What is Subscription API?
Definition
A programming interface provided by payment platforms that enables developers to create and manage subscription billing in their applications.
Understanding Subscription API
Subscription APIs power the technical infrastructure of recurring billing. Platforms like Stripe Billing, Paddle, Chargebee, and Recurly provide APIs that handle the complexity of subscription management: plan creation, proration, dunning, invoicing, tax calculation, and webhook notifications. These APIs abstract away the complexity of PCI compliance, global tax rules, and payment processing.
For developers building subscription products, choosing the right billing API affects payment success rates, developer experience, and available payment methods. Most modern subscription services are built on one of these underlying billing platforms.
Related Terms
API Access
The ability to programmatically interact with a subscription service through its Application Programming Interface.
Payment Gateway
A service that processes credit card and electronic payment transactions for subscription businesses.
Recurring Billing
An automatic payment system that charges a customer at predetermined intervals for ongoing access to a product or service.
Webhook
An automated notification sent from a subscription service to your application when specific events occur.