Payment methods are the saved cards we use to charge your subscription, your [top-ups](/guides/billing/top-up), and your [auto-recharge](/guides/billing/auto-recharge). They're stored at Stripe — we never store full card numbers in our systems.

## Add a payment method

Open **Billing → Payment methods** in the console. Click **Add card** to launch the secure Stripe form. Enter the card number and complete any 3D Secure (SCA) challenge your bank requires. The card is verified with a zero-amount authorization and then attached to your Stripe customer record.

If verification fails, the card is not saved and you'll see the decline reason from Stripe. Try a different card or contact your bank.

## Set the default

The default card is what auto-recharge charges, and what we suggest first on the subscription Checkout. To change it, click **Set as default** on any saved card. Changing the default does not retry any payment already in flight.

## Remove a payment method

Click **Remove** on a saved card. If the card is the current default and you have other saved cards, the system promotes another card to default automatically — pick the right one first on the **Set as default** flow if you need to control which.

You cannot remove the only saved card while [auto-recharge](/guides/billing/auto-recharge) is on. Disable auto-recharge first, then remove the card, then re-enable it with a different card.

## Where payment methods are used

Saved cards are used in three places:

1. **Subscription** — charged on the renewal date (monthly or annual).
2. **Top-up** — Stripe Checkout pre-selects your default but you can pick any saved card during checkout.
3. **Auto-recharge**: charges the card you selected on the auto-recharge form automatically.

The card's expiry month is monitored. We email you in advance when an expiry is approaching so you can update the card before a charge fails.

## Troubleshooting

- **Card was declined when I tried to add it**: your card may be flagged on first use. Try again after a few minutes, or use a different card.
- **My card expired and a recharge failed** — add a new card, set it as default if needed, and re-enable [auto-recharge](/guides/billing/auto-recharge) if it auto-disabled.
- **Can't remove the last card** — disable auto-recharge first.

See also: [Activity log](/guides/activity/activity-log) — payment-method attach, detach, and set-default events are recorded for audit.