Problem
The current billing module is tightly coupled to Stripe. For solo developers and small teams selling globally, Stripe requires handling tax compliance (VAT, GST, sales tax) yourself — either through Stripe Tax or a third-party service. This adds significant operational overhead for teams without dedicated finance/legal resources.
Proposal
Add [LemonSqueezy](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/) as an optional payment backend alongside Stripe.
LemonSqueezy acts as a Merchant of Record, meaning it handles global tax collection, remittance, and compliance on behalf of the seller. For indie developers and small teams, this removes one of the biggest non-technical barriers to monetization — which aligns well with Harness's goal of covering the full path from build to revenue.
Suggested scope
- Abstract the payment/billing layer so providers are swappable via configuration (e.g.
PAYMENT_PROVIDER=stripe | lemonsqueezy)
- Implement LemonSqueezy webhooks for subscription lifecycle events (created, updated, cancelled, payment failed)
- Map LemonSqueezy's subscription/usage model to the existing credits system
- Document tradeoffs between the two providers so users can make an informed choice
Context
Stripe remains the better choice for teams that need fine-grained usage-based billing, complex metering, or multi-product catalogs. LemonSqueezy is ideal for simpler pricing models where tax compliance is the primary pain point. Supporting both would make Harness appealing to a wider range of builders.
Problem
The current billing module is tightly coupled to Stripe. For solo developers and small teams selling globally, Stripe requires handling tax compliance (VAT, GST, sales tax) yourself — either through Stripe Tax or a third-party service. This adds significant operational overhead for teams without dedicated finance/legal resources.
Proposal
Add [LemonSqueezy](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/) as an optional payment backend alongside Stripe.
LemonSqueezy acts as a Merchant of Record, meaning it handles global tax collection, remittance, and compliance on behalf of the seller. For indie developers and small teams, this removes one of the biggest non-technical barriers to monetization — which aligns well with Harness's goal of covering the full path from build to revenue.
Suggested scope
PAYMENT_PROVIDER=stripe | lemonsqueezy)Context
Stripe remains the better choice for teams that need fine-grained usage-based billing, complex metering, or multi-product catalogs. LemonSqueezy is ideal for simpler pricing models where tax compliance is the primary pain point. Supporting both would make Harness appealing to a wider range of builders.