Baremetrics provides native integrations with billing platforms that manage subscriptions like Stripe, Recurly, Braintree, and Chargebee.
However, if your business operates outside these ecosystems—using a custom billing system, manually invoicing customers, or processing payments through alternative methods—you can still use the Baremetrics API to track your key SaaS metrics.
📌 For API technical details, visit: Baremetrics API Documentation.
⭐ Want to learn other ways to use our API? Visit: 7 Cool Ways to Use the Baremetrics API
When Should You Use the Baremetrics API?
While Baremetrics' built-in integrations work seamlessly with major billing platforms, there are many cases where the API is the best (or only) option for tracking subscription data.
1. Your Customers Pay Outside of Stripe, Recurly, Braintree, Chargebee, Shopify, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store
If you process payments using ACH transfers, wire payments, PayPal, or manual invoicing, Baremetrics won't automatically capture these transactions. The API allows you to send this data so you can still analyze MRR, churn, upgrades, and downgrades.
🔹 Example: You invoice customers via Net 30 payments, and funds arrive via wire transfer to your bank. Since these transactions don't flow through a standard subscription platform, you can use the Baremetrics API to record each customer's MRR and payment activity.
2. You Use a Custom or Internal Billing System
If your company has built its billing infrastructure, you won't have a direct Baremetrics integration. Instead, you can use the API to push customer subscriptions, upgrades, and cancellations into Baremetrics for accurate revenue tracking.
🔹 Example: You have built a custom checkout and billing system where users purchase subscriptions. Since these transactions don't flow through one of our native integrations, you can use the Baremetrics API to record each customer's MRR and payment activity.
3. You Sell Multi-Year or Custom Enterprise Contracts
Baremetrics is built around recurring revenue, but if you structure pricing around annual or multi-year contracts, these may not be automatically recognized in Stripe or other platforms. Using the API, you can log one-time payments as monthly recurring equivalents to track ARR properly.
🔹 Example: You sign a $120,000 annual contract with an enterprise client but need to track it in Baremetrics as $10,000 MRR. Using the Baremetrics API, you can ensure your revenue trends, retention analysis, and churn calculations remain accurate.
4. You Need to Correct or Adjust Revenue Data
Mistakes happen—whether it’s incorrectly logged subscriptions, missed refunds, or incorrect churn tracking. The Baremetrics API allows you to correct the past.
🔹 Example: You accidentally log an annual customer renewal as a new subscription, causing a sudden spike in MRR. By excluding the customer from the connected native integration and recreating the customer using the API, you adjust the entry to keep growth trends accurate.
Getting Started with the API
To start sending your data:
1️⃣ Retrieve your API key from your Baremetrics settings.
2️⃣ Review the API documentation for available endpoints.
3️⃣ Set up automated data syncs from your custom billing system.
4️⃣ Validate your data to make sure correct reporting on MRR, churn, and customer retention.
Final Thoughts: Is the API Right for You?
Using the Baremetrics API is ideal if:
✅ You don’t use Stripe, Recurly, Braintree, Chargebee, Shopify, Apple App Store, or Google Play Store
✅ You have a custom billing system
✅ You process payments manually or via invoices
✅ You need accurate SaaS metrics despite complex billing
📌 For technical implementation, visit Baremetrics API documentation or contact Baremetrics Support for guidance.