# Creating a Subscription

**This functionality is available only upon approval by the Security Department.**\
To enable subscriptions, please contact our [support team](https://help.unitpay.ru/en/support).

***

A subscription allows you to automatically charge a client’s card **without their direct involvement**.\
This is useful for **recurring payments**, such as:

* rent,
* internet access,
* mobile phone top-ups,
* other periodic services.

{% hint style="info" %}
Currently, subscriptions are supported **only for the `card` payment method**.
{% endhint %}

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### Step 1: Create an initial (setup) payment

To bind the client’s card to a subscription, pass the `subscription` parameter when initiating the payment:

* For hosted [form](https://help.unitpay.ru/en/payments/create-payment-easy): `subscription=true`
* For [API request](https://help.unitpay.ru/en/payments/create-payment): `params[subscription]=true`

📌 It’s strongly recommended to also pass `hideOtherMethods=true` to ensure the subscription is initialized specifically via the `card` method.

### Step 2: Receive the subscription ID

After the initial payment is completed, your **payment handler will receive** the following parameter:

```
subscriptionId = <value>
```

Store this ID — it will be required for future recurring charges.

### Step 3: Trigger recurring charge

To initiate an auto-charge:

* Ensure the subscription status is **`active`**
* Use the standard API method to create a payment
* Pass the subscription ID via:

```
[subscriptionId]=<value>
```

The **amount and charge interval** are fully managed on your side.

***

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Subscriptions are not compatible with two-stage (preauthorization) payments.**
{% endhint %}