Saved Payment Methods

As a powerful Discord payment bot, BotSubscription allows members to save their payment details for a faster checkout experience and, more importantly, to enable automatic recurring billing.

Payment methods are the specific details members use to pay for subscriptions, such as a credit card or a PayPal account. When a member pays for the first time, they can save their details to ensure their membership remains active without manual intervention.

Why Saved Methods Matter

For you as an admin, saved payment methods are the engine behind recurring subscriptions. They allow you to sell auto-renewing memberships to your userbase, increasing retention and reducing manual support work.

Automatic Renewals

When a member signs up for a recurring plan, they choose how to pay for the first order. Once the payment method is saved:

• Every subsequent renewal is processed automatically.
• Members don't have to re-enter details or manually click a pay button every month.
• This ensures uninterrupted access to your Discord server or Telegram channel.

One-Click Checkout

If a member isn't on an auto-renewing plan but has a saved method from a previous purchase, the bot makes future one-off purchases easier:

1. The bot displays a One-Click Pay button in the subscription summary.
2. The member can complete the purchase instantly without leaving the app.
3. If they prefer a different method, they can still choose any other available provider.

How Saved Methods Work

When a member initiates a subscription using the /subscribe command, the bot checks if they have a saved payment method associated with your connected payment providers (like Stripe or PayPal).

If a match is found:

1. The bot displays a One-Click Pay button in the subscription summary.
2. The member can complete the purchase instantly without leaving the app or re-entering billing details.
3. If they prefer a different method, they can still choose any other available provider.

Managing Payment Methods

Members can view and manage their saved payment methods to keep their billing information up to date.

Via the Web Portal

The most comprehensive way to manage billing is through the member-facing web portal:

1. Log in to the portal using the project URL.
2. Navigate to Billing or Payment Methods.
3. What you should see: A list of saved cards or accounts, with options to Add New or Delete.

Via Bot Commands

Members can also access billing settings directly in your bot:

1. Run the /settings command.
2. Select the Payments submenu.
3. Choose Payment Methods.
4. What you should see: A list of saved methods with the option to remove them.

Security and Privacy

Members have full control over their billing data. For security, they can remove payment methods at any time via the Web Portal or directly in the bot via the /settings menu.

Data Protection

BotSubscription is designed to protect member privacy. Sensitive financial information is never exposed to you as an admin, nor is it handled directly by the bot:

• No Direct Access: Neither the bot nor the community admin can see or access a member's full credit card number or PayPal credentials.
• Provider Security: All sensitive data is stored exclusively by the payment provider (e.g., Stripe or PayPal).
• Secure Tokenization: The provider issues a unique, secure "token" that allows the bot to process payments without ever handling a member's actual billing details.

Common Issues

A saved method isn't appearing

• Provider mismatch: A method saved for Stripe will not appear if only PayPal is enabled for the current plan.
• Expired details: If a card has expired, the provider may hide it from the one-click selection until updated.

Member wants to remove a card

Members can remove their own payment methods at any time via the Web Portal or the bot's /settings menu. Admins do not have the ability to manage or view these private details.

Next Steps