> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mangopay.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

export const Platform = ({content}) => <Tooltip tip="App or website that integrates Mangopay to handle payments for its end users. ">
        {content}
    </Tooltip>;

export const Sca = ({content}) => <Tooltip tip="Regulatory requirement for individuals to authenticate transactions and other actions with multiple factors.">
    {content}
  </Tooltip>;

## Introduction

**Availability:**

* `CB_VISA_MASTERCARD`
* `AMEX`

Recurring card payments are when the <Platform content="platform" /> repeatedly charges the end user’s card at regular intervals for the goods and/or services provided.

This feature allows platforms to manage subscriptions and payment installments. Mangopay's solution provides the flexibility for you to set up custom recurring payments with no fixed amount or end date.

Recurring card payments have two phases:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Customer-initiated transaction (CIT)">
    An initial pay-in in the presence of the cardholder, which will be subject to <Sca content="SCA" />. No exemption is possible on a CIT.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Merchant-initiated transactions (MIT)">
    Subsequent pay-ins made in the absence of the cardholder, initiated by the platform. These transactions are not subject to SCA.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

[Learn more about SCA on card pay-ins](/guides/payment-methods/card/3ds) →

<Note>
  **Note - Recurring payment availability**

  Recurring payments are available for all Mangopay-supported currencies, and only for:

  * Registered cards
  * Payments to which the 3DS protocol applies
  * `CB_VISA_MASTERCARD` and `AMEX` card types
</Note>

### How it works

Prior to processing recurring payments, you need to have a card registered. For more information regarding the card registration, see the <a href="/guides/payment-methods/card/direct/how-to">How to process a card payment</a> article.

Recurring payments can then be processed in three steps:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the Recurring Registration object to store information about the future recurring payments." />

  <Step title="Process the first recurring payment (CIT) within 24 hours of the card registration." />

  <Step title="Process the subsequent recurring payments (MIT) at the defined intervals." />
</Steps>

<Warning>
  **Caution - CIT may be requested subsequently**

  Once the recurring payments have started, a new CIT may be necessary if:

  * The card of the recurring registration is changed
  * The issuer requests it for reasons of fraud prevention
</Warning>

### Free cycles

In some cases, you might want to automatically offer a free recurring pay-ins for your end user as an incentive while still registering and authenticating the payment card (e.g., “first month free” or “free trial” subscription offers).

By ensuring the recurring payments are authenticated prior to the first actual debit, free cycles benefit:

* The end users who get to try platform service for free
* The platform who is guaranteed to be able to charge the end user at the end of the free trial for instance.

Mangopay offers a way to automatically set up this payment model with the `FreeCycles` parameter. It makes it possible to indicate the number of initial recurring pay-ins which are going to be made without funds being debited or fees applied (i.e., passed at zero).

## Related resources

<CardGroup col={2}>
  <Card title="How to" href="/guides/payment-methods/card/recurring/how-to">
    Learn how to process a recurring card payment
  </Card>

  <Card title="Endpoint" href="/api-reference/recurring-payin-registrations/recurring-payin-registration-object">
    The Recurring PayIn Registration object
  </Card>
</CardGroup>