Stripe DATEV interface – the secure connection for DATEV exports
finHero provides a Stripe DATEV interface that processes data reliably and in a GDPR-compliant way. The result: DATEV-compliant exports including receipts and transparent booking logic.
Definition
What is a Stripe DATEV interface?
A Stripe DATEV interface ensures that Stripe data is not just exported but correctly prepared ready for accounting: fees, payouts and receipts have to be merged logically and converted into a DATEV-compatible format. Because it connects Stripe directly to your accounting, it is also called a Stripe accounting interface.
Why “just exporting” isn't enough
Stripe is transaction-driven, DATEV is booking-logic-driven. Without a clean interface, discrepancies, unclear booking texts and high reconciliation effort arise.
What finHero delivers
A stable API connection plus processing: DATEV-compliant exports, clear references, receipts as PDFs and flexible account-assignment logic (e.g. SKR03/04).
What the interface does not replace
Professional responsibility remains with you and your tax firm: account assignment, tax assessment and the finalization (Festschreibung) of the entries in DATEV. A good interface delivers clean, auditable data for this – it does not make tax decisions.
Requirements
What a Stripe DATEV interface has to deliver
Whether you choose a solution or build one yourself: these eight points decide whether your tax firm can work with the Stripe data or has to follow up every month. Use the list as a checklist for any Stripe DATEV interface.
- 1Capture all Stripe transactionsNot just payments, but also fees, refunds, disputes (chargebacks) and payouts – each as a separate, referenceable entry.
- 2Book fees separatelyStripe pays out net. The interface has to show revenue gross and report fees separately as payment transaction costs.
- 3Clear the cash-in-transit account cleanlyEach payout should clear the cash-in-transit account (Geldtransitkonto) against the bank receipt, so that no unexplained balance remains at month-end.
- 4Include receiptsInvoices, credit notes and cancellations as PDFs, linked to the entry via the transaction ID and compiled in a receipt list.
- 5Account assignment according to your chart of accountsSKR03 or SKR04, your own accounts, posting keys and rules – plus the choice between individual customer accounts and a collective customer account.
- 6Accrue subscriptions correctlyAnnual subscriptions are paid in advance. The interface should create deferred income (pRAP, passive Rechnungsabgrenzung) and release it monthly.
- 7Convert foreign currencies traceablyRevenue in USD, GBP or CHF needs a documented rate – such as the ECB reference rate on the receipt date, stored and reproducible.
- 8Auditable and GoBD-readyReconciliation with the Stripe balance report, a checksum per export package and a process documentation (Verfahrensdokumentation) for the process payment service provider → financial accounting.
How to put such a solution into operation step by step is shown in the guide to the Stripe DATEV integration.
Interface to accounting
Stripe accounting interface: the path from payment to entry
A Stripe accounting interface is the bridge between your payment provider and financial accounting. Stripe thinks in transactions, balances and payouts; accounting thinks in debits and credits, receipts and periods. The interface to accounting translates one into the other – so that your tax firm can carry on working without follow-up questions.
- Stripe data is retrieved via read access – nothing is changed in Stripe.
- finHero assigns each transaction to an account and contra account and creates a DATEV booking batch (CSV).
- Invoices, credit notes and cancellations are included as PDFs with a receipt list.
- Your tax firm imports the package into DATEV, reviews it and finalizes it.
PayPal, Mollie, Adyen, Paddle and Lemon Squeezy can also be connected via a read-only API key. There are dedicated exports for Austria (BMD) and Switzerland (bexio, Abacus). How Stripe fits into financial accounting in general is explained in the overview of Stripe accounting.
Data flow of the Stripe DATEV interface
- StripePayments, fees, refunds, disputes, payouts
- finHeroAccount assignment, reconciliation, accruals, receipt matching
- DATEV packageBooking batch (CSV) + receipts (PDF) + receipt list
- Tax firmImport into DATEV, review, finalization
Comparison
Stripe interface for DATEV: four approaches compared
There are several ways to connect Stripe to DATEV. None is right for every company. The table shows what you should check for each approach – for third-party solutions deliberately phrased as items to verify, because feature sets change.
| Checkpoint | Manual CSV export | DATEV Datenservice Zahlungsdienstleister (payment service provider data service) | Custom script / API | finHero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | None – but manual work every month | Clarify with your tax firm or DATEV | Development by your team | App in the Stripe Marketplace, no code |
| Fees booked separately | Split manually | Check scope | Implement yourself | Yes, a separate entry per fee |
| Receipts linked as PDFs | Download and match individually | Check scope | Implement yourself | Invoices, credit notes, cancellations + receipt list |
| pRAP for annual subscriptions | Calculate manually | Check scope | Implement yourself | Automatic, monthly release |
| Account assignment SKR03/SKR04 | Maintain in Excel | Clarify with tax firm | Define in code | Selectable, custom accounts and rules |
| Reconciliation with Stripe balance report | Manual | Check scope | Implement yourself | With every export |
| Foreign currencies | Research rates yourself | Check scope | Define rate source | ECB reference rate on the receipt date |
| Ongoing effort | High, every month | Depends on scope | Maintenance when the API changes | Monthly export, price based on volume |
Which approach suits you?
Few transactions, no subscriptions
With a handful of payments a month, a careful manual export may be enough. But plan time for fees, refunds and receipts – and document your procedure so the tax firm can follow it.
In-house development team
A custom script gives maximum control. In addition to development, expect ongoing maintenance, testing when the Stripe API changes and agreeing the booking logic with your tax firm.
Growing volume, subscriptions, multiple currencies
As soon as annual subscriptions, foreign currencies or multiple companies come into play, a ready-made Stripe DATEV interface that handles accruals, exchange rates and receipts automatically pays off.
Find out more about DATEV's own approach in the article DATEV Datenservice Zahlungsdienstleister for Stripe. If you only want to understand the export file itself, read the guide to the Stripe DATEV export.
Process
How the Stripe DATEV interface works
Stable. Understandable. Firm-friendly.
Connect Stripe
You install the finHero app from the Stripe App Marketplace. The app only receives read access – no code, no developers.
Define rules/accounts
You choose SKR03 or SKR04, adjust accounts and rules and agree the account assignment with your tax firm.
Generate DATEV export
Each month you generate the booking batch and receipts, reconciled with the Stripe balance report – ready for import into DATEV.
The connection is up in a few minutes; in our experience, agreeing the accounts with the tax firm takes a few working days. To the app: finHero in the Stripe App Marketplace.
Example
What the output of the Stripe DATEV interface looks like
Two payments, the related fees, a refund and the payout – this is how a short Stripe period ends up in the DATEV booking batch (SKR03, simplified). Each line carries the Stripe ID in the booking text, so every entry can be traced back to the original transaction.
- Revenue is posted gross to 8400, the fees separately to 4970 (ancillary costs of payment transactions).
- The payout of 643,28 € results from 714,00 € in payments − 11,22 € fees − 59,50 € refund.
- This clears the cash-in-transit account 1360 again after the bank receipt on 1200.
- In SKR04 the typical equivalents are 1460, 4400, 6855 and 1800 – agree the accounts with your tax firm.
You should agree with your tax firm how fees and the VAT on them are treated. Background: Booking Stripe fees.
| Amount € | Account | Contra account | Booking text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 119,00 | 1360 | 8400 | Stripe payment · RE-2026-0412 · ch_3P…7Ka |
| 595,00 | 1360 | 8400 | Stripe payment · RE-2026-0413 · ch_3P…9Lt |
| 2,04 | 4970 | 1360 | Stripe fee · ch_3P…7Ka |
| 9,18 | 4970 | 1360 | Stripe fee · ch_3P…9Lt |
| 59,50 | 8400 | 1360 | Refund · re_3P…2Qv |
| 643,28 | 1200 | 1360 | Stripe payout · po_1P…4Wd |
Security
Security of the Stripe DATEV interface
With financial data, what matters most is a minimal attack surface and clear access rights. An interface for accounting does not need write access to your Stripe account. For any solution, check which permissions it requests, and put the data processing agreement in writing.
Read-only access
The finHero app reads Stripe data but can neither trigger payments nor change settings.
Encryption
Transport encryption and secure processing of the data.
Access rights
The principle of “as little as necessary” for data access and processing.
Checksum per export
Each export package receives a SHA-256 checksum, which is stored. This makes it possible to prove later that files are unchanged.
DSGVO
Data-protection-compliant processing according to EU standards.
Hosting
Servers in Germany for short paths and clear conditions.
Demo
The Stripe DATEV interface in the interactive demo
Click through the interface and see how Stripe data becomes a DATEV export – no sign-up required.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Stripe DATEV interface
What is a Stripe DATEV interface?
A connection that retrieves Stripe data, assigns it to accounts according to your chart of accounts and provides it as a DATEV booking batch including receipts. The goal is for your tax firm to be able to import the data into DATEV without manual rework.
Does Stripe have its own interface to DATEV?
Stripe provides reports such as the balance summary or payout reconciliation as CSV. A booking batch in DATEV format with accounts, contra accounts and receipts only results from additional processing.
What role does the DATEV Datenservice Zahlungsdienstleister play?
DATEV itself offers a data service for payment service providers such as Stripe. For each solution, check which components – fees, receipts, pRAP, account assignment – it covers, and decide together with your tax firm.
Does my tax firm need access to my Stripe account?
No. Your tax firm receives the booking batch, the receipts as PDFs and the receipt list and imports them into DATEV. Additional users, for example from the tax firm, cost nothing extra with finHero.
What access rights does finHero receive for Stripe?
Read-only rights. The app cannot trigger payments, initiate refunds or change settings in your Stripe account.
Does the interface also work with other payment providers?
Yes. In addition to Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, Adyen, Paddle and Lemon Squeezy can be connected via a read-only API key. The data ends up in the same export format.
Can I use the interface for past months?
Yes. Exports are also possible retroactively, for example if the bookkeeping needs to catch up or you switch during the year. Multiple clients or companies are also supported.
How much does finHero's Stripe DATEV interface cost?
The price depends on your transaction or invoice volume. You can try it free for 7 days and cancel monthly.
Any questions? Go to the knowledge base
Further reading
An interface instead of workarounds.
Replace workarounds with a Stripe DATEV interface that delivers booking batches and receipts for your tax firm.
Try for free7-day free trial · cancel monthly · no cost for additional users
