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Payment Sessions has two top-level flows: one-time payments and recurring payments.

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One-time payments

A one_time session is a payment where the customer is present and completes payment in real time. It can optionally save the payment method for future customer-present use.

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Recurring payments

A recurring payment is split across two session types: one that establishes the mandate, and one for each subsequent charge against it. Collection can be merchant-controlled (you trigger each subsequent charge yourself) or automated by adding a subscription. See Recurring Payments for how mandates, subscriptions, and payment methods work together.
  • 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.
A mandate is an authorisation that allows a merchant to initiate future payments when the customer is not present in the flow.

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Comparing the Session Types

The following table summarises the differences:

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Cross-Cutting Flows

Authorisation and capture, payment method verification, and payment allocation aren’t tied to a specific session type; they layer on top of any of the three.