Subscription Management

These are unorganized thoughts about handling recurring payments in the Web Platform, arising from discussions at the Web Payments WG F2f in February 2016.

Payment Subscription Management API

An API (or set of APIs, clientside or HTTP) that helps users manage their payment subscriptions (perhaps initiated via the Web Payment API). These APIs could be used by digital wallet applications or services, to centralize payment management for a user.

A payment subscription is a recurring payment, with variable start and end dates, payment frequency, and other details.

= Use Case Summary

• view all current (and past?) subscriptions, with details on payment methods, payment schedule and history, active status, etc.
• push updates to payment methods (e.g. update your credit card number) to all subscriptions (e.g. for new card, lost card, changed payment provider)
• selectively suspend, cancel, or renew individual subscriptions (e.g. for lost cards, vacation)
• notification of problems with payment processing (e.g. expired cards, insufficient funds, etc.) for individual subscriptions
• permission updates (e.g. authorizing payments from other countries while traveling)
• change of address?
• corresponding checks between a merchant's payment claims and bank statements (i.e. an API for banks and other payment providers)

Notes

This would be complementary to the Web Payment API, and could help motivate merchants who offer subscriptions to adopt both APIs.