> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.momentco.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Introduction to Payment Sessions

The **Payment Sessions API** is a unified solution for payment collection across all flows — one-time payments, recurring collections, authorisation and capture, and payment method verification — through a single API.

<div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-2 gap-6">
  <Card title="Use Cases" icon="lightbulb" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/use-cases">
    See how Payment Sessions map to common business scenarios.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Lifecycle" icon="arrows-spin" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/lifecycle">
    Understand the states a payment session moves through from creation to completion.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="webhook" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/webhooks">
    React to session events in real time.
  </Card>
</div>

#### Recurring Payments

<div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-2 gap-6">
  <Card title="Mandates" icon="repeat" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/mandates/overview">
    Authorise future merchant-initiated payments on behalf of the customer.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Subscriptions" icon="calendar" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/subscriptions/overview">
    Automate recurring collections on a schedule.
  </Card>
</div>

#### Additional Flows

<div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-2 gap-6">
  <Card title="Payment Method Verification" icon="shield-check" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/payment-method-verification">
    Verify and save a payment method without charging the customer.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authorisation and Capture" icon="hand" href="/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/authorisation-capture/overview">
    Reserve funds at checkout and capture or void them later.
  </Card>
</div>

***

## Key Features

* **Flexible Payment Flows**: Handle one-time payments, first-time setup payments for subscriptions, and repeat payments with minimal effort.
* **Seamless Recurring Payments**: Use saved payment methods for a series of transactions initiated and completed without customer interaction.
* **Authorisation and Capture**: Reserve funds at checkout and settle later, enabling ship-then-capture, fraud review, and partial fulfilment workflows.
* **Payment Method Verification**: Verify and save a customer's payment method without charging them, for use in future customer-present or merchant-initiated flows.

## Benefits

* **Simplicity**: Manage various payment scenarios with a single API.
* **Customizability**: Tailor the payment experience to fit your brand.
* **Scalability**: Support a variety of payment methods and grow your business globally.

***

## How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Payment Session">
    Start by creating a payment session with all necessary details like amount, currency, and payment type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Redirect if Required">
    For payments where the customer is present, redirect them to the checkout page provided in the `session_url` to complete the payment. For recurring payments where the customer is not present, use the customer's saved payment method to process the payment without any customer interaction.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Track Payment Status">
    Monitor the status of your payments in real time using webhooks or API calls.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Session Types

The API supports three distinct session types to handle both customer-present and customer-not-present payments:

* **`one_time`**: A one-time payment where the customer is present and completes payment in real time. Optionally saves the payment method for future customer-present use.
* **`first_in_series`**: The first payment in a series, where the customer is present and authorises their payment method for future merchant-initiated payments. This authorisation is called a mandate, and is typically used to set up recurring payments such as subscriptions or instalment plans.
* **`next_in_series`**: A subsequent payment in a series, where the customer is not present. Fully programmatic, no customer interaction required.

<Note>
  A mandate is an authorisation that allows a merchant to initiate future payments when the customer is not present in the flow.
</Note>

The following table summarises the differences:

|                                                                                                         | **`one_time`**                                                                                            | **`first_in_series`**                                                                                                 | **`next_in_series`**                                      |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Primary Purpose**                                                                                     | One-time payment by the customer.                                                                         | First payment to set up future automatic payments.                                                                    | Next payment in a series.                                 |
| **Customer Interaction**                                                                                | Required (customer is present).                                                                           | Required (customer is present).                                                                                       | Not required (customer is absent).                        |
| **Saving Payment Method**                                                                               | Optional (for customer present use).                                                                      | Mandatory (for customer absent use).                                                                                  | Not applicable (uses saved method).                       |
| **[Mandates](/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/mandates/overview)**                               | No mandate created.                                                                                       | Mandate created for future payments.                                                                                  | Relies on an existing mandate.                            |
| **[Subscriptions](/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/subscriptions/overview)**                     | Not applicable.                                                                                           | Optional. Provide `subscription_options` alongside `mandate_options` to automate recurring collections on a schedule. | Not applicable.                                           |
| **[Authorisation and Capture](/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/authorisation-capture/overview)** | Supported via `capture_method: manual` for card payments.                                                 | Supported via `capture_method: manual` for card payments.                                                             | Supported via `capture_method: manual` for card payments. |
| **[Payment Method Verification](/documentation/collect/payment-sessions/payment-method-verification)**  | Supported with `amount: 0`. Verifies and saves the payment method for future customer-initiated payments. | Supported with `amount: 0`. Verifies the payment method and creates a mandate for future merchant-initiated payments. | Not applicable.                                           |
| **Payment Flow**                                                                                        | Customer completes via Checkout page.                                                                     | Customer completes via Checkout page.                                                                                 | Payment processed programmatically.                       |
| **Examples**                                                                                            | One-off purchase with the option to save for future purchases.                                            | Subscription setup or instalment plan.                                                                                | Monthly subscription payment or utility bill.             |