Overview
Puzzle’s Stripe integration pulls key Stripe data and uses it to:
Import Stripe balance activity into Puzzle
Post a consolidated payment processor sub-ledger to the general ledger
Automatically match invoices to payments
Generate revenue recognition schedules for subscription invoices
Post deferred + recognized revenue entries automatically
What Puzzle Pulls from Stripe
Puzzle imports three types of data from Stripe.
1) Balance-Affecting Transactions
Puzzle pulls all activity that changes your Stripe balance (similar to a bank feed).
This includes:
Customer payments (revenue collections)
Processor fees
Stripe payouts
In Puzzle, you’ll see a transaction for every movement of your Stripe balance.
2) Payment Processor Sub-Ledger (Daily Summary Posting)
If your Stripe account has a high volume of activity, Puzzle can consolidate Stripe activity into a payment processor sub-ledger.
Instead of posting every individual Stripe event to the general ledger, Puzzle posts daily summary entries.
Why this matters:
Keeps your GL cleaner
Makes review easier for high-volume Stripe accounts
3) Invoices + Subscriptions
Puzzle pulls Stripe invoices (including invoices automatically generated by Stripe for subscriptions).
From Stripe invoices, Puzzle also pulls:
Customers
Products
Payment timing/status
Puzzle also pulls subscriptions, including the subscription period, which Puzzle uses to drive the revenue recognition schedule.
How Invoice-to-Payment Matching Works
Puzzle automatically matches:
The Stripe invoice
toThe Stripe payment transaction
This happens when payment is collected inside Stripe.
If Payment Happens Outside Stripe
If the payment is made outside Stripe, you’ll need to manually match:
The payment transaction
toThe Stripe invoice in Puzzle
✅ Tip: This is most common when Stripe invoices are paid via ACH/wire outside of Stripe.
How Automated Revenue Recognition Works
Puzzle automates accrual revenue recognition using Policies.
A Policy is a configuration that defines:
How revenue recognition is calculated (method)
Where entries post in the GL (account mapping)
Puzzle uses Stripe subscription data to pull the recognition period automatically.
Confirming Revenue Recognition (Schedule + Journal Entries)
When you confirm revenue recognition for an invoice line item, Puzzle will:
Generate a revenue recognition schedule for that line
Post a journal entry to defer revenue on the invoice date
Post monthly journal entries to recognize revenue over time, based on the schedule
Required Setup: Configure Revenue Recognition Policies
To automate accrual revenue recognition successfully, you must configure Policies.
Puzzle includes default policies you can use right away.
Policies include two key sections:
1) Recognition Method
Examples include:
Over time (spread across the subscription period)
Point in time (recognized immediately)
Puzzle’s default is typically Daily 360.
2) GL Account Mapping
Defines which accounts Puzzle posts to, such as:
Deferred revenue
Subscription revenue
Usage revenue
Example: Duplicate a Policy for Usage Revenue
You can duplicate an existing policy to support different revenue types.
For example:
Subscription Revenue → mapped to subscription revenue account
Usage Revenue → mapped to usage revenue account
Then apply the appropriate policy at the invoice line level.
Revenue Recognition Sub-Ledger + Posting to the GL
Puzzle maintains a revenue recognition sub-ledger and posts entries to the general ledger automatically.
Posting happens hourly by default
Need Updates Reflected Immediately?
If you update revenue recognition schedules and want the changes reflected in financials right away:
✅ Click Post all pending
This will post all pending revenue recognition updates to the general ledger.
Common Notes / Gotchas
Stripe invoices pulled into Puzzle may be Stripe-generated, not manually created invoices.
Payments made outside Stripe require manual invoice-payment matching.
Revenue recognition accuracy depends heavily on correct policy setup and correct account mapping.