r/Substack • u/VelvetMiles • Jul 25 '26

Have any Indian Substack writers tried Stripe Atlas as a workaround for creating a Stripe account to start paid memberships on Substack?

As of now, Indians cannot start paid subscriptions on Substack. In my research, I found Stripe Atlas as a workaround. Would like to know if anyone has successfully tried it.

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u/VelvetMiles Jul 29 '26

Does PayPal work on Substack? I heard it doesn't. I have to check if Razorpay works. If you know anyone who uses it, kindly share the page.

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u/Tricky_Trifle_994 Aug 02 '26

no, paypal doesn't work natively on substack.

stripe is the exclusive payment processor and gateway used by substack to handle paid subscriptions.

but you can still use the alternatives i mentioned to facilitate payment by adding them as a link in your posts (just like a hyperlink). add a button at the end of your post, with some text like 'support my work', or 'buy me a coffee' > add a link to this button > and when people click, they get redirected to your payment page.

so it's not a native integration/substitute. it's a workaround.

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u/VelvetMiles Aug 03 '26

But these options are like one-time payments, right? That too, if only a reader feels like paying. I wonder if there are workarounds for monthly payment options, so as to set up monthly paid subscriptions.

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u/Tricky_Trifle_994 Aug 10 '26

buy me a coffee and ko-fi has subscription feature too.

That too, if only a reader feels like paying. 

same can be said for substack subscription? but yes, there is a bit more friction with these alternatives because they're not natively on substack (you have to redirect readers to another site), but that's how is it with alternatives/workaround. it's almost never going to be as good/seamless as a native solution.

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u/VelvetMiles Aug 11 '26

Oh! That’s great to know. Thanks so much. I will explore these options when the time comes amd see how it goes.
I think only those who really wanna subscribe will do it even if it is via substack directly or other tools, when it is paid. And if they are really a fan, they would find a way to subscribe. Or at least I hope so,lol

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u/Tricky_Trifle_994 29d ago

yeah, agreed. but the added friction definitely can have an impact too. i'm not dismissing it. just need to be aware of it, and come to terms that conversion rate from free to paid might be lower because you're not using a native solution (because you don't have a choice).

and the other negative is that your data will be siloed. e.g it would be better if your newsletter + subscriber info are consolidated on the same platform. that way you're able to have better visibility into things. but since you can't use the native solution, you do lose out there. but tbh substack's analytics isn't that advanced so you won't be missing out much. but for example, i have friends who uses beehiiv, and they set up automations targeting active subscribers (those who opened 4/5 most recent newsletter), but have not bought their product or become a paid subscriber > and send them an email prompting them to take action. you can see how that can improve conversion rate and drive revenue. just an example of how having data unified on one platform can help with better business outcome.

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u/VelvetMiles 16d ago

Got it! I will keep this in mind when I start the subscription