Paying Invoices with Autopay

Automatically charge invoices when they're due using saved payment methods

Automatic payments provide a hands-free way to collect invoices by charging customers' saved payment methods on the due date. This payment method eliminates the need for customers to manually pay each invoice and reduces late payments. Configure autopay once, and invoices are automatically charged when due.

Prerequisites

Before using autopay for invoice payments, ensure you have:

How Autopay Works for Invoices

Understand what happens when an invoice has autopay enabled.

The automatic payment process

If payment fails:

• Zero-amount allocation created on invoice for tracking
• Automatic retry for up to 5 days

Setting Up Default Payment Method

Configure a customer's default payment method for automatic invoice payments.

import payload
 
pl = payload.Session('secret_key_3bW9...', api_version='v2')
 
# Set up a payment method as default for automatic invoice payments
 
# First, create or get the payment method
payment_method = pl.PaymentMethod.create(
    account_id='acct_customer123',
    type='card',
    card={
        'card_number': '4111111111111111',
        'expiry': '12/25',
        'card_code': '123',
    },
    account_defaults={'paying': 'payments'},  # Use this for all payment transactions
)
 
print(f'Default payment method set: {payment_method.id}')
print(f'Account defaults: {payment_method.account_defaults}')
 
# Alternatively, update an existing payment method to be default
updated = pl.PaymentMethod.get('pm_card_789')
updated.update(
    account_defaults={'paying': 'payments'}  # Automatically used for invoice payments
)
 
print(f'Updated payment method: {updated.id}')
print(f'Now default for: {updated.account_defaults['paying']}')

Set the payment method that will be charged for all automatic invoice payments.

Setting a default:

• Set account_defaults.paying to "payments" or "all"
• Only one payment method per account can be default
• Setting a new default removes previous default automatically
• Used for all autopay invoices unless overridden

Creating Invoice with Autopay

Create invoices that will be automatically charged on their due date.

import payload
pl = payload.Session('secret_key_3bW9...', api_version='v2')
 
# Create an invoice with automatic payments enabled
 
invoice = pl.Invoice.create(
    due_date='2024-02-15',
    description='Monthly subscription - February 2024',
    payer={
        'account_id': 'acct_customer123'
        # No method_id - uses account's default payment method
    },
    biller={
        'account_id': 'acct_merchant456'
    },
    items=[
        {
            'type': 'line_item',
            'description': 'Pro Plan Subscription',
            'line_item': {
                'value': 99.00,
                'qty': 1
            }
        }
    ]
    # autopay_settings.allowed is True by default
    # Invoice will be automatically charged on due date
)
 
print(f'Invoice created: {invoice.id}')
print(f'Due date: {invoice.due_date}')
print(f'Will automatically charge: {invoice.payer['account_id']} on {invoice.due_date}')

Autopay is enabled by default when creating invoices. The invoice will be automatically charged on the due date if the payer has a default payment method.

What Happens on the Due Date

On the invoice due date, Payload automatically processes the payment.

Eligibility check:

1. Invoice has autopay_settings.allowed: true
2. Payer has default payment method configured
3. Invoice has balance due > 0
4. Invoice status is unpaid or partially_paid

If eligible:

• Payment transaction created with trigger: "automatic"
• Default payment method charged for balance
• Payment allocation links transaction to invoice
• Invoice status updates to paid or partially_paid

If payment fails:

• Zero-amount allocation created for tracking
• Automatic retry scheduled
• Invoice remains unpaid
• Retries continue for up to 5 days

Schema Reference

Fields relevant to automatic invoice payments:

Invoice Autopay Settings

Payment Method Defaults

Next Steps

Explore automatic payments and configure invoice payment collection

Configure Comprehensive Autopay

Understand the complete autopay system with Autopay Overview for cross-platform automatic payment configuration, configure autopay for invoices and schedules with Enable Autopay, stop automatic payments when needed with Disable Autopay, and track and troubleshoot automatic payments with Monitor Autopay.

Alternative Payment Methods

Process invoice payments programmatically with Payment API for automated billing workflows, send payment links to customers with Payment Requests for self-service collection, and record offline payments with External Payments for check and wire transfers.

Automate Recurring Billing

Automate recurring invoice generation with Billing Schedules for subscription-based revenue, set up recurring billing with autopay using Create Billing Schedules, and track invoice progress through the complete lifecycle with Invoice Statuses.

Related articles

• Autopay Overview - Complete autopay system guide
• Enable Autopay - Configure automatic payments
• Payment API - Process payments programmatically
• Payment Requests - Send payment links
• Creating Invoices - Build invoices with autopay
• Billing Schedules - Automate recurring billing