Skip to main content

​
Overview

Saved Payment Methods allow your customers to pay invoices quickly using previously authorized SEPA Direct Debit mandates. Instead of creating a new payment method each time, customers can select from their existing mandates, making repeat payments faster and more convenient.
This feature is perfect for recurring customers, subscriptions, and businesses that send frequent invoices to the same clients. It reduces friction and increases payment success rates.

​
How It Works

​
For Customers

  1. First Payment: Customer pays an invoice via SEPA Direct Debit
  2. Mandate Created: Mollie automatically creates and stores a mandate
  3. Future Payments: Customer sees “Saved Payment Methods” option on invoices
  4. Quick Payment: Select saved mandate → Confirm → Payment processed instantly

​
For Business Owners

The system works automatically:
  • No configuration required
  • Mandates are created during first SEPA payment
  • Saved methods appear automatically for returning customers
  • Full transaction history and audit trail maintained
Saved payment methods only apply to SEPA Direct Debit mandates. Credit card and other payment methods do not support saved credentials in the same way.

​
Payment Flow

​
Step 1: Customer Receives Invoice

When a customer views an unpaid invoice in their portal, they see two payment options:
  • Pay with New Method: Standard payment flow with Mollie checkout
  • Pay with Saved Method: Quick payment using existing mandate

​
Step 2: Selecting a Saved Method

If the customer has active SEPA mandates:
  1. Click “Pay with Saved Payment Method” button
  2. Modal appears showing all available mandates
  3. Each mandate displays:
    • Mandate ID (e.g., mdt_abc123xyz)
    • Bank account details (masked: NL**ABNA0123456789)
    • Creation date
    • Status (Active/Pending/Expired)

​
Step 3: Confirming Payment

  1. Customer selects a mandate from the list
  2. Clicks “Confirm Payment”
  3. System creates payment using selected mandate
  4. Invoice status updates to “Pending” immediately
  5. Payment processes through Mollie

​
Step 4: Payment Confirmation

Successful Payment:
  • Invoice marked as “Paid”
  • Transaction recorded in payment history
  • Email notification sent (if configured)
  • Customer redirected to invoice overview
Failed Payment:
  • Error message displayed
  • Invoice remains “Open” or “Pending”
  • Customer can retry with different mandate or new payment method

​
Customer Experience

​
Customer Portal Interface

Invoice Detail Page (/shop/{handle}/portal/invoices/{id}):

Payment Button States

Available (Blue)
  • Default state
  • Clickable and ready
  • Shows “Pay with Saved Payment Method”
Processing (Gray)
  • Payment in progress
  • Button disabled
  • Shows “Processing…”
Completed (Green)
  • Payment succeeded
  • Invoice marked as paid
  • Button hidden

Payment Method Modal

Modal Contents:
  • List of active mandates
  • Mandate details (ID, bank, date)
  • “Cancel” button to close
  • “Confirm Payment” button
Real-time Updates:
  • Loading states during fetch
  • Error messages inline
  • Success confirmation

​
Mobile-Friendly Design

The saved payment method interface is fully responsive:
  • Touch-friendly buttons (minimum 44px tap target)
  • Modal adapts to screen size
  • Clear visual feedback for all actions
  • Works on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers

​
Mandate Management

​
What is a Mandate?

A SEPA mandate is an authorization from a customer allowing you to automatically debit their bank account. It’s created during the first SEPA Direct Debit payment and can be reused for future payments.
Mandates are regulated by SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) regulations and must comply with EU banking standards.

​
Mandate Statuses

StatusDescriptionCan Use for Payment?
ValidActive and ready to use✅ Yes
PendingAwaiting bank verification❌ No (use after verification)
ExpiredNo longer valid❌ No
CanceledRevoked by customer or business❌ No

​
How Mandates Are Created

Automatic Creation via Mollie:
  1. Customer selects SEPA Direct Debit at checkout
  2. Mollie redirects to bank for authorization
  3. Customer authorizes direct debit
  4. Mollie creates mandate and links to customer
  5. Mandate becomes available for future payments
When are Mandates Created?
  • First SEPA payment for subscription
  • SEPA invoice payment
  • SEPA order payment in shop
  • Manual SEPA setup (via Mollie dashboard)

​
Viewing Active Mandates

For Business Owners: Navigate to Settings → Payment Providers → Mollie → Mandates View all mandates including:
  • Customer name and email
  • Mandate ID
  • Bank account (masked)
  • Status and creation date
  • Linked subscriptions/invoices
For Customers: Mandates appear automatically when viewing unpaid invoices in the customer portal. No separate mandate management page needed.

​
Technical Details

​
System Architecture

Key Components:
  • ShopCustomerInvoiceDetail Component: Livewire component handling UI and payment processing
  • MollieService: Handles API communication with Mollie
  • Mandate Loading: Fetches active mandates via Mollie API
  • Payment Creation: Creates payments using mandate ID
  • Duplicate Prevention: Ensures no concurrent payments for same invoice

​
Payment Processing Flow

​
API Integration

PayRequest integrates with Mollie’s Customers API to manage mandates: Endpoints Used:
  • GET /v2/customers/{customerId}/mandates - Fetch customer mandates
  • POST /v2/payments - Create payment with mandate ID
  • GET /v2/mandates/{mandateId} - Verify mandate status
Authentication:
  • OAuth 2.0 access tokens (auto-refreshed)
  • API keys stored encrypted in database
  • Per-business provider credentials

​
Security Features

Duplicate Prevention

  • Prevents multiple simultaneous payments
  • Checks invoice payment status before creating payment
  • Validates mandate belongs to customer
  • Ensures mandate is active and valid

Error Handling

  • Comprehensive error catching
  • User-friendly error messages
  • Automatic retry suggestions
  • Logs all failed attempts

Audit Trail

  • All payments logged in transactions table
  • Activity log tracks payment attempts
  • Mandate usage tracked per invoice
  • Full transaction history maintained

Data Privacy

  • Bank account numbers masked in UI
  • Mandate IDs encrypted in database
  • GDPR-compliant data handling
  • Secure communication with Mollie

​
Use Cases

​
1. Recurring Service Providers

Scenario: Monthly consulting services with variable amounts Benefit:
  • Customers pay new invoices with one click
  • No need to re-enter bank details each month
  • Faster payment processing
  • Reduced payment failures
Example: 
Business: Web Development Agency
Customer: SaaS Startup
Invoice: €2,500 for March development work
Payment: Customer uses saved mandate from previous month
Result: Payment processed same day

​
2. Subscription Businesses

Scenario: Annual subscriptions with add-on purchases Benefit:
  • Main subscription uses mandate automatically
  • Add-on invoices can reuse same mandate
  • Consistent payment method across all charges
  • Higher payment success rate
Example: 
Business: SaaS Platform (€20/month)
Customer: Small Business
Invoice: €50 for additional user licenses
Payment: Uses subscription mandate
Result: Instant payment confirmation

​
3. Service Businesses with Deposits

Scenario: Project-based work with upfront deposits Benefit:
  • Initial deposit creates mandate
  • Final invoice uses same mandate
  • No payment friction at project completion
  • Professional client experience
Example: 
Business: Design Studio
Customer: E-commerce Company
Invoice 1: €1,000 deposit (creates mandate)
Invoice 2: €4,000 final payment (uses saved mandate)
Result: Smooth payment experience

​
Troubleshooting

​
Customer Can’t See Saved Payment Methods

Possible Causes:
  1. No Active Mandates
    • Customer has never paid via SEPA
    • Previous mandates expired or canceled
    • Mandates belong to different Mollie customer
  2. Wrong Customer Account
    • Customer logged into wrong portal
    • Email mismatch between PayRequest and Mollie
    • Multiple customer accounts exist
  3. Mollie Connection Issue
    • Mollie provider inactive
    • OAuth token expired (auto-refresh failed)
    • API credentials invalid
Solutions:
  1. Log into Mollie dashboard
  2. Navigate to Customers
  3. Search for customer email
  4. Check Mandates tab
  5. Verify status is “Valid”
  1. Go to Settings → Payment Providers → Mollie
  2. Ensure “Sync Customers” is enabled
  3. Click “Test Connection” to verify
  4. Check customer record in PayRequest dashboard
  5. Verify mollie_customer_id field is populated
  1. Navigate to Settings → App Store → Mollie
  2. Click “Test Connection”
  3. If failed, click “Reconnect”
  4. Complete OAuth flow
  5. Retry payment

​
Payment Fails with Saved Mandate

Common Error Messages: “Mandate is no longer valid”
  • Mandate expired or revoked by bank
  • Customer needs to create new mandate
  • Solution: Pay with new payment method
“Insufficient funds”
  • Customer’s bank account balance too low
  • SEPA direct debit declined by bank
  • Solution: Customer should check bank account
“Payment already exists for this invoice”
  • Duplicate payment attempted
  • System prevented double-charging
  • Solution: Refresh page, check invoice status
“Unable to create payment”
  • Mollie API error or timeout
  • Temporary service disruption
  • Solution: Wait 5 minutes and retry

​
Mandate Shows as “Pending”

What it means:
  • Bank hasn’t confirmed authorization yet
  • Usually takes 1-3 business days
  • Customer can use mandate after confirmation
Next steps:
  • Wait for bank verification
  • Use alternative payment method meanwhile
  • Check Mollie dashboard for status updates
Never manually mark invoices as paid while using saved payment methods. Always wait for Mollie webhook confirmation to ensure payment actually succeeded.

​
Best Practices

​
For Business Owners

Enable Customer Sync

Turn on Mollie customer sync to automatically link customers between PayRequest and Mollie. This ensures mandates appear correctly.

Test Before Going Live

Use Mollie test mode to verify saved payment methods work correctly before processing real payments.

Monitor Mandate Health

Regularly check mandate statuses in Mollie dashboard. Replace expired mandates before they cause payment failures.

Educate Customers

Inform customers about saved payment methods in onboarding emails. Explain the convenience and security benefits.

​
For Customers

  • Keep bank details current: Update mandate if you change banks
  • Monitor email notifications: Check for payment confirmations
  • Contact business if issues: Don’t repeatedly retry failed payments
  • Understand processing time: SEPA payments take 1-3 business days

​
Security & Compliance

​
SEPA Regulations

PayRequest complies with SEPA mandate regulations:
  • ✅ Pre-notification: Customers receive advance notice of charges
  • ✅ Mandate Reference: Unique ID for each authorization
  • ✅ Revocation Rights: Customers can cancel mandates anytime
  • ✅ Dispute Process: SEPA chargeback rights preserved

​
Data Protection

Encrypted Storage:
  • Mandate IDs encrypted at rest (AES-256)
  • Bank account numbers masked in all interfaces
  • API credentials stored encrypted
Access Control:
  • Only customer can use their own mandates
  • Business owners see aggregated data only
  • Multi-tenant isolation enforced
Audit Logging:
  • All payment attempts logged
  • Mandate usage tracked
  • Failed payments recorded with reasons

​
PCI Compliance

PayRequest never stores sensitive bank account details:
  • Bank data stays with Mollie (PCI-DSS Level 1 certified)
  • Only mandate IDs stored in PayRequest
  • No direct access to customer bank accounts
  • All payment processing handled by Mollie
By using Mollie mandates, PayRequest maintains PCI compliance without needing to store sensitive payment information.

​
Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Subscriptions automatically create and use mandates for recurring payments. The same mandate can be used for both subscription charges and one-off invoice payments.
The mandate will no longer appear in saved payment methods. The customer will need to create a new mandate by making a new SEPA payment, or use a different payment method.
SEPA mandates remain valid indefinitely unless:
  • Customer revokes the mandate
  • Bank account is closed
  • 36 months pass without any payments (dormancy)
  • Business manually cancels the mandate
No. Mandates must be created through the standard SEPA Direct Debit payment flow via Mollie. This ensures proper authorization and compliance with SEPA regulations.
Currently, only SEPA Direct Debit mandates support saved payment methods. Credit cards, iDEAL, and other payment methods do not offer saved credentials in the same way.
Yes! Customers can have multiple mandates (e.g., personal and business bank accounts). They can choose which mandate to use for each payment.
Subscriptions are recurring payments that automatically charge on schedule. Saved mandates allow one-click manual payments on individual invoices. Both use SEPA mandates but serve different purposes.

SEPA Mandates

Learn more about mandate management

Mollie Integration

Set up Mollie for your business

Customer Portal

Configure customer portal settings

Invoice Payments

Create and manage invoices

Subscriptions

Set up recurring billing

App Store

Manage payment provider integrations
Need Help? If you’re experiencing issues with saved payment methods, contact support@payrequest.io with the invoice ID and customer email for assistance.
⌘I