x

Is there a way to use Square's API for recurring payments?

The title of this thread has been edited from the original: Recurring payment API

Hi
I want to integrate SquareUp recurring payment to my website where I sell the subscriptions. Can you guys help me out how can i achieve it? I can't find any specific api where i can setup recurring invoices and charge automatically using card on the file (saved card).
There is topic in documentation but that is not much help.
https://docs.connect.squareup.com/articles/processing-recurring-payments-ruby?q=recurring

Here they have asked to:

  1. Create customer
  2. Then save card on file (using nounce)
  3. Then charge

This is fine for one time payment but what about monthly subscription? How can we charge automatically and who will keep track of time interval (Monthly or yearly subscription)?


Thanks

15,278 Views
Message 1 of 30
Report
1 Best Answer
Admin

Best Answer

Hello @theamericanfp. At the moment, automatic recurring payments are not available for Square's API.

 

The API team shared the following workaround: you could initiate manually recurring payments with Card on File. To get started: 

  1. You will need to embed Square's payment form in your website.
  2. When your customer submits their payment information, if the information is valid, you will receive a number – which you can use to create payments (card nonce).
  3. Create a Customer with the CreateCustomer endpoint.
  4. Next, you'll create a CustomerCard with the card nonce using the CreateCustomerCard endpoint.

Once you finish, you can charge the customer at a future date using this CustomerCard number.

 

There's more information about setting up manually recurring payments in this Developer Doc. Or you could take a look at the Invoicing and Services Partnerships which might help! 

️ Helen
Seller Community Manager

Did you find help in the Seller Community? Mark a Best Answer to help others.

View Best Answer >

14,757 Views
Message 7 of 30
Report
29 REPLIES 29
Admin

Sorry to keep you waiting @pankajsharma!


I checked in with our API team about this, and they confirmed that there isn't an API for recurring payments at this time. I'm sorry that the docs weren't useful—I've shared that feedback with our team!

 

In the meantime, if you haven't already, check out Stack Overflow. It's a great resource for developers working with Square's APIs.

️ Helen
Seller Community Manager

Did you find help in the Seller Community? Mark a Best Answer to help others.
14,099 Views
Message 2 of 30
Report

Any progress with this? I'd really like to use Square (through my weebly website) to create product subscriptions with automatic recurring payments (one 12 month or less cycles).

14,015 Views
Message 3 of 30
Report

I am also interested in this feature. Has there been any progress or plan to implement this?

13,813 Views
Message 4 of 30
Report
Alumni

Hi @kbuilds - No updates to share at this time, but we'll update this thread should we learn of any!

13,808 Views
Message 5 of 30
Report

This reply was created from merging an existing thread: Is there a way to set up a reoccurring payment plugin like you do on the app on to your website?

 

Is there a way to set up a reoccurring payment plugin like you do on the app on to your website?

13,646 Views
Message 6 of 30
Report
Admin

Best Answer

Hello @theamericanfp. At the moment, automatic recurring payments are not available for Square's API.

 

The API team shared the following workaround: you could initiate manually recurring payments with Card on File. To get started: 

  1. You will need to embed Square's payment form in your website.
  2. When your customer submits their payment information, if the information is valid, you will receive a number – which you can use to create payments (card nonce).
  3. Create a Customer with the CreateCustomer endpoint.
  4. Next, you'll create a CustomerCard with the card nonce using the CreateCustomerCard endpoint.

Once you finish, you can charge the customer at a future date using this CustomerCard number.

 

There's more information about setting up manually recurring payments in this Developer Doc. Or you could take a look at the Invoicing and Services Partnerships which might help! 

️ Helen
Seller Community Manager

Did you find help in the Seller Community? Mark a Best Answer to help others.
14,758 Views
Message 7 of 30
Report
Beta Member

I also would like to be able to set up recurring charges at checkout for a coffee subscription service we offer.  We use recurring invoicing but we have to email an invoice and instruct the customer to save card to file.  We need am option that allows customers to sign up for the subscription online.

11,318 Views
Message 8 of 30
Report
Alumni

Thank you for adding your unique use-case to the conversation here, @FTGenesis ️ Solid and detailed examples like this are exactly what our teams look for when considering which features to build out! Keep your eyes here for updates from our team.

Valentina
Community Moderator, Square
Sign in and click Mark as Best Answer if my reply answers your question.
11,285 Views
Message 9 of 30
Report

Any new update one this? I'd really like to continue to use square as I expand my business, but I need this feature to do so.
12,893 Views
Message 10 of 30
Report
Admin

I don't have an update @vizisocial but thank you for letting us know it's important to the growth of your business. We'll post here if this available in future.

️ Helen
Seller Community Manager

Did you find help in the Seller Community? Mark a Best Answer to help others.
10,083 Views
Message 11 of 30
Report

Is there still not an option for recurring payments via API?

 

I see a WP plugin with WOOCommerce. Will this work? Can you check with your API team?

 

https://wpexperts.io/products/square-recurring-payments-woocommerce-subscriptions/

9,880 Views
Message 12 of 30
Report

@vizisocial I ended up having to drop Square for Stripe. I took a look at your site, and I think that Stripe would do exactly what you need.

 

k at obuilds dot com, if you need any assistance.

9,087 Views
Message 13 of 30
Report

Does anyone know which shopping cart or API integration syncs best with recurring or subscription payments or having the option to "save card on file"? I am interested in selling memberships on a website.

 

Using Square, it is easy to setup a subscription and tie it to an item (product). Is there an shopping cart that will use an "existing" item from Square....or do you have to create a new item (product) in the shopping cart?

 

I want to avoid having duplicate products that are the same. I read in some forums that the sync process isn't as smooth and am wondering if that is true.

 

I know Square has options for Shopify, Big Commerce, WooCommerce, etc. Does anyone have experience with recurring options?

 

It looks like Stripe and PayPal has great options for recurring or "save card on file". Just haven't seen much out there regarding Square. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

8,982 Views
Message 14 of 30
Report
Admin

Hey @gtb! I moved your question over to this thread so you can check out @ Helen's answer above which should help! But let me know if you have other questions!

Bea_
Beta Community Manager, Square
Join the Beta Community
Evaluate | Influence | Engage
8,943 Views
Message 15 of 30
Report
Beta Member

Please add me to the list of people looking for a recurring payments via API ! We're a non-profit charitable organization, and need to give our online donors the option of setting up automatic monthly donations.

Currently, we are doing this online through our PayPal Payflow gateway, but want to switch as much as possible over to Square.

8,727 Views
Message 16 of 30
Report
Admin

Hey @StThereseInst!

 

Thanks for bringing attention to this thread. It's noted that you're still looking for an API that integrates with Square to charge your donors on a monthly basis. 

 

Have you considered using our Square Reoccurring Invoices feature

 

Feel free to reply in this thread! 

️ Isabelle | she/her
Seller Community & Super Seller Program Manager | Square, Inc.
Learn about the Super Seller program!
8,697 Views
Message 17 of 30
Report

Hi, please add me to the list also. I need a simple subscription feature on my weebly meal plan website. If it’s not going to happen please let us all know so we can move to stripe or other.

8,538 Views
Message 18 of 30
Report
Beta Member

@isabelle -- Thanks for noting our request. We've thought of using the invoice feature, but that would still require manual implementation on our end instead of our donors simply being able to create a recurring payment from our website's donation page.
PayPal PayFlow gives us this option, but it would be most economical for us if we were able to do everything through Square and cancel our PayFlow account (which we have to pay both monthly fees and transaction fees on; this also means that currently our over-worked bookkeeper has to reconcile multiple accounts).

Basically, we want to give Square *more* of our business, but need your help in doing so! 🙂

8,471 Views
Message 19 of 30
Report
Beta Member

@isabelle -- Square could essentially duplicate the existing Invoice infrastructure, call it something like "recurring payments" or "subscriptions", and give the API the power to creating new recurring items. I realize that it's probably one of those "it's not quite that easy" suggestions...

I think there would have to be additional features added however. Maybe some of this is already in-place within Invoicing (I haven't really played with Invoicing yet, so admittedly I don't know if it is already supported or not).

• Ideally, it would be good to see an user option for setting the recurring frequency too (eg. weekly, monthly (on a user-selected day of the month) or annually). There should be a merchant-level toggle to allow either the user to select a frequency (better for donations), or for the merchant to define the frequency (better for subscriptions).  

• Providing the customer with an (optional) email on each recurrence would be nice, as would the ability for the customer to cancel their subscription via a link in said email. User-selectable cancelling would require some sort of call-back to be sent to the vendor's website so that their donor/subscriber databases could be updated.

8,467 Views
Message 20 of 30
Report
Admin

Hey @StThereseInst-

 

Thanks for your thoughtful comment, and adding more detail to what you'd like to see in the future from Square Invoices. 

 

I wish we had an integrated app that I could suggest as an alternative to Square Invoices to meet your needs. If and when we have added these features to Square Invoices, or have a suggested integrated app, we will certainly post in this thread. Thanks again. 

 

 

 

️ Isabelle | she/her
Seller Community & Super Seller Program Manager | Square, Inc.
Learn about the Super Seller program!
8,108 Views
Message 21 of 30
Report