Turn on autopay for memberships
Charge each membership bill to a card the client saved and agreed to, with a receipt every time.
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Step 1: Set up payments first
Autopay charges cards through your payments account, so finish Payments → Get paid online first. Until your Stripe account can take charges, the autopay switch says Set up payments first.
Step 2: Turn on autopay for your business
Open Front Desk → Memberships → Settings. In 💳 Autopay with saved cards, click Turn on autopay. Only an admin can do this, and it’s off until you turn it on. You can turn it off any time; nothing is charged while it’s off.
Step 3: Turn on automatic billing
In the same Settings, set Bill renewals and monthly periods automatically to Yes and click Save. It’s off at first, so nothing bills on its own until you turn it on. While it’s off, you bill each one yourself with Bill next period.
Step 4: Send the client the card link
Open the member (click Autopay next to the membership on the Members list). Under Autopay, click Get card link, then Copy link or Email it from my mail app. The link is good for 30 days. Nobody on your team types card numbers: the client enters the card on Stripe’s secure form.
Step 5: What the client sees
The page shows your business name, each membership on the link with its amount and how often it bills, and the authorization words. They type their name, tick I agree and save the card. Autopay then turns on for the memberships named on the link, and you get a notice. Their name, the words they agreed to and the time are kept with the card.
Step 6: Turn autopay on or off for one membership
In the same Autopay box, click Turn autopay off to stop charging that membership (the card stays saved), or Turn autopay on to start again with the card already saved. Remove card deletes the card and turns autopay off everywhere it was used.
Step 7: When the card is charged
Only when a bill is made: the automatic billing run (if you turned that on in Settings) or Bill next period. The invoice is marked paid, the payment goes to your books like any card payment, and the client gets a receipt by email.
Card fees are the same as any card payment: 3.9% + 30¢.
Step 8: If a card is declined
The invoice stays open with its pay link and you get an Autopay failed notice that says why. Nothing retries on its own. Send the pay link, or ask the client for a new card with a new card link.
Still stuck? Tell us what you were trying to do and where you got stuck. A screenshot helps.
Your ticks are saved in this browser only. Updated October 2026.
Questions about this
Can I charge a card the client didn’t save for autopay?
No. Autopay only uses a card the client saved from your card link after agreeing to autopay. A card saved for something else, such as a no-show fee, is never used for autopay.
Do you keep card numbers?
No. Stripe keeps the card. We keep only the brand, the last four digits, the expiry date and what the client agreed to.
Does turning autopay off cancel the membership?
No. It only stops automatic charges. Bills still go out with a pay link.