·4 min read
MVP Billing Portal Setup
Users want to manage their own billing. Here is how to set it up without building everything yourself.
MVP Billing Features
- •View current plan and price
- •Update payment method
- •View invoices and receipts
- •Upgrade or downgrade plan
- •Cancel subscription
Use Stripe Customer Portal
Stripe has a built-in customer portal that handles all of this. Takes 30 minutes to set up and looks professional.
What Stripe Portal Includes
- •Invoice history and downloads
- •Payment method management
- •Plan switching
- •Cancellation flow
- •Customizable branding
When to Build Custom
| Use Stripe Portal | Build Custom |
|---|---|
| Standard subscription flows | Complex pricing rules |
| Small team | Need deep analytics integration |
| Moving fast | Specific UX requirements |
| Simple pricing | Usage-based billing |
Billing UX Tips
- •Show clear pricing before asking for payment
- •Make upgrade benefits obvious
- •Do not hide the cancel button
- •Send payment failure notifications promptly
- •Offer annual discount prominently
What to Skip for MVP
- •Custom invoice templates
- •Multiple payment methods
- •Tax calculation (use Stripe Tax)
- •Complex proration logic
Stripe Customer Portal is free and handles 90% of billing needs. Build custom only when you outgrow it.