Best Email Marketing Tools for Stripe Users
If you bill through Stripe, your email tool should understand billing data. Segment by MRR, trigger dunning sequences on failed payments, automate upgrade campaigns, and see which emails actually drive revenue—not just opens and clicks.
Why Stripe Email Integration Matters for SaaS
Most email tools treat all subscribers the same. But your $9/month hobbyist and your $999/month enterprise customer shouldn't receive identical messaging. Native Stripe integration unlocks billing-aware email marketing that actually moves revenue metrics.
Stripe Integration Comparison at a Glance
| Tool | Integration Type | Revenue Attribution | MRR/LTV Segments | Dunning | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequenzy (#1 Pick) | Native OAuth | Yes | Yes | Yes | $19/mo |
| Customer.io | Webhooks/API | Yes | Yes | Yes | $100+/mo |
| Userlist | Native API | No | Yes | Yes | $100+/mo |
| Drip | Native | Yes | No | Yes | $39/mo |
| Encharge | Native Connector | Yes | Yes | Yes | $79+/mo |
| ActiveCampaign | Deep Data/Zapier | Yes | No | No | $29+/mo |
| Klaviyo | Native | Yes | No | Yes | $45+/mo |
| Mailchimp | Third-party | No | No | No | $20+/mo |
| HubSpot | Native Sync | Yes | Yes | No | $50+/mo |
| Loops | API/Webhooks | No | No | No | $49/mo |
| ConvertKit | Third-party | No | No | No | $29+/mo |
Complete Guide to Email Tools for Stripe Users
In-depth analysis of each platform's Stripe integration, including payment event triggers, dunning capabilities, revenue segmentation, and real-world use cases for SaaS businesses.
1. Sequenzy
The only email marketing tool built from the ground up for SaaS billing integration. While other platforms bolt on Stripe support as an afterthought, Sequenzy's entire architecture revolves around payment provider data.
Stripe Integration Depth
Sequenzy offers the deepest Stripe integration of any email tool on the market. Connect your Stripe account in under 30 seconds via OAuth—no webhook configuration, no API key management, no middleware required. The moment you connect, Sequenzy begins syncing your entire customer database: subscription status, plan details, MRR, LTV, payment history, and invoice data. This isn't just surface-level integration; Sequenzy understands the nuances of Stripe's data model, including metered billing, quantity-based subscriptions, and multi-currency transactions.
What sets Sequenzy apart is its support for multiple payment providers. While competitors lock you into Stripe-only workflows, Sequenzy natively integrates with Polar, Creem, and Dodo Payments via the same simple OAuth flow. This means if you sell your main SaaS through Stripe but use Polar for digital products or Creem for your European entity, you get unified customer data and segmentation across all payment sources. No other email tool offers this level of payment provider flexibility.
Payment Event Triggers
Every Stripe webhook event becomes a potential automation trigger in Sequenzy. React instantly to successful payments, failed charges, subscription creations, plan changes, cancellations, refunds, and trial conversions. The visual workflow builder makes it easy to create sophisticated sequences: "When payment fails AND customer is on Pro plan AND MRR > $50, send high-touch recovery email from founder; otherwise, send standard dunning sequence." Sequenzy also tracks event history, so you can trigger based on patterns—like "third failed payment in 30 days" or "upgraded twice in the past year."
Dunning Automation
Sequenzy's dunning system is purpose-built for subscription businesses. When a payment fails, you can trigger multi-step recovery sequences with escalating urgency: a friendly reminder immediately, a more urgent notice after 3 days, a final warning before cancellation. What makes Sequenzy's dunning special is its intelligence—sequences automatically pause if Stripe successfully retries the charge, preventing embarrassing "your payment failed" emails after the issue is already resolved. You can also segment dunning by customer value, sending personalized outreach to high-MRR accounts while automating standard recovery for lower tiers.
Revenue Segmentation
Create segments based on any billing attribute: MRR ranges ("$0-50", "$51-200", "$200+"), plan types ("Starter", "Pro", "Enterprise"), subscription age ("new customers this month", "customers for 1+ year"), payment status ("active", "past due", "cancelled"), and LTV thresholds. Combine billing segments with behavioral data for powerful targeting: "Pro plan users with MRR > $100 who logged in this week but haven't used [key feature]." Revenue attribution shows exactly which emails drive conversions, upgrades, and renewals—not just clicks. Finally, marketing decisions based on actual revenue impact.
Strengths
- + Native OAuth (30-second setup)
- + 4 payment providers (Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo)
- + Real-time MRR/LTV segmentation
- + Intelligent dunning with auto-pause
- + True revenue attribution
- + Most affordable at $19/mo
Considerations
- - Newer platform (less ecosystem)
- - SaaS-focused (not for e-commerce)
- - Limited third-party integrations
2. Customer.io
The most powerful automation platform on the market, with Stripe integration via webhooks and their flexible data model. Ideal for teams with engineering resources who need maximum customization.
Stripe Integration Depth
Customer.io doesn't offer native Stripe OAuth like Sequenzy, but its flexible data model makes it one of the most powerful platforms for Stripe integration—if you're willing to build it. You'll need to configure Stripe webhooks pointing to Customer.io's API, then map event data to customer attributes and event triggers. This requires engineering time upfront but gives you complete control over exactly what data flows into your email platform. Many teams use Segment as middleware to simplify the integration, adding another tool to the stack but reducing custom development.
Once connected, Customer.io's data model shines. Store any attribute on customer profiles: current MRR, lifetime value, plan details, subscription dates, payment method type, invoice counts. The platform handles nested objects and arrays, so you can store complex subscription data including multiple active subscriptions per customer, addon details, and usage-based billing metrics. This flexibility comes at the cost of setup complexity—you're building your own integration rather than clicking "Connect."
Payment Event Triggers
Customer.io's event system is the most sophisticated in the industry. Once you've configured Stripe webhooks, every payment event becomes available as a workflow trigger. The visual workflow builder supports complex branching logic with unlimited conditions. Create sequences like: "On payment failure, wait 24 hours, check if payment succeeded (branch), if not, check customer segment (high-value vs. standard), send appropriate dunning email, wait 3 days, repeat with escalation." The platform also supports event-triggered attribute updates, A/B testing at any workflow step, and time-delayed actions with timezone awareness.
Dunning Automation
Dunning in Customer.io is highly customizable but requires manual configuration. You'll build dunning workflows from scratch using their workflow builder, with branches for different customer segments, payment retry outcomes, and escalation paths. The platform doesn't auto-detect successful Stripe retries like Sequenzy—you need to configure a "payment succeeded" event to exit users from dunning workflows. For sophisticated teams, this flexibility is powerful; for lean startups, it's extra engineering overhead that could be avoided with a more opinionated tool.
Revenue Segmentation
Customer.io's segmentation is extremely powerful once your billing data is flowing. Create segments using any combination of attributes, events, and behaviors. The segment builder supports complex boolean logic, date comparisons, numerical ranges, and relative time periods. "Customers where MRR >= 100 AND plan = 'Pro' AND last_payment_date within 30 days AND NOT (cancelled = true)" is trivial to build. Revenue attribution requires integration with your analytics stack—Customer.io tracks email engagement but you'll need to connect conversions back from Stripe or your product analytics.
Strengths
- + Most powerful automation builder
- + Flexible data model for any attribute
- + Multi-channel (email, push, SMS, in-app)
- + Enterprise-grade reliability
- + Excellent documentation and support
Considerations
- - No native Stripe OAuth
- - Requires engineering for setup
- - Expensive starting point ($100+/mo)
- - Steep learning curve
3. Userlist
Purpose-built for B2B SaaS with company-level data modeling. Understands that your customers are organizations with multiple users, not just individual email addresses.
Stripe Integration Depth
Userlist offers native Stripe integration specifically designed for B2B subscription models. The key differentiator is company-level billing data. While most email tools track individual user subscriptions, Userlist pulls Stripe data at the company level—understanding that a $500/month subscription might cover a 50-person team. This enables segmentation like "companies with 10+ users paying less than $100/month" (potential upgrade targets) or "enterprise accounts where admin hasn't logged in for 30 days" (churn risk). The integration syncs subscription status, plan details, and billing dates, though MRR calculations require additional configuration.
Setup requires their JavaScript snippet for tracking and API calls for billing data, placing it between Sequenzy's instant OAuth and Customer.io's full custom integration in terms of complexity. The documentation is excellent, with specific guides for Stripe integration and B2B use cases. For B2B SaaS with team-based pricing, Userlist's data model is a significant advantage over tools that only think in terms of individual subscribers.
Payment Event Triggers
Userlist supports standard Stripe events for subscription lifecycle automation: new subscriptions, plan changes, cancellations, and trial conversions. The platform's strength is combining billing events with company and user behavior data. Trigger workflows when "company subscription upgraded AND at least 3 team members active this week" to send adoption tips at the perfect moment. The event system is less granular than Customer.io—you won't get every Stripe webhook—but covers the events most B2B SaaS actually need.
Dunning Automation
Userlist includes dunning workflow templates designed for B2B contexts. Failed payment notifications can be sent to billing contacts (not just the user who signed up), and sequences understand multi-user accounts. However, dunning sophistication is limited compared to dedicated billing recovery tools. For most B2B SaaS, Userlist's dunning capabilities are sufficient; for high-volume subscription businesses with complex billing, you might pair Userlist with a specialized dunning tool like Churnkey or ProfitWell Retain.
Revenue Segmentation
Userlist's B2B focus enables unique segmentation approaches. Segment companies by subscription plan, team size, user activity levels, and trial status. Create segments like "trial companies with 5+ active users" (high-intent conversion targets) or "paid companies where usage dropped 50% this month" (churn risk). Revenue attribution is limited compared to Sequenzy—you'll see which campaigns drive engagement, but tying specific emails to MRR changes requires external analysis. The trade-off is deep company-level understanding versus individual revenue tracking.
Strengths
- + Company-level data model
- + Native Stripe integration
- + Purpose-built for B2B SaaS
- + Team and user relationship tracking
- + Excellent B2B templates
Considerations
- - Not ideal for B2C or prosumer
- - Limited revenue attribution
- - Higher starting price ($100+/mo)
- - MRR tracking requires setup
4. Drip
Originally built for e-commerce with strong event-driven automation. Stripe integration works well for SaaS with straightforward subscription models.
Stripe Integration Depth
Drip offers native Stripe integration that's easier to set up than Customer.io but less sophisticated than Sequenzy. Connect your Stripe account through their integration marketplace, and Drip will sync customer data and subscription events. The integration covers the essentials: customer creation, subscription status, plan details, and payment events. However, Drip's e-commerce heritage shows in the data model—concepts like "subscriber value" map better to one-time purchases than recurring MRR. You can track revenue per subscriber, but calculating and segmenting by true MRR requires workarounds.
For SaaS with simple subscription models (one plan, monthly billing, individual customers), Drip's Stripe integration is solid and reasonably priced. For complex billing scenarios (metered usage, multiple subscriptions, team billing), you'll hit limitations quickly. The integration syncs in near real-time, and Drip's documentation covers common SaaS use cases despite the platform's e-commerce focus.
Payment Event Triggers
Drip's workflow builder supports Stripe payment events as triggers: successful charges, failed payments, subscription activations, and cancellations. The visual builder is intuitive, making it easy to create sequences without technical expertise. Drip also supports custom events via their API, so you can extend beyond standard Stripe webhooks if needed. The limitation is flexibility—Drip's workflow logic is simpler than Customer.io, with fewer branching options and less sophisticated condition builders.
Dunning Automation
Drip handles basic dunning workflows well. Trigger emails on failed payments, send follow-ups, and exit users when payment succeeds. The platform includes revenue tracking per campaign, so you can measure dunning sequence effectiveness by recovered revenue. However, dunning templates and best practices are geared toward e-commerce (recovering abandoned carts) rather than SaaS (subscription recovery), so you'll build dunning sequences from scratch without SaaS-specific guidance.
Revenue Segmentation
Drip tracks "lifetime value" per subscriber, enabling basic revenue segmentation. Create segments like "subscribers with LTV > $500" or "customers who purchased in the last 30 days." For recurring SaaS, this translates to cumulative spend rather than current MRR. Segmenting by plan type or subscription status is possible but requires using custom fields or tags rather than native subscription data structures. Revenue attribution to campaigns works well—Drip shows which emails drive purchases—but "purchase" is the metric, not "MRR change."
Strengths
- + Native Stripe connection
- + Good revenue tracking
- + Reasonable pricing ($39/mo)
- + Intuitive visual builder
- + Strong automation features
Considerations
- - E-commerce-focused data model
- - Limited MRR segmentation
- - Less sophisticated than competitors
- - SaaS templates lacking
5. Encharge
Combines behavioral email automation with Stripe integration via their native connector. Good balance of power and usability for growth-stage SaaS.
Stripe Integration Depth
Encharge offers Stripe integration through their native connector marketplace. The setup is straightforward—authenticate your Stripe account and configure which data to sync. Encharge pulls customer data, subscription details, and payment events, making this information available for segmentation and automation triggers. The integration depth is solid, covering subscription status, plan details, and payment outcomes. Encharge also ingests MRR data, enabling segments like "customers with MRR between $50-$200" natively.
Where Encharge differentiates is combining Stripe data with behavioral tracking. The platform's core strength is user behavior analysis—page visits, feature usage, engagement patterns—layered with billing data. This enables sophisticated targeting like "Pro plan users who visited the upgrade page but didn't convert" or "trial users with high engagement score approaching trial end." The combination of behavioral and billing data is powerful, though the Stripe integration alone isn't as deep as Sequenzy's.
Payment Event Triggers
Encharge's flow builder supports Stripe events as triggers, including new subscriptions, subscription changes, payment success, payment failure, and cancellation. The visual builder is well-designed, with clear trigger-condition-action flows that non-technical users can build. Encharge also supports custom events via JavaScript tracking or API, so you can extend automation beyond standard Stripe webhooks. The platform includes wait steps, branching logic, and exit conditions for sophisticated sequences.
Dunning Automation
Encharge handles dunning with their standard flow builder. Trigger on payment failure, send recovery sequence, exit on payment success or final cancellation. The platform includes templates for common SaaS flows, including basic dunning, though you'll likely customize for your specific needs. Dunning effectiveness tracking is available through campaign analytics, showing open rates, click rates, and linked revenue. Encharge's dunning is competent but not its standout feature—behavioral automation is where the platform shines.
Revenue Segmentation
Encharge offers strong segmentation combining billing and behavioral data. Create segments based on MRR ranges, plan types, subscription age, and payment status. Layer in behavioral conditions: "high-value customers who haven't logged in this week" or "starter plan users who've used all their feature limits." Revenue attribution connects email campaigns to conversion events, though the specificity of attribution (exactly which email drove which MRR change) isn't as granular as Sequenzy. For growth-focused SaaS teams, Encharge's segmentation strikes a good balance of power and usability.
Strengths
- + Native Stripe connector
- + Behavioral + billing data combined
- + MRR-based segmentation
- + Visual flow builder
- + Good SaaS templates
Considerations
- - Higher price point ($79+/mo)
- - Integration not as deep as Sequenzy
- - Requires JavaScript tracking for full value
6. ActiveCampaign
Comprehensive marketing automation and CRM platform. Stripe integration available through deep data integrations and Zapier, but not purpose-built for SaaS billing.
Stripe Integration Depth
ActiveCampaign connects to Stripe through their "Deep Data" integrations and third-party tools like Zapier. The native integration is designed primarily for e-commerce (tracking purchases, order values) rather than SaaS subscriptions. For SaaS use cases, you'll likely use Zapier to push Stripe events into ActiveCampaign as custom fields and tags. This approach works but requires ongoing maintenance—Zapier zaps can break, and you're adding another tool to your stack with its own costs and limitations.
Once data is in ActiveCampaign, the platform's CRM capabilities shine. Store detailed customer records with subscription information, track deal stages, and manage sales pipelines alongside email automation. For sales-led SaaS with human touchpoints in the buying process, ActiveCampaign's CRM integration is valuable. For product-led growth SaaS wanting seamless billing-to-email automation, the integration friction is a significant drawback compared to natively integrated tools.
Payment Event Triggers
Payment event triggers in ActiveCampaign require Zapier or custom webhook integration. Set up Zaps to listen for Stripe events (payment succeeded, payment failed, subscription created) and trigger ActiveCampaign automations. This works for basic use cases but introduces latency and complexity. The automation builder itself is excellent—one of the most powerful in the industry—but you're limited by how reliably you can get Stripe data into the system. Direct webhook integration is possible via their API but requires development resources.
Dunning Automation
Building dunning in ActiveCampaign requires manual setup via Zapier workflows. When Stripe detects a failed payment, Zapier triggers an ActiveCampaign automation, which sends the dunning sequence. The challenge is handling successful retries—you need another Zap to exit users from dunning when Stripe recovers the payment. This creates a fragile system with multiple points of failure. ActiveCampaign's automation builder can handle sophisticated dunning logic once triggered, but the triggering mechanism is the weak link for Stripe users.
Revenue Segmentation
ActiveCampaign's segmentation is powerful but requires custom field setup for billing data. If you've configured Zapier to sync MRR, plan type, and subscription status as custom fields, you can segment on those attributes. The segment builder supports complex logic combinations. Revenue attribution exists for e-commerce (tracking attributed revenue per campaign), but SaaS-specific attribution (MRR changes) requires custom tracking. For companies already invested in ActiveCampaign for CRM, adding Stripe data is worthwhile; starting fresh for Stripe integration, there are better options.
Strengths
- + CRM + email in one platform
- + Powerful automation builder
- + Good value at lower tiers
- + Extensive integration ecosystem
- + Sales pipeline management
Considerations
- - No native SaaS/Stripe integration
- - Requires Zapier for billing events
- - E-commerce focused revenue tracking
- - Better for sales-led than product-led
7. Klaviyo
The dominant e-commerce email platform with excellent Stripe integration for product sales. Less suited for pure SaaS subscriptions but powerful for hybrid models.
Stripe Integration Depth
Klaviyo offers native Stripe integration that shines for e-commerce and product-based businesses. The integration syncs customers, orders, and payment data seamlessly. For SaaS using Stripe for one-time purchases, product add-ons, or physical goods alongside subscriptions, Klaviyo's integration is excellent. Customer lifetime value, purchase frequency, and order history are tracked automatically. The platform's revenue attribution is among the best in the industry, showing exactly which emails drive which purchases with precise dollar amounts.
For pure subscription SaaS, Klaviyo has limitations. The data model is optimized for "orders" not "subscriptions"—concepts like MRR, plan tiers, and subscription status don't map natively. You can work around this by treating subscription charges as "orders," but segmentation by subscription-specific attributes requires custom properties. If you sell physical products, digital downloads, or one-time services alongside SaaS subscriptions, Klaviyo might be the right choice despite its subscription limitations.
Payment Event Triggers
Klaviyo excels at purchase-based triggers. "Customer placed order," "customer made second purchase," "high-value order completed"—these events are native and powerful. For subscription-specific events (subscription created, plan changed, payment failed), you'll use Klaviyo's event API or Stripe webhook forwarding. The platform handles custom events well, but you're building subscription logic yourself rather than using pre-built subscription awareness. Klaviyo's flow builder is sophisticated and visual, making it easy to create complex sequences once your events are configured.
Dunning Automation
Klaviyo can handle dunning for subscription businesses, but it requires custom setup. Configure Stripe to send payment_failed webhooks to Klaviyo, create custom events for retry success/failure, and build dunning flows using those events. The platform's excellent email design tools and segmentation make the actual dunning emails effective—the challenge is getting the subscription data into Klaviyo correctly. For Shopify subscriptions using Stripe, Klaviyo's Shopify integration handles this better than direct Stripe connection.
Revenue Segmentation
Klaviyo's revenue segmentation is best-in-class for purchase-based businesses. Segment by lifetime value, average order value, purchase frequency, days since last purchase, and predicted next order date. The predictive analytics are genuinely useful for e-commerce. For SaaS subscriptions, you'll need to map subscription data to custom properties—plan type, MRR, subscription start date—and then segment on those fields. It works but lacks the native subscription intelligence of dedicated SaaS tools.
Strengths
- + Best-in-class e-commerce integration
- + Excellent revenue attribution
- + Predictive analytics
- + Beautiful email builder
- + Strong Shopify + Stripe combo
Considerations
- - E-commerce focused, not SaaS
- - Subscriptions require workarounds
- - No native MRR/subscription segments
- - Overkill for pure subscription businesses
8. Mailchimp
The most recognizable email platform with massive market share. Stripe integration exists through third-party apps, but it's not Mailchimp's strength.
Stripe Integration Depth
Mailchimp's Stripe integration relies on third-party connectors available in their integration directory or Zapier. There's no native, first-party Stripe integration built into the platform. This means setting up Stripe-to-Mailchimp sync requires additional tools, configuration, and ongoing maintenance. The data you can sync depends on which connector you use—some only sync customer emails, while more sophisticated setups can include purchase history and subscription status as tags or merge fields.
For basic use cases—adding Stripe customers to a Mailchimp audience and tagging them as "paid"—the integration works fine. For sophisticated billing-based segmentation, payment event triggers, and revenue attribution, Mailchimp falls short compared to purpose-built alternatives. The platform has evolved significantly (adding customer journeys, transactional email, and more), but SaaS billing integration isn't a priority. Most growing SaaS companies outgrow Mailchimp's capabilities for subscription marketing within their first year.
Payment Event Triggers
Payment event triggers in Mailchimp require Zapier or similar automation tools. Configure Zaps to listen for Stripe webhooks and update Mailchimp contacts accordingly—adding tags, updating merge fields, or triggering automations. Mailchimp's "Customer Journeys" (their automation builder) can start based on tag changes or field updates, enabling indirect payment event triggers. The system works for simple automations but lacks the direct webhook integration that makes tools like Customer.io or Sequenzy more powerful for billing-driven email.
Dunning Automation
Building dunning sequences in Mailchimp is possible but clunky. You'll need Zapier to sync payment failure events as tags or merge field updates, then create Customer Journeys that trigger based on those changes. Handling successful retries (exiting users from dunning) requires another Zap and careful journey configuration. It's technical debt waiting to happen. For dunning, Mailchimp is a "technically possible but not recommended" solution—you're fighting the platform rather than leveraging it.
Revenue Segmentation
Mailchimp's segmentation works with whatever data you sync into merge fields. If you've configured billing data sync (plan type, subscription status, MRR), you can segment on those fields. The segment builder is straightforward but less powerful than dedicated marketing automation platforms. Revenue attribution is limited—Mailchimp tracks e-commerce revenue if you've integrated their e-commerce tracking, but SaaS subscription revenue attribution isn't a native capability. For newsletter-style email marketing, Mailchimp is fine; for revenue-optimized subscription marketing, look elsewhere.
Strengths
- + Familiar interface
- + Good deliverability
- + Free tier available
- + Large template library
- + Extensive documentation
Considerations
- - No native Stripe integration
- - Requires third-party connectors
- - Limited SaaS capabilities
- - No revenue attribution for subscriptions
- - Companies typically outgrow it quickly
9. HubSpot
The enterprise CRM and marketing platform with native Stripe integration. Powerful for companies wanting unified customer data but expensive for email-only use cases.
Stripe Integration Depth
HubSpot offers native Stripe integration through their App Marketplace. The integration syncs Stripe customers to HubSpot contacts, including subscription data, payment history, and billing details. For companies using HubSpot CRM, having Stripe data alongside sales conversations, support tickets, and marketing engagement provides valuable context. Sales reps can see subscription status before calls; support can reference billing history while helping customers. The unified view is HubSpot's core value proposition.
For pure email marketing use cases, HubSpot's Stripe integration is solid but the platform is arguably overkill. You're paying for CRM, sales tools, and marketing automation when you might only need billing-integrated email. That said, if you're growing toward enterprise and want one platform for everything, HubSpot's Stripe integration provides a strong foundation. The data sync includes invoice details, subscription plans, and payment status—enough for sophisticated segmentation and automation.
Payment Event Triggers
HubSpot workflows can trigger based on Stripe-synced properties changing. When a subscription status changes or a payment fails, the updated property triggers workflow enrollment. The workflow builder is powerful, supporting complex branching, delays, and multi-step sequences. HubSpot also supports custom events through their API, so you can push additional Stripe webhooks beyond what the native integration captures. For teams already in HubSpot, payment event triggers integrate seamlessly into existing workflows.
Dunning Automation
Dunning in HubSpot works through property-based workflow triggers. When Stripe syncs "payment_status: failed" to a contact, workflows can trigger dunning sequences. HubSpot's email tools are well-designed, with good deliverability and personalization options. The platform doesn't have pre-built dunning templates or SaaS-specific dunning logic—you'll create workflows from scratch. For sophisticated dunning with revenue-based branching (different sequences for high-value vs. standard customers), HubSpot's workflow builder can handle it but requires thoughtful configuration.
Revenue Segmentation
HubSpot's segmentation (called "lists" and "filters") supports Stripe-synced properties. Create lists of contacts where MRR exceeds certain thresholds, subscription plans match specific values, or payment status equals "active" or "past_due." The filtering logic supports AND/OR combinations and nested conditions. Revenue attribution in HubSpot connects marketing activities to revenue through their deals pipeline—this works better for sales-assisted revenue than pure self-serve SaaS. For inbound marketing attribution (which blog posts, landing pages, and emails influenced buyers), HubSpot excels.
Strengths
- + Native Stripe integration
- + Unified CRM + marketing platform
- + Powerful workflow builder
- + Excellent for sales-assisted SaaS
- + Scales to enterprise
Considerations
- - Expensive for email-only use
- - No automated dunning templates
- - Better for sales-led than PLG
- - Complex platform, steep learning curve
10. Loops
A modern, developer-friendly email platform built for SaaS. Clean interface and good API, but Stripe integration requires custom development.
Stripe Integration Depth
Loops doesn't offer native Stripe integration. To use Stripe data with Loops, you'll build custom integration using their API and webhooks. Send Stripe webhook events to your backend, process them, and update Loops contacts via their API or push events for trigger-based sequences. This approach offers complete control but requires engineering resources. The Loops API is well-designed and developer-friendly—if you're comfortable building integrations, the experience is pleasant.
For teams wanting plug-and-play Stripe integration, Loops isn't the right choice. For developer-heavy teams who want a clean, modern email platform and are willing to build billing integration themselves, Loops provides a solid foundation. The platform is newer than competitors, so the feature set is evolving. They've prioritized great developer experience and email deliverability over extensive native integrations—a reasonable trade-off depending on your team composition.
Payment Event Triggers
Payment event triggers in Loops work through their event API. Push custom events from your backend when Stripe webhooks fire, then use those events as loop (automation) triggers. The event system is straightforward—events have a name and optional properties—and the loop builder lets you create sequences triggered by events. You're essentially building your own Stripe-to-Loops integration layer, with Loops handling the email delivery and sequence logic. It works well if you're comfortable with the engineering lift.
Dunning Automation
Building dunning in Loops requires custom integration. Push "payment_failed" events when Stripe notifies you, trigger a dunning loop, push "payment_recovered" events to exit users. The Loops platform itself handles the email sequences elegantly—the complexity is in the Stripe integration layer you build. For teams with backend developers available, this is manageable. For founders wanting quick dunning setup without coding, native integration tools like Sequenzy are faster options.
Revenue Segmentation
Loops supports user properties for segmentation, including any billing data you sync. Set properties like "plan," "mrr," "subscription_status" via their API, then create segments filtering on those properties. The segmentation UI is clean and intuitive. Revenue attribution isn't a native feature—you'd track conversions in your own analytics and potentially push that data back to Loops. For simple segmentation (plan-based, status-based), Loops works fine once data is synced; for sophisticated revenue analytics, look elsewhere.
Strengths
- + Clean, modern interface
- + Developer-friendly API
- + Good email deliverability
- + Reasonable pricing
- + Built specifically for SaaS
Considerations
- - No native Stripe integration
- - Requires custom development
- - No revenue attribution
- - Newer platform, smaller feature set
11. ConvertKit
The go-to email platform for creators, coaches, and course builders. Built-in Stripe integration via ConvertKit Commerce, but focused on product sales rather than SaaS subscriptions.
Stripe Integration Depth
ConvertKit integrates with Stripe through ConvertKit Commerce, their built-in payment processing feature. If you sell digital products, courses, or memberships through ConvertKit Commerce (powered by Stripe), the integration is seamless—purchases automatically tag subscribers and trigger automations. For external Stripe accounts (SaaS subscriptions processed through your own Stripe dashboard), integration requires third-party tools like Zapier or direct API work.
ConvertKit's sweet spot is creators selling info products, not software companies with complex subscription models. The platform excels at newsletter-to-product funnels, course launches, and community memberships. If you're a founder who also sells courses or ebooks alongside your SaaS, ConvertKit Commerce provides a unified solution. For pure SaaS subscription billing, the Stripe integration limitations make other platforms better choices.
Payment Event Triggers
For ConvertKit Commerce purchases, payment events are native triggers. "Subscriber made a purchase" triggers automations seamlessly. For external Stripe events, you'll use their API or Zapier to push events as tags or custom fields, then trigger based on those changes. ConvertKit's automation builder (called "Visual Automations") is user-friendly and visual, making it easy to create sequences once your triggers are configured. The platform's simplicity is a strength for creators but a limitation for complex SaaS billing logic.
Dunning Automation
ConvertKit Commerce includes built-in dunning for memberships and subscriptions sold through their platform. Failed payments trigger automatic recovery emails. For external Stripe subscriptions, dunning requires manual setup via Zapier and tag-based automations. The platform isn't designed for sophisticated dunning scenarios (revenue-based branching, smart retry detection)—it handles basic recovery but lacks the depth of dedicated subscription tools.
Revenue Segmentation
ConvertKit's segmentation is tag-based. Tag subscribers when they purchase, subscribe, or reach milestones, then create segments filtering by tags. For ConvertKit Commerce customers, purchase data (products bought, amounts spent) is available for segmentation. For external Stripe data, you'd sync information as custom fields or tags. ConvertKit doesn't have native MRR or LTV calculations—you'd compute those externally and sync results. The simplicity works for creator businesses but limits SaaS subscription analysis.
Strengths
- + Excellent for creators/coaches
- + Built-in commerce with Stripe
- + Simple, intuitive interface
- + Good deliverability
- + Newsletter-focused features
Considerations
- - Not designed for SaaS
- - External Stripe requires workarounds
- - No MRR/LTV analytics
- - Limited automation sophistication
Our Recommendation for Stripe Users
For SaaS founders billing through Stripe, Sequenzy is the clear winner. It's the only tool with true native OAuth integration across multiple payment providers (Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo) that syncs MRR, LTV, plan data, and payment status in real-time. At $19/month, it's also the most affordable option with deep billing integration.
For B2B SaaS with team-based billing and company-level tracking needs, Userlist ($100+/mo) is worth the premium. Its data model understands that your customers are companies with multiple users, not just individual subscribers.
For enterprise teams with engineering resources who need maximum automation power, Customer.io ($100+/mo) offers unmatched flexibility. You'll build your own Stripe integration via webhooks, but once configured, the automation capabilities are industry-leading.
Avoid Mailchimp and ConvertKit for SaaS Stripe integration—they're built for different use cases and require too many workarounds. ActiveCampaign is only worthwhile if you're already invested in their CRM ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Stripe email integration, payment automation, dunning emails, and subscription marketing.
1. What is Stripe email integration and why does it matter?
Stripe email integration connects your payment processor directly to your email marketing platform, allowing you to trigger automated emails based on payment events (successful charges, failed payments, subscription changes), segment subscribers by their billing data (MRR, LTV, plan type), and attribute revenue directly to email campaigns. Without proper integration, you're essentially marketing blind—sending the same messages to a $9/month user and a $999/month enterprise customer. Native Stripe integration eliminates the need for custom webhook development, manual data syncing, or third-party middleware like Zapier, saving you engineering time and reducing points of failure in your marketing stack.
2. How do payment email automation sequences work with Stripe?
Payment email automation uses Stripe webhooks to trigger emails based on specific billing events. When a payment succeeds, fails, or a subscription status changes, Stripe sends a webhook to your email tool, which then triggers the appropriate sequence. Common automated flows include: welcome emails after first payment, dunning sequences for failed charges (with escalating urgency), upgrade prompts when approaching plan limits, renewal reminders for annual subscriptions, and win-back campaigns after cancellation. The best tools let you combine payment events with behavioral data—for example, triggering an upgrade email only when a user has both exceeded 80% of their plan limits AND has been active in the last 7 days.
3. What are dunning emails and how do they prevent churn?
Dunning emails are automated messages sent when a payment fails, designed to recover revenue that would otherwise be lost to involuntary churn. A typical dunning sequence includes: an immediate notification explaining the failed payment with a one-click card update link, a follow-up 3 days later with more urgency, a final warning before subscription cancellation, and sometimes a post-cancellation recovery offer. Effective dunning can recover 30-50% of failed payments. The key is timing and tone—be helpful, not threatening. Tools with native Stripe integration can automatically pause dunning if the payment is retried successfully, preventing embarrassing "your payment failed" emails after the issue is already resolved.
4. Can I segment my email list by MRR and customer lifetime value?
Yes, but only with email tools that have deep Stripe integration. MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) and LTV (Lifetime Value) segmentation lets you send different messages to different value tiers. You might send a personal check-in to enterprise customers paying $500+/month, while automating standard communications for lower tiers. You can create segments like "customers with MRR > $100 who haven't upgraded in 6 months" or "users whose LTV exceeds their acquisition cost." This enables revenue-focused marketing strategies like: VIP treatment for high-value accounts, upgrade campaigns targeted at users likely to convert based on usage patterns, and churn prevention focused on your most valuable segments first.
5. What Stripe events can trigger automated emails?
Stripe generates dozens of webhook events that can trigger email automation. The most commonly used include: customer.subscription.created (welcome sequence), customer.subscription.updated (plan change notifications), customer.subscription.deleted (cancellation follow-up), invoice.payment_succeeded (receipt and thank-you), invoice.payment_failed (dunning sequence), charge.refunded (refund confirmation), customer.source.expiring (card expiry warning), and invoice.upcoming (renewal reminder). Advanced tools also let you trigger on subscription quantity changes, coupon applications, and invoice finalization. The key differentiator between email tools is how many of these events they natively support versus requiring custom webhook development.
6. How does revenue attribution work for email campaigns?
Revenue attribution tracks which email campaigns actually generate money, not just opens and clicks. When a subscriber receives an email and later makes a purchase or upgrades their subscription, the revenue is attributed to that campaign. Most tools use a time-based attribution window (typically 7-30 days). For SaaS, this means you can see which onboarding emails correlate with paid conversions, which upgrade prompts actually generate upgrades, and which dunning sequences recover the most revenue. Without revenue attribution, you're optimizing for vanity metrics. A 50% open rate means nothing if those opens don't convert to paying customers.
7. What's the difference between native Stripe integration and webhook-based integration?
Native integration (like Sequenzy's OAuth connection) means you connect your Stripe account with a few clicks, and the email tool automatically syncs all relevant data—customers, subscriptions, invoices, and events. Webhook-based integration requires you to configure Stripe webhooks manually, pointing them to your email tool's endpoint, and often requires additional API setup to sync historical data. Native integration advantages: faster setup (minutes vs hours), automatic data sync without maintenance, guaranteed event delivery with retry logic built-in, and typically more billing data available for segmentation. Webhook integration advantages: more control over exactly what data is shared, works with any tool that accepts webhooks. For most SaaS founders, native integration saves significant engineering time.
8. Can I use multiple payment providers with my email tool?
Most email tools only support Stripe for payment integration. Sequenzy is unique in supporting four payment providers natively: Stripe, Polar, Creem, and Dodo—all through OAuth integration. This matters if you're using Stripe for your main product but Polar for a separate digital product, or if you're considering migrating payment providers. Having unified customer data across payment providers means you can segment and target based on total customer value, not just revenue from a single source. For international SaaS companies, supporting multiple providers also helps with regional payment preferences.
9. How do I set up subscription email marketing with Stripe?
Setting up subscription email marketing with Stripe involves: 1) Choose an email tool with native Stripe integration (Sequenzy, Userlist, or Drip for budget-conscious founders). 2) Connect your Stripe account via OAuth or API keys. 3) Wait for historical data to sync (usually minutes to hours depending on customer count). 4) Set up key automated sequences: welcome series after first payment, dunning for failed payments, upgrade prompts based on usage or plan limits, and cancellation/win-back flows. 5) Create segments based on billing data: plan type, MRR ranges, subscription age, payment status. 6) Build campaigns targeting specific segments with relevant messaging. The whole setup can take 30 minutes with native integration tools, or several days with manual webhook configuration.
10. What email automations should every Stripe user have?
Every SaaS using Stripe should have these five core email automations: 1) Dunning sequence for failed payments (immediate, +3 days, +7 days before cancellation). 2) Card expiring warning 30 days before expiration with update link. 3) Trial-to-paid conversion sequence with value props and urgency. 4) Cancellation response asking for feedback and offering alternatives (pause, downgrade). 5) Win-back sequence at 30/60/90 days after cancellation. Beyond these essentials, high-performing SaaS add: annual renewal reminders, upgrade prompts based on plan limit usage, milestone celebrations (anniversary, usage achievements), and proactive engagement recovery when usage drops. Each automation should be measurable with revenue attribution to prove ROI.
Essential Email Automations for Stripe Users
Dunning Sequence
Trigger immediately on payment failure. Send friendly reminder with update payment link. Follow up at +3 days and +7 days with increasing urgency. Auto-exit on successful retry.
Card Expiry Warning
Alert customers 30 days before card expires. Include one-click update link. Send reminder at 14 days and 7 days. Prevent involuntary churn before it happens.
Trial Conversion
Welcome email on trial start. Value-focused drip at days 3, 7, and before trial end. Final conversion push with urgency. Segment by engagement for personalized messaging.
Cancellation Flow
Immediate response on cancellation. Offer alternatives: pause, downgrade, discount. Request feedback to understand reasons. Tag by cancellation reason for future targeting.
Win-Back Campaign
Contact churned customers at 30, 60, and 90 days. Highlight new features they missed. Offer comeback incentives. Progressively stronger offers over time.
Upgrade Prompt
Trigger when users hit plan limits (API calls, users, storage). Show value of next tier. Time-limited upgrade discount. Segment by usage patterns for relevance.
Annual Renewal
Remind annual customers 30 days before renewal. Highlight value delivered over the year. Early renewal incentive. Prevent surprise charges and disputes.
Usage Milestone
Celebrate customer achievements (1000th action, first year, etc.). Reinforce value and engagement. Build emotional connection. Reduce churn through positive touchpoints.
Ready to Connect Your Stripe Account?
Stop sending the same emails to $9 hobbyists and $999 enterprise customers. Native Stripe integration lets you market based on real billing data.