How to build subscriptions in Bubble

To build subscriptions in Bubble, the simplest and most reliable way is to use Stripe’s built‑in subscription system and connect it to Bubble with the Stripe plugin plus Stripe webhooks. Bubble does not manage recurring payments itself — Stripe handles the billing, and Bubble stores the subscription status you receive from Stripe.

Core Concept

You create a Stripe Product + Price (set to recurring), send the user to Stripe Checkout from Bubble, then receive the webhook from Stripe telling Bubble whether the subscription is active, canceled, or past_due. Bubble stores this in a field like User’s subscription_status.

• Stripe runs the billing. Bubble never charges cards directly.
• Bubble listens via webhook. You update the User or Subscription data type based on Stripe events.
• Your app logic depends on subscription\_status. Privacy rules + conditionals check if user is active.

Step‑by‑Step Setup

Create Product in Stripe: In Stripe Dashboard, create a Product → add a recurring Price (monthly/yearly). Copy the Price ID.

Trigger Stripe Checkout: Use Bubble’s Stripe plugin action “Checkout - Session” and pass the Price ID. Redirect the user to the returned session URL.

Store Session ID: Add a text field on User called checkout_session_id. Save it before redirecting.

Enable webhooks in Stripe: Add an endpoint pointing to Bubble’s backend workflow URL (detect request data). Listen to events like:

• checkout.session.completed
• invoice.payment\_succeeded
• customer.subscription.deleted

Backend Workflow Example

// Example Stripe webhook payload fragment
{
 "type": "customer.subscription.updated",
 "data": {
   "object": {
     "status": "active",
     "id": "sub_12345"
   }
 }
}

Inside the backend workflow:

• Find the User by matching Stripe’s customer ID or stored session ID.
• Update User’s subscription\_status to “active”, “canceled”, etc.
• Optionally store Stripe’s subscription ID for future API calls.

Gate Features in Bubble

Use conditions like “Current User’s subscription\_status is active” to control pages, workflows, and data access. Add privacy rules that only allow data access when the user is active.

This approach is stable, fully Bubble‑compatible, and follows how real production apps implement subscriptions.