# Can square\_card\_id from a third-party card import mapping file be used as card\_id in CreateSubscription? **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** customers-api, subscriptions-api, cards-api\ **Created:** [July 9, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/can-square-card-id-from-a-third-party-card-import-mapping-file-be-used-as-card-id-in-createsubscription/26811 "2026-07-09T16:59:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jiyu](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/square/forums/user_avatar/developer.squareup.com/jiyu/32/12170_2.png) [@jiyu](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/u/jiyu)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/can-square-card-id-from-a-third-party-card-import-mapping-file-be-used-as-card-id-in-createsubscription/26811/1 "2026-07-09T16:59:19Z")
Hi, We are planning to migrate existing subscribers from Stripe to Square. Square Support in Japan confirmed the following: - Third-party card data can be imported from Stripe to Square. - After the card import, the seller can create new Square subscriptions using the imported cards. - Buyers do not need to go through Square Checkout, invoice payment links, or any other manual payment flow. - Charges to imported saved cards are considered seller-initiated recurring charges, so 3DS is not required, although issuer authorization declines may still occur. According to the Square Help Center article for third-party card import, the post-import mapping file includes: external\_card\_id, square\_card\_id, external\_customer\_id, square\_customer\_id. According to the Cards API documentation, card-on-file payments can be configured using card\_id with the Subscriptions API. According to the CreateSubscription API reference, card\_id is the ID of the subscriber’s card to charge. My question is: Can the square\_card\_id provided in the post-import mapping file from a third-party card import be used directly as the card\_id in the CreateSubscription API request? Example intended flow: 1. Import saved cards from Stripe to Square. 2. Receive mapping file with square\_customer\_id and square\_card\_id. 3. Create Square subscriptions via API using: - customer\_id = square\_customer\_id - card\_id = square\_card\_id - plan\_variation\_id = our Square subscription plan variation - start\_date = the subscriber’s next billing date from Stripe 4. Cancel the corresponding Stripe subscription after the Square subscription is created. We would also like to confirm: - Are there any restrictions for imported card IDs when used with CreateSubscription? - Are there any Japan-specific restrictions for this flow? - If card\_id is provided and the card charge succeeds, will the buyer avoid receiving an invoice payment link? - Is start\_date the correct field to align the first Square billing date with the customer’s next Stripe renewal date? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![ashley-square](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@ashley-square](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/u/ashley-square)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/can-square-card-id-from-a-third-party-card-import-mapping-file-be-used-as-card-id-in-createsubscription/26811/2 "2026-07-24T17:35:44Z")
1. Yes. Once the card import completes, `square_card_id` is a persisted Square card ID, and it can be passed directly as `card_id` in CreateSubscription. 2. It must be the final Square card ID; The card must be enabled/active; The card must belong to the same `customer_id` you’re passing in the request. 3. No. The standard card-on-file and Subscriptions API behavior applies the same way regardless of region) 4. The buyer won’t be prompted to pay via an invoice link — the card on file is charged automatically. They will still receive an email receipt for the charge. The “pay via invoice” fallback only happens if no valid card\_id is provided. 5. Yes, `start_date` is the correct field for that.