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Subscriptions Quickstart

Learn how to create subscriptions quickly using the Finix Dashboard or using the Finix API.

Subscriptions allow you to charge a fixed amount to card or bank account on a recurring time period. You can use Subscriptions to charge buyers, customers, and more.

Example use cases for Subscriptions:

  • Charging buyers a recurring monthly fee to access a gym or health club
  • Charging buyers an annual membership fee for services or goods rendered
  • Charging merchants a monthly or annual fee for using your software
Pricing

This product requires an additional fee. Please get in touch with your Finix Point of Contact for pricing on this feature.

Creating a Subscription on the Finix Dashboard

You can create a Subscription in the Finix Dashboard without any development work. Using the Finix Dashboard, you can:

  • Create subscriptions from existing buyers and payment instruments
  • View the existing Subscriptions
  • Cancel a Subscription if a buyer or customer chooses to end their goods or services

Step 1: Navigate to Subscriptions

To create a Subscription in the Finix Dashboard:

  1. Log into the Finix Dashboard.
  2. Click Subscriptions.

Subscriptions List Page

  1. Click Create Subscription

Subscriptions List Page

  1. Fill out the form with the requested details.

Step 2. Create a Subscription

When you click on Create Subscription, a form will appear with the following options:

Billing Settings

This section specifies how you want to bill your buyers.

  • Subscription Name
  • Billing Frequency
  • Recurring Price

Create Subscriptions

Trial Phase

You can enter a trial phase if your Subscription requires a set number of days before charging the buyer. For example, a 30-day trial, 3-month trial, or other combinations are possible.

Discount Phase

You can enter a discount phase if you would like to have a discounted rate for a set of amount of intervals. These take place after the Trial Phase is completed.

Start Date

You can specify a start date for the subscription in the future. This can be useful if you would like all your subscriptions to start on the same day.

Interval Length

If you want to create a Subscription for a set amount of time, you can specify an interval length. For example, if you have a monthly subscription, you can specify an interval length of 6 and the subscription will bill for 6 months.

Select Buyer

When you create a Subscription, you'll need to:

  1. Select a buyer you want to charge. This can be either a buyer, seller, or recipient identity.
  2. Select the payment instrument you want to bill.

Creating a Buyer and Payment Instrument

On the Create Subscription page, we allow you to create a buyer and a card payment instrument.

If you would like to add a bank account on this page, you will need to use our API. If you require an exception, email our support team.

Review and Create Subscriptions

After filling out the previous section, you can create the subscription.

Depending on whether there is a trial phase or not, the subscription will create a transfer shortly after creation. The initial transfer will be made within 60 minutes of the subscription creation.

Card Validation with $0 Authorization

When a subscription is created using a card-type payment instrument, Finix automatically performs a $0 Authorization to validate the card. This soft check confirms that the card is active and that the billing address and security code match the card issuer’s records (AVS and CVV checks).

By performing this check up front, Finix helps reduce failed payments and prevent fraudulent transactions — ensuring a smoother experience for both you and your customers.

Additional Details

Supported Payment Methods

Subscriptions currently support:

  • Recurring Card payments
  • Recurring Bank account payments (ACH in USA and EFTs in Canada)

For more details about ACH payments, see ACH Direct Debit.

Supported Time Periods

Finix supports the following time periods for Subscriptions:

  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Yearly

When creating a Subscription, you can specify the billing_frequency.

Creating a Subscription via API

To create a Subscription, include:

  • The ID of the Merchant that the Subscription will be linked_to
  • The amount and currency of the Subscription
  • The subscription_details
  • The buyer_details including both the identity_id and instrument_id

At this time, only APPROVED Merchants with one of the following processors can create subscriptions:

  • DUMMY_V1
  • FINIX_V1

For detailed API information, please see our Subscriptions API Reference.

The following example shows how to create a basic subscription:

curl -i -X POST \
  -u USfdccsr1Z5iVbXDyYt7hjZZ:313636f3-fac2-45a7-bff7-a334b93e7bda \
  https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Finix-Version: 2022-02-01' \
  -d '{
    "amount": 19900,
    "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
    "buyer_details": {
      "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
      "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve"
    },
    "currency": "USD",
    "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
    "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
    "subscription_details": {
      "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY"
    }
  }'
Subscription
{
  "id": "subscription_cxe8cii53VTHqk5Q1SqP6",
  "created_at": "2026-02-17T18:36:16.36Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-02-17T18:36:16.36Z",
  "application_id": "APc9vhYcPsRuTSpKD9KpMtPe",
  "first_charge_at": "2026-02-17T18:36:16.00Z",
  "next_billing_date": {
    "year": 2026,
    "month": 2,
    "day": 17
  },
  "amount": 19900,
  "buyer_details": {
    "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
    "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve",
    "requested_delivery_methods": [],
    "shipping_address": null
  },
  "currency": "USD",
  "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
  "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
  "nickname": null,
  "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
  "subscription_details": {
    "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
    "send_invoice": false,
    "send_receipt": false,
    "trial_details": null,
    "discount_phase_details": null,
    "notification_preferences": {
      "send_confirmation": false
    }
  },
  "subscription_phase": "EVERGREEN",
  "state": "ACTIVE",
  "subscription_plan_id": null,
  "start_subscription_at": "2026-02-17T18:35:16.102Z",
  "total_billing_intervals": null,
  "expires_at": null,
  "canceled_via": null,
  "tags": {
    "order_number": "21DFASJSAKAS"
  },
  "subscription_link_id": null,
  "_links": {
    "self": {
      "href": "https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions/subscription_cxe8cii53VTHqk5Q1SqP6"
    }
  }
}

Trial Period

You can create a subscription with a trial period by providing trial_details in the request body.

For example, to include a trial period that lasts one month set trial_details.interval_type to MONTH and trial_details.interval_count to 1.

After creating a Subscription, a Transfer will occur after the trial period has elapsed. The first_charge_at property in the response determines when the Transfer will occur.

curl -i -X POST \
  -u USfdccsr1Z5iVbXDyYt7hjZZ:313636f3-fac2-45a7-bff7-a334b93e7bda \
  https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Finix-Version: 2022-02-01' \
  -d '{
    "amount": 19900,
    "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
    "buyer_details": {
      "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
      "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve"
    },
    "currency": "USD",
    "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
    "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
    "subscription_details": {
      "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
      "trial_details": {
        "interval_count": 1,
        "interval_type": "MONTH"
      }
    }
  }'
Subscription - Trial Period
{
  "id": "subscription_cxe8BQxFvyPu87w2b6Hfd",
  "created_at": "2026-02-17T18:41:49.25Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-02-17T18:41:49.25Z",
  "application_id": "APc9vhYcPsRuTSpKD9KpMtPe",
  "first_charge_at": "2026-03-17T18:41:49.00Z", 
  "next_billing_date": {
    "year": 2026,
    "month": 3,
    "day": 17
  },
  "amount": 19900,
  "buyer_details": {
    "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
    "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve",
    "requested_delivery_methods": [],
    "shipping_address": null
  },
  "currency": "USD",
  "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
  "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
  "nickname": null,
  "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
  "subscription_details": {
    "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
    "send_invoice": false,
    "send_receipt": false,
    "trial_details": {
      "interval_type": "MONTH",
      "interval_count": 1,
      "trial_started_at": "2026-02-17T18:40:48.98Z",
      "trial_expected_start_at": "2026-02-17T18:40:48.98Z",
      "trial_expected_end_at": "2026-03-20T05:09:54.98Z"
    },
    "discount_phase_details": null,
    "notification_preferences": {
      "send_confirmation": false
    }
  },
  "subscription_phase": "TRIAL", 
  "state": "ACTIVE",
  "subscription_plan_id": null,
  "start_subscription_at": "2026-02-17T18:40:48.984Z",
  "total_billing_intervals": null,
  "expires_at": null,
  "canceled_via": null,
  "tags": {},
  "subscription_link_id": null,
  "_links": {
    "self": {
      "href": "https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions/subscription_cxe8BQxFvyPu87w2b6Hfd"
    }
  }
}

Discount Period

To apply a discount period, include discount_phase_details in the request body.

For example, if the full subscription price is $20 per month, and you want to offer a discounted rate of $10 per month for three months, set discount_phase_details.amount to 1000 and discount_phase_details.billing_interval_count to 3.

After this discount period, the subscriber will be charged the full amount of the Subscription.

curl -i -X POST \
  -u USfdccsr1Z5iVbXDyYt7hjZZ:313636f3-fac2-45a7-bff7-a334b93e7bda \
  https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Finix-Version: 2022-02-01' \
  -d '{
    "amount": 2000,
    "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
    "buyer_details": {
      "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
      "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve"
    },
    "currency": "USD",
    "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
    "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
    "subscription_details": {
      "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
      "discount_phase_details": {
        "amount": 1000,
        "billing_interval_count": 3
      }
    }
  }'
Subscription - Discount Phase
{
  "id": "subscription_cxe8oDnBbKKDGMQQaWZca",
  "created_at": "2026-02-17T18:38:50.28Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-02-17T18:38:50.28Z",
  "application_id": "APc9vhYcPsRuTSpKD9KpMtPe",
  "first_charge_at": "2026-02-17T18:38:50.00Z",
  "next_billing_date": {
    "year": 2026,
    "month": 2,
    "day": 17
  },
  "amount": 2000,
  "buyer_details": {
    "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
    "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve",
    "requested_delivery_methods": [],
    "shipping_address": null
  },
  "currency": "USD",
  "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
  "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
  "nickname": "Finflix Gold Package",
  "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
  "subscription_details": {
    "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
    "send_invoice": false,
    "send_receipt": false,
    "trial_details": null,
    "discount_phase_details": {
      "amount": 1000,
      "billing_interval_count": 3,
      "discount_phase_started_at": "2026-02-17T18:37:50.01Z",
      "discount_phase_expected_start_at": "2026-02-17T18:37:50.01Z",
      "discount_phase_expected_end_at": "2026-05-17T18:37:50.01Z"
    },
    "notification_preferences": {
      "send_confirmation": false
    }
  },
  "subscription_phase": "DISCOUNT", 
  "state": "ACTIVE",
  "subscription_plan_id": null,
  "start_subscription_at": "2026-02-17T18:37:50.010Z",
  "total_billing_intervals": null,
  "expires_at": null,
  "canceled_via": null,
  "tags": {},
  "subscription_link_id": null,
  "_links": {
    "self": {
      "href": "https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions/subscription_cxe8oDnBbKKDGMQQaWZca"
    }
  }
}

Start Date

Finix allows you to specify a start date for subscriptions. The start_subscription_at field takes an ISO8601 formatted timestamp to start the subscription. The timestamp must be in the future.

curl -i -X POST \
  -u USfdccsr1Z5iVbXDyYt7hjZZ:313636f3-fac2-45a7-bff7-a334b93e7bda \
  https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Finix-Version: 2022-02-01' \
  -d '{
    "amount": 10000,
    "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
    "buyer_details": {
      "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
      "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve"
    },
    "currency": "USD",
    "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
    "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
    "start_subscription_at": "2026-08-15T22:42:05.490Z",
    "subscription_details": {
      "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY"
    }
  }'
Subscription - Future Start Date
{
  "id": "subscription_czjv1q7i5sjG4q61tDVz8",
  "created_at": "2026-04-22T21:14:12.33Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-04-22T21:14:12.33Z",
  "amount": 10000,
  "application_id": "APc9vhYcPsRuTSpKD9KpMtPe",
  "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
  "buyer_details": {
    "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
    "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve",
    "requested_delivery_methods": [],
    "shipping_address": null
  },
  "canceled_via": null,
  "currency": "USD",
  "expires_at": null,
  "first_charge_at": "2026-08-15T22:42:05.49Z",
  "has_usage_based_plan": false,
  "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
  "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
  "next_billing_date": {
    "year": 2026,
    "month": 8,
    "day": 15
  },
  "nickname": "Monthly Cheese Delivery Club",
  "start_subscription_at": "2026-08-15T22:42:05.490Z", 
  "state": "NOT_STARTED",
  "subscription_details": {
    "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
    "send_invoice": false,
    "send_receipt": false,
    "trial_details": null,
    "discount_phase_details": null,
    "notification_preferences": {
      "send_confirmation": false
    }
  },
  "subscription_link_id": null,
  "subscription_phase": "NONE",
  "subscription_plan_id": null,
  "tags": {},
  "total_billing_intervals": null,
  "_links": {
    "self": {
      "href": "https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions/subscription_czjv1q7i5sjG4q61tDVz8"
    }
  }
}

Billing Cycle Day

By default, a subscription bills on the day the subscription starts. For example, a monthly subscription that starts on March 15 bills on the 15th of every month.

To bill on a different day of the month, include billing_cycle_day in the request body. This field sets the day of the month the buyer is charged, no matter what day the subscription starts. The value must be a whole number between 1 and 31.

You can set a billing cycle day for the following billing_interval values:

  • MONTHLY
  • BIMONTHLY
  • QUARTERLY
  • SEMIYEARLY
  • YEARLY
  • BIYEARLY
  • TRIYEARLY

DAILY, WEEKLY, and BIWEEKLY subscriptions do not support a billing cycle day.

End of Month Handling

If a month does not include the day you selected, Finix charges the buyer on the last day of that month instead. For example, a subscription with a billing_cycle_day of 31 bills on April 30, then on May 31.

Proration Period

If a subscription starts on a day that does not match the billing_cycle_day, Finix prorates the first invoice so the buyer only pays for the days between the start date and the first billing cycle day. This partial period is called the proration period. After the proration period, the buyer is charged the full amount on the billing cycle day.

Example 1 - Proration period

A monthly subscription is created on March 15 with a billing_cycle_day of 1:

  • The buyer is charged a prorated amount for the proration period, March 15 to April 1.
  • Starting April 1, the buyer is charged the full amount on the 1st of every month.

Proration period for a subscription created on March 15 with a billing cycle day of 1

Example 2 - Proration period with 7-day free trial

The same subscription with a 7-day free trial added:

  • The trial runs from March 15 to March 22.
  • The buyer is charged a prorated amount for the proration period, March 22 to April 1.
  • Starting April 1, the buyer is charged the full amount on the 1st of every month.

Proration period for a subscription created on March 15 with a 7-day trial

Proration Formula

Finix calculates the prorated amount as follows:

prorated amount = (days in proration period / days in month) × amount of period

To visualize this, the following examples all use a subscription created on March 15:

Subscription Createdbilling_cycle_dayProration PeriodBilling StartsDays in Month
March 15117 days (March 15 to April 1)April 131 days (March 1 to April 1)
March 15205 days (March 15 to March 20)March 2028 days (February 20 to March 20)
March 153116 days (March 15 to March 31)March 3131 days (February 28 to March 31)

In the last row, one month before March 31 would be February 31. That date does not exist, so Finix uses the last day of February instead.

As a full example: a $20.00 monthly subscription created on March 15 with a billing_cycle_day of 1 results in a prorated first charge of (17 / 31) × $20.00 = $10.97.

Updating the Billing Cycle Day

You can change the billing_cycle_day of an existing subscription. When you do:

  • Invoices that have already been issued do not change.
  • The current billing period still completes at the full amount.
  • On the next billing date, the buyer is charged a prorated amount that bridges the gap from the old billing cycle day to the new one. Full billing then resumes on the new billing cycle day.

For example, a monthly subscription is created on March 15, and the buyer is charged the full amount for March 15 to April 15. On April 12, you change the billing_cycle_day to 1:

  1. On April 15 (the next billing date), the buyer is charged a prorated amount covering April 15 to May 1.
  2. Starting May 1, the buyer is charged the full amount on the 1st of every month.

Update Billing Cycle Day

API Request Example:


curl -i -X PUT \
  -u USfdccsr1Z5iVbXDyYt7hjZZ:313636f3-fac2-45a7-bff7-a334b93e7bda \
  https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Finix-Version: 2022-02-01' \
  -d '{
    "billing_cycle_day": 1
  }'

API Response:


{
  "id" : "subscription_cAcHtdprA5N9Nw6nKfWbt",
  "created_at" : "2026-05-19T22:27:55.83Z",
  "updated_at" : "2026-05-19T22:27:55.83Z",
  "amount" : 19900,
  "application_id" : "AP1",
  "billing_cycle_day" : 21,
  "billing_interval" : "MONTHLY",
  "buyer_details" : {
    "identity_id" : "IDe8MHoq9cevVGocJwpAN8tR",
    "instrument_id" : "PIh5syYGDw2SnvFjPVLcV3oD",
    "requested_delivery_methods": [ ],
    "shipping_address" : null
  },
  "canceled_via" : null,
  "currency" : "USD",
  "expires_at" : null,
  "first_charge_at" : "2026-05-20T22:26:55.576Z",
  "has_usage_based_plan" : false,
  "linked_to" : "MUaC9hbNvRwBoCJzqrjWk69N",
  "linked_type" : "MERCHANT",
  "next_billing_date" : {
    "year" : 2026,
    "month" : 5,
    "day" : 20
  },
  "nickname" : "Michael Gym Membership - Gold Gym #22919132",
  "start_subscription_at" : "2026-05-20T22:26:55.576Z",
  "state" : "ACTIVE",
  "subscription_details" : {
    "collection_method" : "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
    "send_invoice" : false,
    "send_receipt" : false,
    "trial_details" : null,
    "discount_phase_details" : null,
    "notification_preferences" : {
      "send_confirmation" : false
    }
  },
  "subscription_link_id" : null,
  "subscription_phase" : "EVERGREEN",
  "subscription_plan_id" : null,
  "tags" : {
    "key1" : "value1",
    "key2" : "value2"
  },
  "total_billing_intervals" : null,
  "_links" : {
    "self" : {
      "href" : "http://localhost/subscriptions/subscription_cAcHtdprA5N9Nw6nKfWbt"
    }
  }
}

Fixed Length Subscriptions

To create fixed-length subscriptions, you can pass total_billing_intervals in the request body. The API will return an expires_at field to let you know when the Subscription will expire. The subscription_phase will also return a value of FIXED.

curl -i -X POST \
  -u USfdccsr1Z5iVbXDyYt7hjZZ:313636f3-fac2-45a7-bff7-a334b93e7bda \
  https://finix.sandbox-payments-api.com/subscriptions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Finix-Version: 2022-02-01' \
  -d '{
    "amount": 19900,
    "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
    "buyer_details": {
      "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
      "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve"
    },
    "currency": "USD",
    "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
    "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
    "subscription_details": {
      "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY"
    },
    "total_billing_intervals": 12
  }'
Subscription - Fixed-Length
{
  "id": "subscription_cxe8rTTPCwzUu7p1zmk6t",
  "created_at": "2026-02-17T18:39:34.38Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-02-17T18:39:34.38Z",
  "application_id": "APc9vhYcPsRuTSpKD9KpMtPe",
  "first_charge_at": "2026-02-17T18:39:33.00Z",
  "next_billing_date": {
    "year": 2026,
    "month": 2,
    "day": 17
  },
  "amount": 19900,
  "buyer_details": {
    "identity_id": "IDtEnKsZyJNUGK83ZTx4C45S",
    "instrument_id": "PImXAVgkKVshKWWHUk4xXbve",
    "requested_delivery_methods": [],
    "shipping_address": null
  },
  "currency": "USD",
  "linked_to": "MUcgYZswyRfqSSbvMsxuaHxZ",
  "linked_type": "MERCHANT",
  "nickname": null,
  "billing_interval": "MONTHLY",
  "subscription_details": {
    "collection_method": "BILL_AUTOMATICALLY",
    "send_invoice": false,
    "send_receipt": false,
    "trial_details": null,
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