How to Secure Your Stripe for SOC 2 and Get the Compliance Seal

If you’re using Stripe to process payments, securing Stripe for SOC 2 is crucial for protecting sensitive customer data and showing your clients that you take information security seriously. Here’s what you need to know about how to secure Stripe for SOC 2 and how to get the SOC 2 badge or seal.

• Understanding SOC 2: SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) is a set of standards for managing and protecting customer data based on five "Trust Service Principles": security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. It’s a widely recognized security compliance in the US and critical for SaaS or cloud businesses.
• Key Requirements for SOC 2 and Stripe:
  • Data Encryption: All customer and payment data in Stripe should be encrypted both in transit (“on the move”) and at rest (“stored on Stripe or your servers”). Stripe meets these requirements by default, but you must also secure any integrations or systems that connect to Stripe.
  • Access Controls: Limit Stripe dashboard access to only those who “need to know” for their job. Use strong password policies and 2-factor authentication (2FA) for all Stripe accounts.
  • Monitoring & Logging: Enable Stripe’s audit logs to track user activity. Integrate logs with external SIEM/logging tools to monitor for any suspicious behavior.
  • Vendor Management: Ensure your use of Stripe as a third-party vendor is documented in your vendor management policy and verify Stripe’s own SOC 2 report for their security posture.
  • Incident Response Plan: Document and regularly test a process for handling security incidents involving payment data.
  • Minimum Permissions: Integrate Stripe via API keys with least privilege—do not share secret keys and rotate them regularly. Remove old or unused API keys.
  • Security Policies & Training: Maintain clear security protocols within your organization, especially for anyone who accesses Stripe dashboards or customer payment information.
• How to Get the SOC 2 Badge/Seal:
  • Engage a Readiness Assessment: Before the audit, work with a consultant—such as OCD Tech—to identify gaps in your current controls and Stripe usage. They review your Stripe setup and policies to prepare you for the audit.
  • Remediate Any Gaps: Complete the remediation steps from your readiness assessment—update policies, enforce security controls in Stripe, and improve documentation.
  • Undergo the SOC 2 Audit: Work with a licensed CPA firm to conduct the audit. They’ll assess your Stripe security controls along with your organization’s processes.
  • Obtain Your SOC 2 Report: If you pass, you’ll get a SOC 2 Type I (point in time) or Type II (over a period) report. You can now share this with clients and vendors as proof of security rigor.
  • Display Logo/Seal: Some audit firms provide rights to a SOC 2 “badge” or “seal” to display on your site (confirm with your auditor about proper usage). Always update or renew your report annually.
• Most Important to Pass the Audit:
  • Document everything: policies, access, training, and Stripe settings.
  • Enforce strong authentication on all Stripe accounts.
  • Regularly review and prune Stripe user access and API keys.
  • Retain logs of all sensitive actions and know how to investigate them.
  • Partner early with specialists like OCD Tech for readiness and continuous guidance.

Summary: To secure Stripe for SOC 2 and earn the SOC 2 badge/seal, you must leverage Stripe’s built-in security features, combine them with your own strong access controls and monitoring, and work with compliance experts such as OCD Tech for pre-assessment and audit support. This not only protects sensitive payment data but also builds trust with your customers and partners.