Unscheduled Recurring Payments (Unscheduled Card on File Transactions)
Charge a stored card on an ad-hoc basis — when an agreed event happens, rather than on a schedule.
Unscheduled card on file (UCOF) covers payments you initiate against a card your customer has agreed to store, where neither the amount nor the timing is fixed in advance. Typical uses are balance top-ups, usage-based billing, and charges raised after a service has been delivered.
Unscheduled or recurring?Use recurring payments when the amount and the interval are both fixed. Use unscheduled card on file when either one varies.
How the integration works
The integration has two phases. In the first, your customer is present and authenticates — this is known as a customer-initiated transaction (CIT). In the second, you charge the stored card while your customer is absent — also called a merchant-initiated transaction (MIT).
| Phase | Type | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| CIT | Your customer is in session. They agree to store their card and complete either a card verification or a first purchase, with 3-D Secure authentication. N-Genius Online stores the card and returns a card token |
| MIT | You send a charge against the stored token while your customer is off-session. The transaction references the original agreement, and no 3-D Secure challenge is presented |
Integration steps
- Set up the agreement — create the order and send your customer to authenticate.
- Receive the stored-card token — look up the order when your customer returns, and store the token.
- Charge a stored card — charge the card when the agreed event happens.
- Declines and retries — decide what to do when a charge is declined.
Before you start
- The feature enabled. Unscheduled card on file must be enabled on your outlet — see below.
- API access. Your outlet reference, and credentials to request an access token.
- A return URL on your server. Your customer comes back to it after authenticating, and your server then looks up the order.
- Your PCI DSS obligations. Setup uses the hosted payment page, so card numbers do not pass through your servers — but accepting and storing cards still carries obligations. See PCI Compliance.
Feature Activation RequiredUnscheduled card on file is disabled by default. To enable it, contact your Relationship Manager or the E-Commerce Support Team. It can be enabled at merchant organisation, organisational unit or outlet level — see Organisational hierarchy.