Recurring / Installment Payments

Merchants can make recurring and installment transactions. This is achieved by:

1. Set ECM value accordingly
2. Set stored_credential_indicator to indicate if it's the first or subsequent transaction.
3. Using the card_token from the initial transaction where the customer authorized the recurring or installment cycle, as well as specifying the authorization_tracking_id returned on the initial transaction in all subsequent recurring or installment transactions.
4. If the card is expired, you can set omit_expiry to true to allow payment to go through.

The definition of ECM, card_on_file and omit_expiry can be found here.

A Recurring Scenario Example

Below is a scenario example to illustrate how to use card_token and authorization_tracking_id for first and subsequent transactions:

First Recurring Transaction

We can create the first recurring transaction via create a purchase.

/* 
 * Request: POST /v1.0/purchases
 */
{
  "amount": 100,
  "currency": "AUD",
  "card_holder": "John Smith",
  "card_number": "411111xxxxxx1111",
  "card_expiry": "01/2025",
  "cvv": "123",
  "reference": "first_recurring_transaction",
  "extra": {
    "ecm": 32,
    "stored_credential_indicator": "I"
  }
}

In the response, we will get the card_token as well as the authorization_tracking_id. These values will need to be stored for the subsequent transaction.

• card_token: this is a token for the card number used in the initial transaction and can be used in subsequent transactions so that the actual card number does not need to be entered
• metadata.authorization_tracking_id: this is an ID returned by the card schemes which must be presented on subsequent recurring or installment transactions.

/*
 * Response
 */
{
  "successful": true,
  "response": {
    "authorization": "123456",
    "id": "1-P-VBF4KCE9",
    "card_number": "411111xxxxxx1111",
    "card_holder": "John Smith",
    "card_expiry": "2025-01-31",
    "card_token": "lk78b0xadcdek2hffvkadif",
    "card_type": "VISA",
    "card_category": "Credit",
    "card_subcategory": "Standard",
    "amount": 100,
    "decimal_amount": 1.0,
    "successful": true,
    "message": "approved - balance avail",
    "reference": "first_recurring_transaction",
    "currency": "AUD",
    "transaction_id": "1-P-VBF4KCE9",
    "settlement_date": "2020-04-23",
    "transaction_date": "2020-04-23T10:21:31+10:00",
    "response_code": "00",
    "captured": true,
    "captured_amount": 100,
    "rrn": "042321000062",
    "cvv_match": "M",
    "metadata": {
      "authorization_tracking_id": "HNR0003960518",
      "card_sequence_number": "",
      "sca_exemption": "",
      "original_transaction_reference": ""
    },
    "addendum_data": {}
  },
  "errors": [],
  "test": false
}

Subsequent Transaction

The authorization_tracking_id should be supplied for every subsequent recurring transaction to increase approval rates.

📘

Some schemes do not return an authorization_tracking_id after a first recurring payment. If this is not present in the payload, it's safe to create recurring transactions without it.

/* 
 * Request: POST /v1.0/purchases
 */
{
  "amount": 100,
  "currency": "AUD",
  "card_token": "lk78b0xadcdek2hffvkadif",
  "reference": "second_recurring_transaction",
  "extra": {
    "ecm": 32,
    "authorization_tracking_id": "HNR0003960518",
    "stored_credential_indicator": "S"
  }
}

Transact With Expired Tokenized Credit Card

If the tokenized credit card is expired, it will likely be rejected. You can set omit_expiry:true to attempt to increase approval rates.

📘

Automatic Card Updates

Contact your account manager to enquire about Automatic Card Update capabilities (including automatic expiry date updates) to help uplift approval rates for expired cards.

/* 
 * Request: POST /v1.0/purchases
 */
{
  "amount": 100,
  "currency": "AUD",
  "card_token": "lk78b0xadcdek2hffvkadif",
  "reference": "second_recurring_transaction",
  "extra": {
    "ecm": 32,
    "omit_expiry": true,
    "authorization_tracking_id": "HNR0003960518",
    "stored_credential_indicator": "S"
  }
}