Subscription Setup
Setting up the subscription happens within the PhonePe Business Dashboard. This is where you configure the billing rules and generate the link for your customer.
- Create a New Link:
Log in to your PhonePe Business Dashboard, navigate to Payment Links in the menu, click New Payment Link, and select Recurring Payment. Choose the single payment link option to onboard an individual customer.
For Bulk Uploads: You can also create bulk payment links by downloading the provided template, filling out the sheet, and uploading it back to the dashboard. Here is the table detailing the fields required for the bulk upload template along with their descriptions:
| Field Name | Description |
| Mandate Amount | The maximum allowable deduction amount for a single billing cycle. |
| Upfront Amount | The initial amount to be charged immediately during the mandate setup (applicable if using the Transaction flow/FULL_AUTH). |
| Currency | The currency code in which the payments will be processed (e.g., INR). |
| Merchant Reference ID | Your internal, unique tracking identifier for this specific customer or subscription order. |
| Description | A clear, brief explanation of what the subscription is for. This is displayed to the customer when they open the link. |
| Customer Phone | The 10-digit mobile number of the customer receiving the link (do not include the +91 prefix). |
| Customer Name | The full name of the customer setting up the mandate. |
| Customer Email | The email address of the customer. |
| Paylink Expiry Date | The date (DD/MM/YYYY) on which the setup link will become invalid if the customer has not yet clicked it. |
| Paylink Expiry Time | The specific time on the expiry date when the link expires. |
| Mandate End Date | The date (DD/MM/YYYY) when the recurring subscription naturally terminates (can be set up to a maximum of 30 years in the future). |
| Frequency | The billing interval for the recurring deductions (e.g., DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, QUARTERLY, YEARLY, ON_DEMAND). |
| Auth Type | Defines the verification flow. Enter FULL_AUTH for the Transaction flow (immediate deduction) or PENNY_AUTH for the Penny Drop flow (₹2 verification). |
| Account Number | (Optional) A specific bank account number the customer is allowed to use to set up the mandate. |
| IFSC | (Optional) The corresponding IFSC code for Account Number1. |
- Configure the Mandate Rules:
Enter the maximum subscription amount and select how often the customer will be billed (e.g., daily, monthly, or yearly). You will also need to set the mandate end date (which can be up to 30 years in the future) and an expiration date for the link itself.
If you want to charge the customer immediately upon setup (Transaction Flow), check the option to “Accept payment on the start date?” and enter the deduction amount. If you leave this unchecked, the system will automatically use the Penny Drop verification flow.
- Add Customer Details:
Enter the customer’s name, phone number, email, your internal reference ID, and a brief description of what the payment is for.
- Generate and Share:
Click Create Payment Link. The system will generate the link and automatically send a message to your customer so they can authorize the mandate.
Once the customer completes the setup and authorizes the mandate, you need the unique identifier for this subscription so you can process future payments. To do this, click on the payment link you just created on your dashboard, click View Transaction Details, and scroll down to the Subscription Setup section. Copy the Merchant Subscription ID to use in your API calls.
Once a subscription is successfully created, you can monitor its progress via API by checking both the Subscription Status and the Subscription Order Status.
What’s Next?
Now that you know how to set up a subscription by creating a payment link, it’s time to look at the payout process. In the next section, we’ll walk through how to actually redeem your collected amounts.
