Payment Methods for Subscriptions

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Overview

Every subscription in PayRequest can be billed in one of two ways: automatically via a payment mandate (SEPA Direct Debit or credit card), or manually by sending invoices that the customer pays via bank transfer. You can switch between these methods at any time from the subscription detail page.

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Payment Method Options

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Viewing the Current Payment Method

On each subscription detail page, you’ll see the current payment method displayed:

• Mandate assigned: Shows the mandate reference (e.g., mdt_jLqzL4cB6H), payment type (Credit Card, SEPA), and status (Valid)
• Manual Payment: Shows a blue “Manual Payment (Bank Transfer)” label
• No payment method: Shows a red “No mandate assigned” warning

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Switching Payment Methods

You can switch between automatic and manual payment at any time.

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Step 1: Open Payment Method Settings

Go to Subscriptions → click on the subscription → click Change next to the payment method display. This opens the Manage Payment Method modal.

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Step 2: Choose Payment Type

At the top of the modal, you’ll see two options:

• Automatic Payment — Charge customer automatically via SEPA or credit card mandate
• Manual Payment — Send invoice each period for customer to pay via bank transfer

Select the option you want.

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Step 3: Configure

If switching to Automatic Payment:

1. Select a mandate from the dropdown list
2. Only valid mandates for this customer are shown
3. Review the mandate details (method, status, signature date)
4. Click Save Payment Method

If switching to Manual Payment:

1. No additional configuration needed
2. Review the info box confirming how manual billing works
3. Click Save Payment Method

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Step 4: Confirm

After saving, the subscription detail page updates to reflect the new payment method. An activity log entry is created to track the change.

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How Each Method Affects Billing

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Automatic Payment Billing

When a subscription with a mandate reaches its billing date:

1. PayRequest creates a payment via Mollie using the linked mandate
2. The customer’s bank account or credit card is charged automatically
3. A transaction is recorded and the invoice is marked as paid
4. Next billing date is calculated based on the interval

No action required from you or the customer.

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Manual Payment Billing

When a subscription without a mandate reaches its billing date:

1. PayRequest generates an invoice for the billing period
2. The invoice is emailed to the customer with a payment link
3. The customer pays via bank transfer, iDEAL, or other available method
4. Once payment is received, the invoice is marked as paid
5. Next billing date is calculated based on the interval

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When to Use Each Method

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Use Automatic Payment When:

• Customer has authorized a SEPA mandate or saved a credit card
• You want hands-off billing with no manual follow-up
• Payment reliability is important (e.g., monthly SaaS)
• Customer prefers not to pay manually each month

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Use Manual Payment When:

• Customer prefers paying via bank transfer
• No mandate is available and customer doesn’t want to authorize one
• Large B2B invoices that require internal approval before payment
• Customer wants to review each invoice before paying
• You’re using the Allow Manual Payment (Bank Transfer) product setting

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Manual Payment on Invoices

When you manually mark an invoice as paid (for example, after receiving a bank transfer), PayRequest now automatically:

1. Updates the invoice status to paid
2. Updates the linked order status to completed (if applicable)
3. Creates a subscription for recurring products in the order
4. The subscription is set to active if the product allows manual payment, or pending mandate if automatic payment is expected

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Managing Payment Methods in Bulk

If you need to switch multiple subscriptions to the same payment method:

1. Go to each subscription’s detail page
2. Click Change next to the payment method
3. Select the desired method and save

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Common Scenarios

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Customer Lost Their Mandate

What happened: The customer’s bank revoked their mandate, or their card expired. Solution:

1. Open the subscription → Change payment method
2. Switch to Manual Payment temporarily
3. Send the customer a new mandate request
4. Once they authorize a new mandate, switch back to Automatic Payment

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Moving from Manual to Automatic

What happened: A customer who was paying manually now wants automatic payments. Solution:

1. Ensure the customer has a valid mandate (check the mandate dropdown in the modal)
2. If no mandate exists, send a mandate request from the customer profile
3. Once the mandate is valid, open the subscription → Change → select Automatic Payment → choose the mandate

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Customer Wants Bank Transfer Instead

What happened: A customer with an active mandate prefers to pay manually. Solution:

1. Open the subscription → Change payment method
2. Select Manual Payment
3. Save — the mandate stays on file but won’t be charged for this subscription

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Best Practices

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✅ Do’s

• Start with automatic payments when possible — it reduces admin work
• Switch to manual if a customer consistently has payment failures
• Monitor manual payment subscriptions — follow up on unpaid invoices
• Keep mandates on file even when using manual payment — easy to switch back

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❌ Don’ts

• Don’t leave subscriptions without any payment method — either assign a mandate or use manual payment
• Don’t forget to check invoice status for manual payment subscriptions
• Don’t switch payment methods right before a billing date — wait until after billing completes

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Related Documentation