Guides

	Subscriptions	Instalments	Variable Recurring Payments	Instant Bank Pay + Direct Debit
Mandate required	Yes	Yes	Yes (consent)	Yes
Customer authorisation	Once	Once	Once (with agreed limits and frequency)	Once
Payment amounts	Fixed (per subscription)	Fixed per instalment, can vary across schedule	Variable within agreed constraints	First payment fixed; subsequent payments flexible
Payment schedule	Merchant-defined recurring (weekly, monthly, yearly)	Merchant-defined schedule with a defined end	Flexible - merchant triggers payments as needed	Flexible after first payment
Confirmation speed	2-x business days	2-x business days	Seconds	First payment: minutes; subsequent: 2-x business days
Chargeback risk	Yes	Yes	None	First payment: none; subsequent: yes
Missed payment retries	Yes (with Success+)	Yes (with Success+)	Yes	Subsequent payments: yes
Best for	SaaS, memberships, gym fees, insurance	Payment plans, tuition, professional services	Usage-based regulated billing and utilities, financial services, government services	Subscription services needing immediate, initial payment
Availability	All schemes	All schemes	GBP only	GBP and EUR

Need to change the amount?  If the amount varies between cycles, use one-off payments instead and control each charge individually. Alternatively, you can cancel and recreate a subscription with a new amount.

Only taking payments for a defined period?  If the amount doesn’t vary and you wish to only take a certain number of payments, use instalments instead.

How it works

The customer sets up a mandate via your chosen integration
You create a payment against the mandate via the API
GoCardless collects the payment (typically 2-5 business days)
You receive a webhook confirming the payment status
Funds are included in your next payout

Frequency options: Weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom intervals.

Step-by-step guide

curl -X POST https://api.gocardless.com/billing_requests \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "billing_requests": {
      "mandate_request": {
        "scheme": "bacs"
      }
    }
  }'

Response:

{
  "billing_requests": {
    "id": "BRQ000123",
    "status": "pending",
    "mandate_request": {
      "currency": "GBP",
      "scheme": "bacs"
    }
  }
}

Once fulfilled, retrieve both mandate ID and payment ID from the billing request:

curl https://api.gocardless.com/billing_requests/BRQ000123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Response:

{
  "billing_requests": {
    "id": "BRQ000123",
    "status": "fulfilled",
    "mandate_request": {
      "scheme": "bacs",
      "links": {
        "mandate": "MD123"
      }
    }
  }
}

Listen for webhooks to confirm the payment status:

Event	Meaning
billing_request_fulfilled	Customer authorised the mandate
mandates_created	Mandate created and ready to use
mandates_active	Mandate active

Once the mandate is active, set up recurring payments against it:

curl -X POST https://api.gocardless.com/subscriptions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "subscriptions": {
      "amount": 5000,
      "currency": "GBP",
      "name": "Monthly subscription",
      "interval_unit": "monthly",
      "interval": 1,
      "start_date": "2024-11-01",
      "links": {
        "mandate": "MD123"
      }
    }
  }'

Response:

{
  "subscriptions": {
    "id": "SB123",
    "status": "active",
    "amount": 2500,
    "currency": "GBP",
    "interval": 1,
    "interval_unit": "monthly",
    "start_date": "2024-11-01",
    "upcoming_payments": [
      { "charge_date": "2024-11-01", "amount": 2500 },
      { "charge_date": "2024-12-01", "amount": 2500 }
    ],
    "links": {
      "mandate": "MD123"
    }
  }
}

Listen for webhooks to confirm the mandate status and notifications about future payments:

Event	Meaning
subscriptions_created	Subscription set up successfully
subscriptions_payment_created	A scheduled payment was created
payments_confirmed	Recurring payment collected successfully
payments_failed	Recurring payment failed
subscriptions_finished	All payments collected (if count was set)
subscriptions_cancelled	Subscription cancelled

You can also cancel the subscription:

curl -X POST https://api.gocardless.com/subscriptions/SB123/actions/cancel \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Or pause the subscription:

curl -X POST https://api.gocardless.com/subscriptions/SB123/actions/pause \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "data": { "pause_cycles": 3 } }'

And resume the subscription:

curl -X POST https://api.gocardless.com/subscriptions/SB123/actions/resume \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Need help?

Connect as a partner

Guides

Subscriptions

What are Subscriptions?

Comparison between other recurring payment options

How it works

Step-by-step guide

Create a billing request

Confirm the mandate

Handle the outcome

Handle the subscription

Manage the subscription