Scheduled Payments

Overview

ElasticPay supports two ways to schedule a payment for a future date:

1. Payment Plans — the system automatically generates and processes recurring payment intents on your behalf (weekly, monthly, etc.)
2. Direct PI scheduling — you create a single payment intent now and set scheduled_payment_date to a future date; the system processes it automatically on that date

This guide covers direct PI scheduling. For a full reference of payment plan lifecycle management, see Payment Plans API.

Tip

To watch a future-dated payment actually fire without waiting, use a test clock in sandbox.

Requirements

• A saved payment method (pm_xxx) must be attached to the intent at create time. Transient tokens (from the widget) are not accepted because the customer will not be present at processing time.
• The date must be today or in the future, and within 365 days of today, in your time zone (or on the customer’s test clock). A payment plan’s dates follow the same rule.

Step 1 — Save a payment method

If you don’t have a saved pm_xxx yet, create a Setup Intent to collect and save the customer’s card:

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();

Pass the client_secret to the payment widget. After the customer completes the form, the saved method pm_xxx is available on the customer record.

Step 2 — Create a scheduled payment intent

cURL

curl -X POST https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "amount": 9900,
    "currency": "AUD",
    "customer_id": "cus_0abc123def456",
    "payment_method": "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl",
    "scheduled_payment_date": "2026-07-01"
  }'

Node.js

const res = 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: 9900,
    currency: "AUD",
    customer_id: "cus_0abc123def456",
    payment_method: "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl",
    scheduled_payment_date: "2026-07-01",
  }),
});
const pi = await res.json();

Python

import requests

res = requests.post(
    "https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    json={
        "amount": 9900,
        "currency": "AUD",
        "customer_id": "cus_0abc123def456",
        "payment_method": "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl",
        "scheduled_payment_date": "2026-07-01",
    },
)
pi = 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->post('/api/v1/payment_intents', [
    'json' => [
        'amount'                 => 9900,
        'currency'               => 'AUD',
        'customer_id'            => 'cus_0abc123def456',
        'payment_method'         => 'pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl',
        'scheduled_payment_date' => '2026-07-01',
    ],
]);
$pi = json_decode($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.post('/api/v1/payment_intents') do |req|
  req.body = {
    amount: 9900,
    currency: 'AUD',
    customer_id: 'cus_0abc123def456',
    payment_method: 'pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl',
    scheduled_payment_date: '2026-07-01'
  }
end
pi = 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 res = await http.PostAsJsonAsync("/api/v1/payment_intents", new {
    amount                 = 9900,
    currency               = "AUD",
    customer_id            = "cus_0abc123def456",
    payment_method         = "pm_0xyz789abc123def456ghi012jkl",
    scheduled_payment_date = "2026-07-01",
});
var pi = await res.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>();

The response will have status: "requires_confirmation" and scheduled_payment_date: "2026-07-01".

Step 3 — Confirm to lock in the schedule

cURL

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 '{}'

Node.js

const res = await fetch(
  "https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents/pi_0abc123/confirm",
  {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({}),
  }
);
const result = await res.json();

Python

import requests

res = requests.post(
    "https://api.elasticpay.co/api/v1/payment_intents/pi_0abc123/confirm",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_sandbox_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    json={},
)
result = 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->post('/api/v1/payment_intents/pi_0abc123/confirm', ['json' => []]);
$result = json_decode($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.post('/api/v1/payment_intents/pi_0abc123/confirm') do |req|
  req.body = {}
end
result = 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 res = await http.PostAsJsonAsync(
    "/api/v1/payment_intents/pi_0abc123/confirm", new {});
var result = await res.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>();

Because the date is in the future, the response status will be ready — the payment is queued for automatic processing on scheduled_payment_date. No further action is needed.

Tip

If scheduled_payment_date is today, the payment is processed immediately during the confirm step, not deferred. The response will be processing or succeeded.

ready status

A payment intent in ready status has been confirmed and is waiting for its scheduled date.

Status	Meaning
ready	Confirmed, waiting for scheduled date
processing	Submitted to PSP
succeeded	Payment collected
failed	Payment declined or errored

If a problem on our side stops a scheduled payment being sent on its date, it stays ready and we keep trying while we fix the cause. Nothing is charged until it’s sent, and you don’t need to do anything: it’s collected once it goes through.

Webhook events

Subscribe to these events to monitor scheduled payment activity:

Event	When
payment_intent.succeeded	Scheduled payment collected successfully
payment_intent.failed	Payment declined or failed
payment_intent.processing	Submitted to PSP, awaiting result

See Webhooks for how to handle these events.