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Setup Intents API

Learn how to use the Setup Intents API to integrate a unified API for saving payment methods for future payments.

All payment methods that support setup intents require customer consent. Setup intents allow your customer to select which payment method to save, and they must complete authentication to save it. Every payment method has different authentication measures. For example, cards require completing a 3DS authentication, GCash and Maya require giving consent by logging in and confirming through a mobile app.

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As of this writing, the current support payment methods are GCash and Maya. Credit/debit card support is currently being developed and will be available soon.

The Setup Intents API is in closed beta release. If you are interested in joining this program, please get in touch with helloworld@payrex.com or reach out to chat support.

Use cases for saving and using payment methods for future use:

  • A ride-hailing app that collects payment method details before the customer books a ride and charges the card after the rental period ends.
  • A weekly meal delivery business that charges its customers every week.
  • A SaaS company that charges a customer on a monthly or yearly basis.

As the business, you are responsible for your compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and network rules when saving a customer's payment method.

Add your terms and conditions to your website or app that explain how you plan to process payments, and let customers opt in. Ensure that your terms cover the following:

  • The customer's permission to initiate a payment or a series of payments on their behalf
  • The expected frequency of payments, e.g., one-time or recurring.
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You must explicitly obtain the customer's consent for this specific use. For example, include a "Save my payment method for future use" checkbox to collect consent. Your PayRex account will be restricted if you violate any terms and conditions.

Types of future payments​

on_session payments​

Future on_session payments are payments in which the customer must be present on a checkout page while completing a payment using a saved payment method. Another term we might use throughout the PayRex documentation is customer-initiated transactions (CIT).

The use case for on_session payments is when a business provides a vaulting payment feature with user management that lets customers save a list of payment methods, to complete payments faster during checkout.

off_session payments​

Future off_session payments are payments made when the customer is not present on the checkout page while completing a payment using a saved payment method. Usually, the merchant triggers the payment on behalf of the customer. This type of payment is also called merchant-initiated transactions (MIT).

Off_session payments are usually recurring payments in which a customer is charged at an interval, e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Customer resource​

A customer resource is required to store a customer's list of saved payment methods. While a saved payment method is represented by a Payment Method resource, a customer resource must be associated with it so you can list a customer's saved payment methods. To learn more about the customer resource, you can check this guide.