Set-up Recurring Billing in the Easy Pay Direct Gateway
Recurring billing is built into all standard Gateway accounts and is included at no additional cost. It allows you to automatically charge customers on a set schedule using credit cards or electronic checks.
Recurring billing is managed using Plans and Subscriptions, which work together.
Plans vs Subscriptions
- Plans define the billing rules
- How much to charge
- How often to charge
- How long charges continue
- How much to charge
- Subscriptions are your customers
- Each customer is subscribed to a plan
- Customers are charged according to that plan’s rules
- Each customer is subscribed to a plan
You create a plan first, then attach customers to it using subscriptions.
Step 1: Create a Billing Plan
- Go to Recurring → Add Plan
- Enter the amount to be charged
- Choose the billing frequency, such as:
- Every X number of days
- On a specific day (for example, the 1st of every month)
- Every X number of days
- Choose how long the plan runs:
- Charge until canceled, or
- Charge a fixed number of times
- Charge until canceled, or
- Enter a Plan Name (used for internal reference)
- Enter a Plan ID
- Used for API and QuickClick integrations
- Used for API and QuickClick integrations
- Click Save
Your plan will now appear under Recurring → List Plans.
Step 2: Add a Subscription (Customer)
- Go to Recurring → Add Subscription
- Choose the payment type:
- Credit card, or
- Electronic check
- Credit card, or
- Enter the customer’s billing information and payment details
- Shipping information is not required
- Shipping information is not required
- Choose whether to email a receipt after each successful charge
- Click Continue
Step 3: Assign the Customer to a Plan
- Select the billing plan you want to apply
- Review the billing schedule and first charge date
- Click Save to activate the subscription
The customer is now subscribed and will be charged automatically based on the plan rules.
Managing Subscriptions
From Recurring → List Subscriptions, you can:
- View all active subscriptions
- Search and filter customers
- Edit customer details
- Change a customer’s plan
- Update the next charge date
- Delete a subscription to stop future charges
Managing Plans
From Recurring → List Plans, you can:
- Edit existing plans
- See how many customers are using each plan
Important:
- Changes to a plan affect all subscribers on that plan
- Deleting a plan does not automatically cancel subscriptions
- You will be prompted to optionally delete associated subscriptions when removing a plan
Video Walkthrough
Watch the video below for a full walkthrough of creating plans, adding subscriptions, managing customers, and understanding how recurring billing works in the EPD Gateway: