Recurring Payments

Overview

Recurring payments require two steps:

1. Save a payment method — collect card details once and store a pm_xxx token on the customer
2. Charge the saved method — create and confirm payment intents using the stored token, without the customer present

Tip

Don’t wait a month to see a renewal — test clocks fast-forward billing cycles in sandbox.

Save a payment method (Setup Intent)

A setup intent guides the customer through saving their payment method. Create one server-side, pass the client_secret to the widget, and the widget handles card collection.

cURL

curl -X POST https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/setup_intents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"customer_id": "cus_0abc123def456"}'

Node.js

const res = await fetch("https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/setup_intents", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ customer_id: "cus_0abc123def456" }),
});
const { client_secret } = await res.json();

Python

import requests

res = requests.post(
    "https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/setup_intents",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    json={"customer_id": "cus_0abc123def456"},
)
client_secret = res.json()["client_secret"]

PHP

<?php
use GuzzleHttp\Client;

$client = new Client([
    'base_uri' => 'https://api.elasticpay.co',
    'headers'  => [
        'Authorization' => 'Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx',
        'Content-Type'  => 'application/json',
    ],
]);

$res = $client->post('/api/v1/setup_intents', [
    'json' => ['customer_id' => 'cus_0abc123def456'],
]);
$data = json_decode($res->getBody(), true);
$client_secret = $data['client_secret'];

Ruby

require 'faraday'
require 'json'

conn = Faraday.new('https://api.elasticpay.co') do |f|
  f.request  :json
  f.response :json
end
conn.headers['Authorization'] = 'Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
conn.headers['Content-Type']  = 'application/json'

res = conn.post('/api/v1/setup_intents') do |req|
  req.body = { customer_id: 'cus_0abc123def456' }
end
client_secret = res.body['client_secret']

C#

using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Net.Http.Json;

using var http = new HttpClient { BaseAddress = new Uri("https://api.elasticpay.co") };
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization =
    new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx");

var res = await http.PostAsJsonAsync("/api/v1/setup_intents",
    new { customer_id = "cus_0abc123def456" });
var si = await res.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>();
var clientSecret = si.GetProperty("client_secret").GetString();

After the customer completes the widget flow, the setup_intent.succeeded event fires and the saved pm_xxx is available on the customer record.

Charge a saved payment method

Create a payment intent and confirm it server-side using the saved pm_xxx. No customer interaction required:

cURL

# 1. Create payment intent
curl -X POST https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"amount": 4900, "currency": "AUD", "customer_id": "cus_0abc123def456"}'

# 2. Confirm with saved payment method
curl -X POST https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents/pi_0abc123/confirm \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"payment_method": "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl"}'

Node.js

// 1. Create payment intent
const createRes = await fetch("https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ amount: 4900, currency: "AUD", customer_id: "cus_0abc123def456" }),
});
const { id } = await createRes.json();

// 2. Confirm with saved payment method
const confirmRes = await fetch(
  `https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents/${id}/confirm`,
  {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ payment_method: "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl" }),
  }
);
const result = await confirmRes.json();

Python

import requests

BASE = "https://api.elasticpay.co"
HEADERS = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
}

# 1. Create payment intent
pi = requests.post(
    f"{BASE}/api/v1/payment_intents",
    headers=HEADERS,
    json={"amount": 4900, "currency": "AUD", "customer_id": "cus_0abc123def456"},
).json()

# 2. Confirm with saved payment method
result = requests.post(
    f"{BASE}/api/v1/payment_intents/{pi['id']}/confirm",
    headers=HEADERS,
    json={"payment_method": "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl"},
).json()

PHP

<?php
use GuzzleHttp\Client;

$client = new Client([
    'base_uri' => 'https://api.elasticpay.co',
    'headers'  => [
        'Authorization' => 'Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx',
        'Content-Type'  => 'application/json',
    ],
]);

// 1. Create payment intent
$createRes = $client->post('/api/v1/payment_intents', [
    'json' => ['amount' => 4900, 'currency' => 'AUD', 'customer_id' => 'cus_0abc123def456'],
]);
$pi = json_decode($createRes->getBody(), true);

// 2. Confirm with saved payment method
$confirmRes = $client->post('/api/v1/payment_intents/' . $pi['id'] . '/confirm', [
    'json' => ['payment_method' => 'pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl'],
]);
$result = json_decode($confirmRes->getBody(), true);

Ruby

require 'faraday'
require 'json'

conn = Faraday.new('https://api.elasticpay.co') do |f|
  f.request  :json
  f.response :json
end
conn.headers['Authorization'] = 'Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
conn.headers['Content-Type']  = 'application/json'

# 1. Create payment intent
create_res = conn.post('/api/v1/payment_intents') do |req|
  req.body = { amount: 4900, currency: 'AUD', customer_id: 'cus_0abc123def456' }
end
pi_id = create_res.body['id']

# 2. Confirm with saved payment method
result = conn.post("/api/v1/payment_intents/#{pi_id}/confirm") do |req|
  req.body = { payment_method: 'pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl' }
end
result = result.body

C#

using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Net.Http.Json;

using var http = new HttpClient { BaseAddress = new Uri("https://api.elasticpay.co") };
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization =
    new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx");

// 1. Create payment intent
var createRes = await http.PostAsJsonAsync("/api/v1/payment_intents", new {
    amount = 4900, currency = "AUD", customer_id = "cus_0abc123def456"
});
var pi = await createRes.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>();
var piId = pi.GetProperty("id").GetString();

// 2. Confirm with saved payment method
var confirmRes = await http.PostAsJsonAsync(
    $"/api/v1/payment_intents/{piId}/confirm",
    new { payment_method = "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl" });
var result = await confirmRes.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>();

Tip

Listen for payment_intent.succeeded and payment_intent.failed webhooks to know the outcome. For merchant-initiated payments, rely on the webhook rather than the synchronous response.

List saved payment methods

Retrieve all saved payment methods for a customer:

cURL

curl https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/customers/cus_0abc123def456/payment_methods \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Node.js

const res = await fetch(
  "https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/customers/cus_0abc123def456/payment_methods",
  { headers: { "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" } }
);
const { data } = await res.json();

Python

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/customers/cus_0abc123def456/payment_methods",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"},
)
data = res.json()

PHP

<?php
use GuzzleHttp\Client;

$client = new Client([
    'base_uri' => 'https://api.elasticpay.co',
    'headers'  => [
        'Authorization' => 'Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx',
        'Content-Type'  => 'application/json',
    ],
]);

$res = $client->get('/api/v1/customers/cus_0abc123def456/payment_methods');
$data = json_decode($res->getBody(), true);

Ruby

require 'faraday'
require 'json'

conn = Faraday.new('https://api.elasticpay.co') do |f|
  f.request  :json
  f.response :json
end
conn.headers['Authorization'] = 'Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
conn.headers['Content-Type']  = 'application/json'

res = conn.get('/api/v1/customers/cus_0abc123def456/payment_methods')
data = res.body

C#

using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Net.Http.Json;

using var http = new HttpClient { BaseAddress = new Uri("https://api.elasticpay.co") };
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization =
    new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx");

var data = await http.GetFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>(
    "/api/v1/customers/cus_0abc123def456/payment_methods");

Managing payment plans

For scheduled recurring payments (weekly, monthly, etc.), use the portal’s Payment Plans feature instead of scheduling intents manually. The portal handles scheduling, failure recovery, and retry logic. See Understanding Plans for details.