Stripe Security Checklist: 2FA, SAML/SCIM and automated payments

Stripe is probably the most used payment platform in SaaS. And yet most companies I’m talking to have not reached Stripe’s security settings.

If you pass through SOC 2 orISO27001, everything below maps directly to the controls your auditor will check.

Enforce 2FA

Stripe allows you to request two-step authentication for all team members. Team and SecurityBut it’s turned off by default, which means that at this time your finance team can connect to your payment platform with just one password.

Use security keys or security keys if you can, SMS if you need.

For SOC2, strong authentication of systems that process customer data is a requirement (CC6.1).

Set up SAML and SCIM

Most SaaS products charge an additional fee for SAML and SCIM. It is the classic “corporate tax”. Stripe gives it for free. SSO is available to all users and you can connect Google Workspace, Okta, Entra ID, no matter what SAML speaks.

Take advantage of it. Without SSO and SCIM, manage access to the tapes by hand. Someone joins, add them. Someone leaves, we hope you remember to remove them.

With SCIM, your identity provider takes care of this. Remove someone from Google Workspace, it is immediately locked from Stripe. Downloads, access is revoked. You can also map roles by synchronizing the SCIM group so permissions remain consistent without anyone touching the Stripe dashboard.

The result: onboarding and offboarding takes zero effort on the Stripe side, your access reviews take minutes instead of hours, and your security position on a critical financial instrument increases significantly. ISO 27001This gives you a clean audit route for free.

Move money off the platform

In 2022, PayPal froze $1.3 million belonging to Flipper Devices. No real explanation. The company spent months filing documents that continued to be rejected for various reasons. PayPal finally closed the final account. Flipper had to defend himself and threaten arbitration to get the money back.

Payment providers freeze accounts. and when they do, your money is locked until you sort it, which can take months.

The simple solution: do not leave money on the platform. Stripe allows you to schedule automatic payments (daily, weekly, monthly) under Bank accounts and schedulingThere are no additional costs. set it daily or weekly so that your Stripe balance stays as low as possible. The money lands in your bank account where your payment processor cannot touch it.

SOC2 expects you to manage the supplier’s financial risk (CC9.1, CC9.2). This means identifying third-party risks and implementing controls for business disruptions.A payment processor that freezes your funds is the CC9.2 manual.

Wrapping up

Three settings: application 2FA, SAML/SCIM, automatic payments. Thirty minutes of total work. All three maps atSOC2 criteria: logical access (CC6.1), risk reduction (CC9.1/CC9.2). And these are just good practices anyway.

While you are on it, make sure that Google Workspace defaults are locked down tooIf you ask yourself how long SOC 2 takes, we have a breakdown.

Stripe keeps your money, treat it as if it matters.