Question from Reddit user:
I have tried using integrations under Payments and created automation to move them to a pipeline once someone new pays on stripe.
but after a while, We saw nothing coming in to GHL from stripe even though there are new payments\subscriptions\invoice on stripe.
Any ideas?
suggestions?
Advice?
everything is much appreciated.
Answer from Nabil:
The short answer is:
Your issue is a common point of failure when relying on the native GoHighLevel (GHL) Payments integration with Stripe because GHL’s built-in connector is often limited in the specific Stripe Standard Events it listens for, and its ability to consistently identify and update existing contacts can be unreliable.
Since you’re seeing payments in Stripe but no corresponding actions in GHL, the integration is likely broken or misconfigured to recognize the specific payment event type you’re using.
The best solution for a rock-solid, reliable connection is to bypass the native integration and use a third-party automation tool like Zapier or Make, or build a custom solution using the Stripe API and HighLevel API to listen for the exact events like customer.subscription.created or payment_intent.succeeded and use that data to trigger an update or a pipeline movement in GHL.
The long answer is:
It’s frustrating to see your data pipeline break, especially when the native integration should be working.
When GoHighLevel provides a native integration with Stripe, it fundamentally relies on Stripe’s Webhooks feature to communicate.
Stripe sends an automated notification – a Standard Event – to a specific URL provided by GHL whenever something happens, such as a new payment, an invoice being paid, or a subscription being created.
If GHL’s system fails to properly receive, process, or map the contact information from that webhook, the pipeline action will fail, resulting in the discrepancy you’re observing.
The simplest fix is often to delete and re-establish the native Stripe integration within GHL’s Payments settings, ensuring all required Stripe permissions are granted.
However, for a more resilient, future-proof solution that gives you complete control over which events trigger an action and how the data maps, a custom API-driven approach is superior.
This custom solution involves setting up a webhook endpoint to listen directly to the Stripe API for specific events – for your goal of moving leads, you’d want to listen for events like checkout.session.completed, invoice.payment_succeeded, or customer.subscription.created.
When this event hits your endpoint, a script extracts the customer’s email or phone number.
It then uses the HighLevel API to search for an existing contact.
If the contact is found, the HighLevel API is used to add a tag or move the contact to a specific pipeline stage.
This is an excellent solution because it creates an unskippable data bridge, allowing you to react to any Stripe event, not just the few pre-approved by the native GHL integration.
This method can also be enhanced by using Google Tag Manager and a server-side environment like Stape or Google Cloud Platform to capture the initial purchase event on your website, instantly sending the payment ID or a unique identifier to your custom webhook service.
This ensures that even before Stripe’s official webhook fires, your system has a head start on associating the payment with a browsing session or user behavior, leading to faster and more accurate lead management in GHL.
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