# Recurring payments

> Save a Google Pay payment method for future use and charge it off-session.

> Google Pay does not have a merchant token (MPAN) equivalent. Recurring Google Pay charges use VINR's standard saved payment method mechanism — the same as any saved card. There is no Google-specific recurring API to implement.

## How recurring Google Pay payments work

On the first customer-present transaction, you save the underlying card via `setup_future_usage` or a SetupIntent. VINR saves the decrypted card details as a `PaymentMethod` (`pm_...`). Subsequent charges are initiated server-side against that saved `pm_` — the Google Pay payment sheet is not re-presented to the customer for merchant-initiated transactions (MITs).

This is card-on-file, not wallet-on-file. The customer's Google Wallet is not involved in off-session charges.

## One-time cryptogram limitation

CRYPTOGRAM\_3DS generates a device-bound one-time cryptogram per transaction. The cryptogram cannot be reused — when you save the payment method, VINR stores the underlying card reference, not the cryptogram itself. Subsequent off-session charges use the stored card reference via the standard MIT network flow.

## Save the payment method for future use

### Elements

Pass `save_payment_method: true` in `confirmPayment` to save the card during the initial Google Pay checkout:

```javascript
const { error } = await vinr.confirmPayment({
  elements,
  confirmParams: {
    return_url: 'https://yoursite.com/order/complete',
    save_payment_method: true,
  },
});
```

### API — PaymentIntent

Set `setup_future_usage` when creating the PaymentIntent:

```bash
curl https://api.vinr.com/v1/payment_intents \
  -u YOUR_SECRET_KEY: \
  -d "amount=2000" \
  -d "currency=eur" \
  -d "payment_method_types[]=card" \
  -d "customer=cus_123" \
  -d "setup_future_usage=off_session"
```

### API — SetupIntent (save without charging)

To save a Google Pay payment method without an immediate charge — for example, during a free trial sign-up:

```bash
curl https://api.vinr.com/v1/setup_intents \
  -u YOUR_SECRET_KEY: \
  -d "payment_method_types[]=card" \
  -d "customer=cus_123"
```

Confirm the SetupIntent through Elements or the Google Pay JS API. VINR saves the card and returns a `pm_` ID attached to the customer.

## Charge the saved payment method off-session

Use the saved `pm_` ID for subsequent MITs. Set `off_session: true` to indicate the customer is not present in the checkout flow:

```bash
curl https://api.vinr.com/v1/payment_intents \
  -u YOUR_SECRET_KEY: \
  -d "amount=2000" \
  -d "currency=eur" \
  -d "customer=cus_123" \
  -d "payment_method=pm_saved_id" \
  -d "off_session=true" \
  -d "confirm=true"
```

If the MIT requires additional authentication (for example, the issuer mandates 3DS on subsequent charges), the PaymentIntent enters `requires_action`. Handle this by bringing the customer back on-session to complete the challenge, then retry the charge.

## Subscriptions

VINR Subscriptions support Google Pay-sourced payment methods the same as any saved card. Attach the saved `pm_` to a Customer and create a Subscription — no Google-specific API is needed.

See [Recurring payments](/docs/payments/recurring-payments) for the full Subscriptions integration.

## See also

[Authentication methods](/docs/payments/payment-methods/add-payment-methods/wallets/google-pay/authentication-methods) — How CRYPTOGRAM\_3DS and PAN\_ONLY affect the card reference saved for future use.

[Set up Google Pay (API)](/docs/payments/payment-methods/add-payment-methods/wallets/google-pay/setup) — The initial Google Pay integration and token submission.

[Recurring payments](/docs/payments/recurring-payments) — VINR Subscriptions and off-session payment patterns.