Subscriptions FAQ

Can I create installment plans?

Stripe does not currently have direct support for installment plans (i.e., “3 easy payments of $19.99”). However, you can easily set up an installment plan on top of our subscriptions. Essentially, if you want to bill a customer for three payments of $19.99:

  • Subscribe the customer to a $19.99 per month plan. The first payment will occur immediately when the signup occurs.
  • Every time you get an invoice.paid webhook for the user, you can increment a counter on your side to track the total amount paid by the customer.
  • After the third successful payment, you can cancel the customer’s subscription.

Which alternative payment methods can I use with subscriptions?

Stripe accepts payments using several alternative methods, including: Bitcoin, Alipay, and ACH. Of these, Bitcoin cannot be used for subscriptions, but Alipay and ACH can. With Alipay, you must generate a reusable Alipay token for subscription use. With ACH, no special steps are required, but:

  • As with all ACH payments, it takes up to 5 business days to receive confirmation of the payment’s success or failure
  • If an ACH payment on a subscription fails, the subscription will automatically move to its final state per your settings (e.g., the subscription will be marked as unpaid or canceled)