Ghost + Polar: The Complete Setup Guide for Memberships
Polar is a creator-first payment platform with built-in EU VAT handling and a clean API. Here is how to connect it to Ghost so every purchase automatically grants membership access.
Polar is a creator-first payment platform with built-in EU VAT handling and a clean API. Here is how to connect it to Ghost so every purchase automatically grants membership access.
What is Polar and why use it with Ghost
Polar is a payment and subscription platform built for developers and creators. Unlike Stripe, Polar acts as a Merchant of Record -- meaning Polar collects, calculates, and remits VAT and sales tax on your behalf. For European publishers, this is a significant advantage: you do not have to worry about filing taxes across 27 EU countries yourself.
Ghost does not support Polar natively. But with a webhook relay, you can have Polar handle the payment and tax side while Ghost handles the membership and content access side. Both tools do what they are best at.
Why Polar as a Merchant of Record matters: As a self-employed creator, you are usually the merchant. That means you are responsible for VAT in every country you sell to. Polar takes over that legal responsibility. One payout summary per settlement period, not one invoice per transaction.
What you need before you start
- A Ghost blog with Admin API access
- A Polar account with at least one product created
- A PayGlue account (takes about 2 minutes to set up)
Create your product in Polar
In your Polar dashboard, create a product that corresponds to a Ghost membership tier. Give it a clear name -- for example "Monthly Membership" or "Annual Access". Set the price and enable subscriptions if you want recurring billing.
You do not need to configure webhooks in Polar yet. PayGlue generates the webhook URL for you in the next step.
Polar events PayGlue handles:
- subscription.created
- subscription.updated
- subscription.canceled
- order.created (one-time purchases)
Connect Polar to Ghost via PayGlue
- In your PayGlue dashboard, go to Integrations and select Polar. Copy the generated webhook URL.
- In Polar, go to Settings and add the webhook URL. Select the events listed above and save.
- Back in PayGlue, go to Mappings and create a new rule: select your Polar product and map it to the Ghost membership tier you want to grant.
- Save the mapping. PayGlue is now listening for Polar events and will automatically sync them to Ghost.
Test the full flow
Polar provides a test mode with sandbox payments. Make a test purchase and check the PayGlue event log. You should see the event arrive, be processed, and the corresponding Ghost member get updated within a few seconds.
If an event fails, PayGlue retries automatically. You can also replay any event manually from the dashboard without needing to make another purchase.
Can I run Polar alongside my existing Ghost + Stripe setup?
Yes. PayGlue adds on top of your existing setup. Ghost + Stripe stays untouched. Members who pay via Polar get access just like members who pay via Stripe.
What happens when a Polar subscription is cancelled?
PayGlue receives the cancellation event and revokes the Ghost membership tier automatically. The member keeps access until the end of their billing period if you configure it that way.
Foto von Dan Counsell auf Unsplash
