# Polar subscriptions and renewals (https://talivia.com/docs/revenue-guides/polar/subscriptions-and-renewals)



Talivia listens for Polar subscription lifecycle events and records paid renewal orders from `order.paid`. The first checkout should carry both a Talivia session ID and a stable application customer ID.

```javascript title="Create a recurring checkout"
const checkout = await polar.checkouts.create({
  products: [process.env.POLAR_RECURRING_PRODUCT_ID],
  successUrl:
    'https://your-site.com/thanks?checkout_id={CHECKOUT_ID}',
  externalCustomerId: user.id,
  customerEmail: user.email,
  metadata: {
    talivia_session_id: sessionId,
  },
});
```

Polar copies checkout metadata to the created subscription. Talivia stores the subscription state and reuses the customer identity for later orders where there is no new browser session.

## Identify signed-in customers [#identify-signed-in-customers]

Call `identify` after login and again when you learn the Polar customer ID.

```javascript title="Link the Polar customer"
window.talivia.identify(user.id, {
  email: user.email,
  externalCustomerId: user.id,
  providerName: 'polar',
  polarCustomerId: polarCustomer.id,
});
```

The external ID is usually enough when you set the same value during checkout. Adding the Polar customer ID makes matching more resilient.

## What Talivia imports [#what-talivia-imports]

* the initial paid order and later paid renewals;
* cumulative full or partial refunds;
* subscription creation and status changes;
* active subscription context during the initial connection backfill.

Trials without a paid order are stored as subscription state, not revenue.