How can I add and charge a customer's card on file for manual orders?

[JackTr]

Hello, I found this article: https://www.shopify.com/ca/retail/card-on-file-transactions which seems to be saying that we can now add customers' cards on file. But it doesn't explain at all how to do so.

We deal with quite a several B2B clients, and orders can drastically vary from week to week (so a subscription app isn't an option). But when an order is placed (usually by sending us an email), we'd like to be able to create an order manually and charge their "card on file".  Today we're doing this through Quickbooks (so not a safety concern there since that exists), but we'd like to skip a step and do this directly through Shopify.

It could be something as simple as adding the "Charge card on file" option to the "Collect payment" button.

Does anyone know how to make this work?

Thank you!

[Sophia]

Hey, @JackTr!

The options for charging a card on file are through subscriptions (with one of the subscription apps for Shopify Checkout) or installments (with a payment option like Shop Pay Installments or Split).

For your B2B clients, you can create a draft order and send them an invoice, which allows them to go through the checkout process with the cart that you've created for them. Would that work for you?

[JackTr]

Sophia, thank you for your reply.

This sounds like a great solution but not the one we're looking for. Some of our clients make their orders by email and would like to be charged automatically when we add them to our system. The issue is that their orders vary weekly in quantity for each item depending on consumption.

Ideally, we need to be able to save their card on file so we can charge them when we create the order directly from Shopify. As of right now, we are going to have to do it through QB (starting this Monday) unless we find a solution through Shopify which is our preferred method.

The weirdest thing is that I see some of our customers' payment methods in their profiles (see screenshot). Not sure how these got there, but ideally we could add this payment info manually, and charge them when the order is placed.

Thank you!

[Sophia]

I understand, and I appreciate you sharing these details. At this time, there isn't a way to charge a customer via draft order—they'll need to go through the checkout process once they receive their invoice. I've submitted a feature request on your behalf to our developers.

To clarify, the payment methods listed on customer profiles should be from Shop Pay, which gives customers the option to securely store credit card details, shipping, and billing addresses for future purchases. In the case of Shop Pay, it will always be the customer authorizing a new charge when they checkout—the system just stores their information to make their checkout process quicker and easier.

[JackTr]

Noted, thank you for your help!

[sf2000]

Hi Jack, were  you ever able to find a way to do exactly what you were looking to do here?

[JackTr]

Sadly not. @Sophia any udpate on this feature by any chance?

[Sophia]

Hi, @JackTr!

I am unable to provide updates on the status of feature requests. However, any changes will be posted to the Shopify Changelog.

[MrHatt]

In store permissions, you have the ability to give users the ability to "Charge vaulted cards."  However, I need help finding a way to charge a vaulted card.  

[Sophia]

Hi, @MrHatt! 

The staff permission "Charge vaulted card" applies to products that were purchased through an option like pre-orders or try before you buy. With these purchase options, there will be a scheduled date to automatically collect the payment. If payment needs to be collected early, that is handled through a button on the order details page.

[Laura_Wing]

Is it possible to enable Try Before You Buy only for certain customers/orders?

[Sophia]

Hi, @Laura_Wing!

This may depend on which one of the try-before-you-buy apps  you're using, but it is definitely possible with some apps to control who accesses the feature.

[mim768]

Hi Sophia,

I'm jumping in on this thread because I'm trying to find a solution to this issue as well. I rent medical equipment by the month, and my customers want a solution to be able to book online and only have to be able to provide their card that first time. Sending an invoice is not an option - they are in possession of my very expensive equipment and I need to keep a card on file. We are currently needing to add the extra step of adding their credit card to our merchant service account, which is not how we want to do this and is not how our customers want to either.

I'm curious how Shopify itself is able to save MY credit card on file to charge my subscription fee each month, but is unable to find a way for me to do the same with my customers?

[Sophia]

Hi, @mim768!

Thank you for taking the time to offer some information about your business—I really appreciate that context. 

Have you looked into subscriptions? This might work for you since you rent by the month, and subscriptions allow your customers to make scheduled payments in a repeating frequency.

[mim768]

Hi Sophia, the problem with using a subscription is that it will automatically bill a month after the day the first payment was made, but that might not be the actual due date. For example, someone books a hospital bed on the 10th, but its delivered on the 15th. The next rental payment isn't due until the next 15th of the month, but a subscription service bills them on the 10th. Do you know a solution to this?

[Sophia]

Thanks for clarifying that, @mim768. 

At the moment, subscription plans allow you to charge on a recurring term (like monthly), but not on a specific date. I'll be sure to share this detail with our developers.

[HTB]

@Sophia its Now September of 2024 and Shopify doesn’t have a COF feature like Square POS.??

We are in the process of migrating to Shopify due to some better features and fulfillment integrations. However we might need to re think this as our b2b business customers call and always say to charge the card on file. as I am Bulding the site and pos I couldn’t find the cof feature. Now I know why, it’s not there.

We don’t store the information, square stores it for us and we can’t see the card. We just click the charge card on file. If we have to enter a card every time we get a call for an order then it’s not worth the switch to Shopify. 

crazy people asking for this in 2022! Almost 2025 in 3 months and Shopify is like no?

[JackTr]

Still need this feature... 😕

[sweissbach]

Jumping on here because we also need this feature. We work with several clients whom we bill a la carte for items of varying dollar amounts throughout the month. Subscriptions are not a viable solution for our business model either. @Sophia I know you can't provide updates; however, wanted to throw another request in the ring!

[Sophia]

Thanks, @sweissbach!

Your request has been noted.

[BillyPSP]

Hi Sophia, 

Cards on file for non subscription transactions and orders are a key service element for our business.  We often have a customers card details stored and when they call us, we create a new order and charge it to their account.  This happens with a phone conversation and authorization and permission to do so.  These are usually high value, loyal customers.  The inability to have their card on file means that every time they call in to our high service business model, they need to re give their card details to us. This they do not like at all.  

Are there any apps or functionality in shopify that allow for this?  

If not, please add me to the list of people wanting this request. 

Kind regards, 

Billy

[Sophia]

Hi, Billy!

I'm not aware of any apps that are able to store credit card details, so the only workaround I can offer for now would be processing a draft order and sending the invoice to the customer.

I'll include your comment here in the feature requests submitted to our developers. Thank you!

[Kristen_Z]

I agree with Billy,

This is a HUGE problem for my clients as well. We are on a plus plan and it is ridiculous that we cannot place orders for our clients without asking for their CC each time.. you should be more forthcoming with all of your stores that need to service B2B because Shopify is NOTTT the right platform for this. I wish I had known more before moving a client of mine to Plus that the system is not right for B2B on any level. 

Shopify needs to find a way to support businesses like this.

If there is an app that would be amazing otherwise please add me to the list of people who need this functionality.

[BillyPSP]

Hi Sophia, 

Any progress on this? We have other POS options that allow you to do this, for example Square. This would be very helpful. As a user we would not need access to the card and verification info, just the ability to charge to it. And a card on file being added is done explicitly with the customer. 

many thanks 

Billy

[Sophia]

Thanks for expressing your interest in this, Billy!

As I've previously mentioned in this thread, I am unable to provide updates on the status of feature requests. However, any changes will be posted to the Shopify Changelog.

[fmscmarketplace]

I am also looking for this option for some of our customers and wanted to add another request for developing this option.  We want to charge a deposit for customers and then when they return items we only charge them for the items they kept. Depending on how many items they keep will depend on if the deposit will be refunded or if they will owe us money.  We would like the security of having their card info on file so that if they don't return the products we can bill them for the full value.

[Lejend20]

The fact that this is not a feature is astounding. It is one of the most basic feature of any payment processor out there! i.e. Square, Quickbook payments, authorize.net, ect. This is certainly not an extraordinary feature, and I have to say that as a company who has been greatly let down by the features of Shopify, it is disappointing that we did not realize this was not a feature until we got to the testing phase of our store, 6 months after starting our transition. 

We are a multi million dollar business and to suddenly tell our customers that we can no longer save a card on file for them to use at checkout, pay invoices, or even for us to be able to charge over the phone, is totally ridiculous.

To all of the people in this thread looking for a workaround, I would suggest integrating your shopify store with another payment processor and NOT using Shopify payments. This will, of course, cost a small % as shopify is greedy and charges you for not using their processor, but until shopify allows their payment processor to do this natively, it's the only option. 

If you sue something like QuickBooks payments or Authorize.net, you can save the customers card on file and then you can charge it as needed based on your agreement with your customer. 

I hope this helps and will try to remember to post an update with whatever final solution we implement.

[BillyPSP]

Hi all, 

Here is our current workaround... Hope it is helpful to someone and hope Shopify finds us a solution!

We migrated to Shopify from Square.  Square manages cards on file with no problem... So I have set up a new payment method in Shopify so that it records sales and tracks inventories but doesn't take payments.  I called it "Square Card on file". Then I go and process a miscellaneous charge on square to the card on file.  The customer receives two receipts.  One from Shopify and one from Square. And then from an accounting point of view, in quickbooks, we account accordingly where Shopify reports for all the sales and taxes and Square for the income and square fees. Not ideal, but the only way we can serve our customers... 

Sophia, any progress on this?  Seems to be like quite a bit of demand. 

[HTB]

It’s 2024 and they still don’t have this feature like square does?

[osbs]

Where did you find this setting?

[ShastaCFI]

I’m also jumping on this! I have multiple elderly clients who don’t have a cell phone or email and would like to keep her card on file.  So they can just be charged when they call to place the order….so hopefully they figure this out. You’d think for the price I pay for this and the additional apps you “have” to pay for this would be included. I also have issues with the discounts and bundles. But that’s for another thread lol

[AliveWater]

Come on shopify, we all pay you so much money each month!!

These features should be simple to integrate

[wbeesley]

Some of the most basic requests shopify refuses to do. This and accepting ACH for example. I regret using this platform SO MUCH sometimes.

[yodankful]

Yeah we use Plus so i dont think it works on other plans but with the ‘New Customer Accounts’ we have turned on since we need it for b2b, we assign access to a generic internal email customer to a b2b company account location, which lets us access that company from the front end and save a card on file for that location. So to my knowledge at this time, this is the ONLY way to save a card on file and use as a vault card for later, someone must do it from the front end. Then you’re able to use this vaulted card to charge any order from the backend. But of course you must create the order first (with some terms) and then you can charge, I’ve already push them for it but would be much better to access vaulted cards at the draft level so you can charge before actually creating the order

[Wewiw]

Easy Pie Checkout for Shopify solves this problem. A Stripe-powered third party checkout solution.

This solution solves this problem by using Stripe's Future Payment feature. 
1.a. Your customer adds $0 product to the cart and goes to the Easy Pie Checkout (automatically redirected), the customer is informed that this payment method will be open to future payments while filling in their payment information, and the customer approves this, so the customer's payment method will be open to future payments.

1.b. Or Easy Pie team can customize the solution for you so that this approval can be obtained for any payment.

2. And you can later collect payment from the customer via the registered payment method via your Stripe dashboard.
All payment methods that support subscriptions support future payments. For example, Card, ACH Debit and SEPA Debit…

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