# Update payment details

Learn how to update the payment method used for future invoices.

Use the following steps to create a Checkout page that collects your customer’s payment details and returns a Payment Method. Then use the Stripe REST APIs to update the payment method used for future *invoices* (Invoices are statements of amounts owed by a customer. They track the status of payments from draft through paid or otherwise finalized. Subscriptions automatically generate invoices, or you can manually create a one-off invoice).

> This guide uses Checkout to update subscription payment methods. You can instead implement the [Billing customer portal](https://docs.stripe.com/customer-management.md) to provide a Stripe-hosted dashboard for your customers to manage their subscriptions and billing details.

## Set up Stripe [Server-side]

First, you need a Stripe account. [Register now](https://dashboard.stripe.com/register).

Use our official libraries for access to the Stripe API from your application:

#### Ruby

```bash
# Available as a gem
sudo gem install stripe
```

```ruby
# If you use bundler, you can add this line to your Gemfile
gem 'stripe'
```

## Create a Checkout Session [Server-side]

To create a setup mode Session, use the `mode` parameter with a value of `setup` when creating the Session. See the [Checkout Session API reference](https://docs.stripe.com/api/checkout/sessions/create.md) for a complete list of parameters that you can use for Session creation.

Append the `{CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}` template variable to the `success_url` to get access to the Session ID after your customer successfully completes a Checkout Session.

Finally, use the [setup_intent_data.metadata](https://docs.stripe.com/api/checkout/sessions/create.md#create_checkout_session-setup_intent_data-metadata) dictionary to pass your customer’s existing Stripe `subscription_id` to the Checkout Session. Note that there other ways to pass this data to your server, but we’ll use metadata for this guide.

#### curl

```bash
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/checkout/sessions \
  -u <<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>: \
  -d "payment_method_types[]"="card" \
  -d "mode"="setup" \
  -d "customer"="cus_FOsk5sbh3ZQpAU" \
  -d "setup_intent_data[metadata][subscription_id]"="sub_8epEF0PuRhmltU" \
  -d "success_url"="https://example.com/success?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}"
```

## Redirect to Checkout [Client-side]

After creating the Checkout Session on your server, redirect your customer to the [URL](https://docs.stripe.com/api/checkout/sessions/object.md#checkout_session_object-url) returned in the response.

#### HTML + JS

When your customer is ready to save or update their payment method, make a request to your server to create the Checkout Session, and then redirect the customer to the session URL returned by your server.

```html
<button id="checkout-button">Update payment method</button>

<script>
const checkoutButton = document.getElementById('checkout-button');

checkoutButton.addEventListener('click', async () => {
  // Call your back end to create the Checkout Session and get the session URL.
  const response = await fetch('/create-checkout-session', { method: 'POST' });
  const { url } = await response.json();
  // Redirect to Checkout.
  window.location.href = url;
});
</script>
```

#### React

When your customer is ready to save or update their payment method, make a request to your server to create the Checkout Session, and then redirect the customer to the session URL returned by your server.

```jsx
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';

function App() {
  const handleClick = async (event) => {
    // Call your back end to create the Checkout Session.
    const response = await fetch('/create-checkout-session', { method: 'POST' });
    const { url } = await response.json();
    // Redirect to Checkout.
    window.location.href = url;
  };
  return (
    <button role="link" onClick={handleClick}>
      Update payment method
    </button>
  );
}
ReactDOM.render(<App />, document.getElementById('root'));
```

This code is typically invoked from an event handler that triggers in response to an action taken by your customer, such as clicking on a payment button.

## Retrieve the Checkout Session [Server-side]

After a customer successfully completes their Checkout Session, you need to retrieve the Session object. There are two ways to do this:

- **Asynchronously**: Handle `checkout.session.completed` *webhooks* (A webhook is a real-time push notification sent to your application as a JSON payload through HTTPS requests), which contain a Session object. Learn more about [setting up webhooks](https://docs.stripe.com/webhooks.md).
- **Synchronously**: Obtain the Session ID from the `success_url` when a user redirects back to your site. Use the Session ID to [retrieve](https://docs.stripe.com/api/checkout/sessions/retrieve.md) the Session object.

```curl
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/checkout/sessions/cs_test_MlZAaTXUMHjWZ7DcXjusJnDU4MxPalbtL5eYrmS2GKxqscDtpJq8QM0k \
  -u "<<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>:"
```

The right choice depends on your tolerance for dropoff, as customers may not always reach the `success_url` after a successful payment. It’s possible for them close their browser tab before the redirect occurs. Handling webhooks prevents your integration from being susceptible to this form of dropoff.

After you have retrieved the Session object, get the value of the `setup_intent` key, which is the ID for the SetupIntent created during the Checkout Session. A [SetupIntent](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/setup-intents.md) is an object used to set up the customer’s bank account information for future payments.

Example `checkout.session.completed` payload:

```json
{
  "id": "evt_1Ep24XHssDVaQm2PpwS19Yt0",
  "object": "event",
  "api_version": "2019-03-14",
  "created": 1561420781,
  "data": {
    "object": {
      "id": "cs_test_MlZAaTXUMHjWZ7DcXjusJnDU4MxPalbtL5eYrmS2GKxqscDtpJq8QM0k",
      "object": "checkout.session",
      "billing_address_collection": null,
      "client_reference_id": null,
      "customer": "cus_FOsk5sbh3ZQpAU",
      "customer_email": null,
      "display_items": [],
      "mode": "setup","setup_intent": "seti_1EzVO3HssDVaQm2PJjXHmLlM",
      "submit_type": null,
      "subscription": null,
      "success_url": "https://example.com/success"
    }
  },
  "livemode": false,
  "pending_webhooks": 1,
  "request": {
    "id": null,
    "idempotency_key": null
  },
  "type": "checkout.session.completed"
}
```

Note the `setup_intent` ID for the next step.

## Retrieve the SetupIntent [Server-side]

Using the `setup_intent` ID, retrieve the SetupIntent object using the [/v1/setup_intents/:id](https://docs.stripe.com/api/setup_intents/retrieve.md) endpoint.

```curl
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/setup_intents/seti_1EzVO3HssDVaQm2PJjXHmLlM \
  -u "<<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>:"
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": "seti_1EzVO3HssDVaQm2PJjXHmLlM",
  "object": "setup_intent",
  "application": null,
  "cancellation_reason": null,
  "client_secret": null,
  "created": 1561420781,"customer": "cus_FOsk5sbh3ZQpAU",
  "description": null,
  "last_setup_error": null,
  "livemode": false,
  "metadata": {"subscription_id": "sub_8epEF0PuRhmltU"
  },
  "next_action": null,
  "on_behalf_of": null,"payment_method": "pm_1F0c9v2eZvKYlo2CJDeTrB4n",
  "payment_method_types": [
    "card"
  ],
  "status": "succeeded",
  "usage": "off_session"
}
```

Note the `customer` ID, `subscription_id`, and `payment_method` ID for the next steps.

> If you’re requesting this information synchronously from the Stripe API (as opposed to handling webhooks), you can combine the previous step with this step by [expanding](https://docs.stripe.com/api/expanding_objects.md) the SetupIntent object in the request to the /v1/checkout/session endpoint. Doing this prevents you from having to make two network requests to access the newly created PaymentMethod ID.

## Set a default payment method [Server-side]

There are two ways to ensure that a payment method is used for future invoices:

- Set it as the Customer’s `invoice_settings.default_payment_method`
- Set it as the Subscription’s `default_payment_method`

Setting `invoice_settings.default_payment_method` on the Customer will cause all future invoices for that customer to be paid with the specified payment method.

Setting `default_payment_method` on the Subscription will cause all future invoices for that subscription to be paid with the specified payment method, overriding any `invoice_settings.default_payment_method` set on the associated Customer.

### Set invoice_settings.default_payment_method on the Customer

Using the customer ID and the PaymentMethod ID you retrieved, set the `invoice_settings.default_payment_method` for the Customer using the [/v1/customers/:id](https://docs.stripe.com/api/customers/update.md) endpoint.

```curl
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/customers/cus_FOsk5sbh3ZQpAU \
  -u "<<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>:" \
  -d "invoice_settings[default_payment_method]=pm_1F0c9v2eZvKYlo2CJDeTrB4n"
```

All future invoices for this customer will now charge the new PaymentMethod created with the setup mode Checkout Session.

### Set default_payment_method on the Subscription

Using the subscription ID and the PaymentMethod ID you retrieved, set the `default_payment_method` for the subscription using the [/v1/subscriptions/:id](https://docs.stripe.com/api/subscriptions/update.md) endpoint.

#### curl

```bash
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/subscriptions/sub_8epEF0PuRhmltU \
  -u <<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>: \
  -X "POST" \
  -d "default_payment_method"="pm_1F0c9v2eZvKYlo2CJDeTrB4n"
```

All future invoices for this subscription will now charge the new PaymentMethod created with the setup mode Checkout Session, overriding any `invoice_settings.default_payment_method` set on the associated Customer.

## See also

Congrats! You can now set a default payment method for future invoices. When testing your integration with your test API key, you can use a [test card number](https://docs.stripe.com/testing.md#cards) to ensure that it works correctly.

- [Test Cards](https://docs.stripe.com/testing.md#cards)