Product Introduction

1. The Stripe Testing Tools MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol-compatible service designed to accelerate testing of Stripe billing integrations through time manipulation and bulk operations. It provides programmatic access to Stripe's test clock functionality while enforcing safe testing practices through API validations.
2. This server solves the challenge of testing time-dependent subscription workflows by enabling instant simulation of months or years of billing activity through test clock management. It reduces manual testing efforts through batch customer creation and automated test data cleanup capabilities.

Main Features

1. Test Clock Management enables precise control over subscription billing cycles through creation and advancement of Stripe test clocks, supporting parameters like frozen_time (Unix timestamp) and name identifiers. Developers can simulate 30-day billing cycles in seconds by advancing clocks from 1704067200 (Jan 1 2024) to 1706745600 (Feb 1 2024) through API commands.
2. Bulk Customer Operations allow creation of multiple test customers with customizable payment methods and automatic association with test clocks, adhering to Stripe's limit of 3 customers per test clock. The system supports parameterized inputs for customer names, emails, and descriptions while maintaining test environment integrity through batch deletion capabilities.
3. Subscription Lifecycle Testing provides configurable subscription creation with proration behavior control (create_prorations/none/always_invoice), enabling accurate testing of upgrade/downgrade scenarios. Combined with time simulation, this allows full validation of recurring billing patterns without real-time waiting.

Problems Solved

1. Eliminates manual time waiting in subscription testing by enabling instant advancement of test clocks through multiple billing cycles. This solves the problem of developers waiting days/weeks to validate renewal logic in staging environments.
2. Targets developers building Stripe-integrated SaaS platforms requiring rigorous testing of recurring billing, proration calculations, and dunning scenarios. Particularly valuable for teams implementing annual plans, usage-based billing, or complex subscription hierarchies.
3. Enables efficient testing of edge cases like year-end billing, leap day charges, and multi-phase subscription changes through precise time control. Supports compliance testing for regulations requiring accurate invoice timing across timezones.

Unique Advantages

1. Native integration with Stripe's test helpers API while adding safety layers through live key blocking and schema validation. Unlike direct API use, this server prevents accidental production impacts by strictly enforcing test mode restrictions.
2. Combines multiple Stripe testing tools into a single CLI interface with MCP compatibility, enabling AI-assisted testing through platforms like Claude Desktop. The npx stripe-test-mcp implementation requires zero setup compared to custom test harness development.
3. Provides enterprise-grade test management through Zod-validated parameters and error handling while maintaining Stripe's API limits. Unique time-warp capabilities allow testing 10-year subscription lifetimes in minutes through sequential clock advancements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I use live Stripe API keys with this tool? The server actively blocks live API keys through validation checks, returning errors for any key starting with "sk_live". This enforced safety measure prevents accidental production data modification during testing.
2. How many customers can I associate with a test clock? The system enforces Stripe's limit of 3 customers per test clock during creation. Attempts to exceed this will trigger validation errors with clear messages about the constraint.
3. What happens to test data after usage? The tool provides complementary cleanup commands like delete_stripe_test_customers and archive_stripe_test_products. These can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to automatically remove test artifacts after validation completes.
4. How does proration testing work? The create_stripe_test_subscription command accepts proration_behavior parameters that mirror Stripe's API options. Developers can test immediate vs. invoice-based proration by combining this with test clock advancements.
5. Can I test webhook integrations? While not directly handling webhooks, advancing test clocks triggers Stripe's automated event generation. Developers can forward these webhooks to their test environment to validate end-to-end billing workflows.