common Debugging Scenarios

Payment Failed

1. Check Payment record for decline_reason
2. Check Order.status and next_payment_attempt_at
3. Look at external_events for Stripe webhook

Benefits Not Granted

1. Check BenefitGrant record for errors
2. Look at benefit.grant task in Dramatiq logs
3. Verify product has benefits attached

Proration Issues

1. Check BillingEntry records for subscription
2. Verify billing_reason on Order
3. Check subscription's current_period dates

Subscription Not Cycling

1. Check scheduler_locked_at on subscription
2. Verify APScheduler is running
3. Check subscription.cycle task logs