Connect to customers

Revenue analytics is in beta

Revenue analytics is currently works best for:

Small to medium-sized companies
Companies with subscription models (mostly SaaS)

If you process more than 20,000 transactions per month, or your revenue comes primarily from one-off payments rather than recurring subscriptions, revenue analytics may feel less useful, slower, or provide less insight than expected.

PostHog automatically connects revenue data to persons and groups when you use revenue events. For data warehouse sources, you need to map the connection manually.

Step 1: Add metadata when creating new customers

Search your codebase for where you create Stripe customers (e.g. stripe.Customer.create or equivalent) and add the posthog_person_distinct_id metadata field.

customer = stripe.Customer.create(
    email=user.email,
    metadata={"posthog_person_distinct_id": user.posthog_distinct_id},  
)
const customer = await stripe.customers.create({
  email: user.email,
  metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthogDistinctId },  
});
customer = Stripe::Customer.create({
  email: user.email,
  metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthog_distinct_id },  
})
$customer = $stripe->customers->create([
    'email' => $user->email,
    'metadata' => ['posthog_person_distinct_id' => $user->posthogDistinctId],  
]);
params := &stripe.CustomerParams{
    Email: stripe.String(user.Email),
}
params.AddMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctID)  
cust, err := customer.New(params)
CustomerCreateParams params = CustomerCreateParams.builder()
    .setEmail(user.getEmail())
    .putMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.getPosthogDistinctId())  
    .build();
Customer customer = Customer.create(params);
var options = new CustomerCreateOptions
{
    Email = user.Email,
    Metadata = new Dictionary<string, string>  
    {  
        { "posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctId },  
    },  
};
var customer = await customerService.CreateAsync(options);

Step 2: Tag existing customers via charges, subscriptions, or invoices

For customers created before you added the metadata in step 1, you don't need to update the customer object directly. Instead, pass posthog_person_distinct_id as metadata on any charge, subscription, or invoice tied to that customer. PostHog automatically resolves it from the most recently created child object.

Add the metadata to whichever Stripe call you already make. Here are the most common patterns:

Subscriptions

stripe.Subscription.create(
    customer=user.stripe_customer_id,
    items=[{"price": "price_xxx"}],
    metadata={"posthog_person_distinct_id": user.posthog_distinct_id},  
)
await stripe.subscriptions.create({
  customer: user.stripeCustomerId,
  items: [{ price: 'price_xxx' }],
  metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthogDistinctId },  
});
Stripe::Subscription.create({
  customer: user.stripe_customer_id,
  items: [{ price: 'price_xxx' }],
  metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthog_distinct_id },  
})
$stripe->subscriptions->create([
    'customer' => $user->stripeCustomerId,
    'items' => [['price' => 'price_xxx']],
    'metadata' => ['posthog_person_distinct_id' => $user->posthogDistinctId],  
]);
params := &stripe.SubscriptionParams{
    Customer: stripe.String(user.StripeCustomerID),
    Items: []*stripe.SubscriptionItemsParams{
        {Price: stripe.String("price_xxx")},
    },
}
params.AddMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctID)  
sub, err := subscription.New(params)
SubscriptionCreateParams params = SubscriptionCreateParams.builder()
    .setCustomer(user.getStripeCustomerId())
    .addItem(SubscriptionCreateParams.Item.builder().setPrice("price_xxx").build())
    .putMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.getPosthogDistinctId())  
    .build();
Subscription subscription = Subscription.create(params);
var options = new SubscriptionCreateOptions
{
    Customer = user.StripeCustomerId,
    Items = new List<SubscriptionItemOptions>
    {
        new() { Price = "price_xxx" },
    },
    Metadata = new Dictionary<string, string>  
    {  
        { "posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctId },  
    },  
};
var subscription = await subscriptionService.CreateAsync(options);

One-off charges (payment intents)

stripe.PaymentIntent.create(
    amount=1000,
    currency="usd",
    customer=user.stripe_customer_id,
    metadata={"posthog_person_distinct_id": user.posthog_distinct_id},  
)
await stripe.paymentIntents.create({
  amount: 1000,
  currency: 'usd',
  customer: user.stripeCustomerId,
  metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthogDistinctId },  
});
Stripe::PaymentIntent.create({
  amount: 1000,
  currency: 'usd',
  customer: user.stripe_customer_id,
  metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthog_distinct_id },  
})
$stripe->paymentIntents->create([
    'amount' => 1000,
    'currency' => 'usd',
    'customer' => $user->stripeCustomerId,
    'metadata' => ['posthog_person_distinct_id' => $user->posthogDistinctId],  
]);
params := &stripe.PaymentIntentParams{
    Amount:   stripe.Int64(1000),
    Currency: stripe.String(string(stripe.CurrencyUSD)),
    Customer: stripe.String(user.StripeCustomerID),
}
params.AddMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctID)  
pi, err := paymentintent.New(params)
PaymentIntentCreateParams params = PaymentIntentCreateParams.builder()
    .setAmount(1000L)
    .setCurrency("usd")
    .setCustomer(user.getStripeCustomerId())
    .putMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.getPosthogDistinctId())  
    .build();
PaymentIntent intent = PaymentIntent.create(params);
var options = new PaymentIntentCreateOptions
{
    Amount = 1000,
    Currency = "usd",
    Customer = user.StripeCustomerId,
    Metadata = new Dictionary<string, string>  
    {  
        { "posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctId },  
    },  
};
var intent = await paymentIntentService.CreateAsync(options);

Stripe Checkout

Pass the metadata in the checkout session's subscription_data or payment_intent_data depending on your checkout mode. Also set client_reference_id to your internal user ID so you can look up the distinct ID.

# For recurring (subscription) checkout
session = stripe.checkout.Session.create(
    mode="subscription",
    client_reference_id=user.id,
    subscription_data={
        "metadata": {"posthog_person_distinct_id": user.posthog_distinct_id},  
    },
    # ... other params
)

# For one-time payment checkout
session = stripe.checkout.Session.create(
    mode="payment",
    client_reference_id=user.id,
    payment_intent_data={
        "metadata": {"posthog_person_distinct_id": user.posthog_distinct_id},  
    },
    # ... other params
)
// For recurring (subscription) checkout
const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
  mode: 'subscription',
  client_reference_id: user.id,
  subscription_data: {
    metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthogDistinctId },  
  },
  // ... other params
});

// For one-time payment checkout
const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
  mode: 'payment',
  client_reference_id: user.id,
  payment_intent_data: {
    metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthogDistinctId },  
  },
  // ... other params
});
# For recurring (subscription) checkout
session = Stripe::Checkout::Session.create({
  mode: 'subscription',
  client_reference_id: user.id,
  subscription_data: {
    metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthog_distinct_id },  
  },
  # ... other params
})

# For one-time payment checkout
session = Stripe::Checkout::Session.create({
  mode: 'payment',
  client_reference_id: user.id,
  payment_intent_data: {
    metadata: { posthog_person_distinct_id: user.posthog_distinct_id },  
  },
  # ... other params
})
// For recurring (subscription) checkout
$session = $stripe->checkout->sessions->create([
    'mode' => 'subscription',
    'client_reference_id' => $user->id,
    'subscription_data' => [
        'metadata' => ['posthog_person_distinct_id' => $user->posthogDistinctId],  
    ],
    // ... other params
]);

// For one-time payment checkout
$session = $stripe->checkout->sessions->create([
    'mode' => 'payment',
    'client_reference_id' => $user->id,
    'payment_intent_data' => [
        'metadata' => ['posthog_person_distinct_id' => $user->posthogDistinctId],  
    ],
    // ... other params
]);
// For recurring (subscription) checkout
params := &stripe.CheckoutSessionParams{
    Mode:               stripe.String(string(stripe.CheckoutSessionModeSubscription)),
    ClientReferenceID:  stripe.String(user.ID),
    SubscriptionData: &stripe.CheckoutSessionSubscriptionDataParams{
        Metadata: map[string]string{
            "posthog_person_distinct_id": user.PosthogDistinctID,  
        },
    },
}
session, err := checkoutsession.New(params)

// For one-time payment checkout
params := &stripe.CheckoutSessionParams{
    Mode:               stripe.String(string(stripe.CheckoutSessionModePayment)),
    ClientReferenceID:  stripe.String(user.ID),
    PaymentIntentData: &stripe.CheckoutSessionPaymentIntentDataParams{
        Metadata: map[string]string{
            "posthog_person_distinct_id": user.PosthogDistinctID,  
        },
    },
}
session, err := checkoutsession.New(params)
// For recurring (subscription) checkout
SessionCreateParams params = SessionCreateParams.builder()
    .setMode(SessionCreateParams.Mode.SUBSCRIPTION)
    .setClientReferenceId(user.getId())
    .setSubscriptionData(
        SessionCreateParams.SubscriptionData.builder()
            .putMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.getPosthogDistinctId())  
            .build()
    )
    .build();
Session session = Session.create(params);

// For one-time payment checkout
SessionCreateParams params = SessionCreateParams.builder()
    .setMode(SessionCreateParams.Mode.PAYMENT)
    .setClientReferenceId(user.getId())
    .setPaymentIntentData(
        SessionCreateParams.PaymentIntentData.builder()
            .putMetadata("posthog_person_distinct_id", user.getPosthogDistinctId())  
            .build()
    )
    .build();
Session session = Session.create(params);
// For recurring (subscription) checkout
var options = new SessionCreateOptions
{
    Mode = "subscription",
    ClientReferenceId = user.Id,
    SubscriptionData = new SessionSubscriptionDataOptions
    {
        Metadata = new Dictionary<string, string>  
        {  
            { "posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctId },  
        },  
    },
};
var session = await sessionService.CreateAsync(options);

// For one-time payment checkout
var options = new SessionCreateOptions
{
    Mode = "payment",
    ClientReferenceId = user.Id,
    PaymentIntentData = new SessionPaymentIntentDataOptions
    {
        Metadata = new Dictionary<string, string>  
        {  
            { "posthog_person_distinct_id", user.PosthogDistinctId },  
        },  
    },
};
var session = await sessionService.CreateAsync(options);

How does this work? PostHog looks for posthog_person_distinct_id in the metadata of subscriptions, charges, and invoices tied to each Stripe customer. If the customer object doesn't have the metadata directly, PostHog uses the value from the most recently created child object.

Once this is connected you'll be able to properly see who your top customers are in the Top customers dashboard.

You'll also get access to the persons_revenue_analytics and groups_revenue_analytics tables in the data warehouse. This is a simple map of person_id/group_key to what their all-time revenue is.

SQL
Run in PostHog
-- Count the number of persons with revenue greater than 1,000,000
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM persons_revenue_analytics
WHERE amount > 1000000

Connect to customers

Contents

Step 1: Add metadata when creating new customers

Step 2: Tag existing customers via charges, subscriptions, or invoices

Subscriptions

One-off charges (payment intents)

Stripe Checkout

Community questions

Was this page useful?