Payment Methods
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Audience | public |
| Page type | reference |
| Area | sg-dashboard |
| Updated | 2026-05-14 |
How payment methods are managed in SGEN — add, update, select renewal-target.
Payment methods in SGEN are the configured payment instruments used to charge the account's subscription. The account can hold multiple methods on file; one is designated as the renewal-target — the instrument the platform charges when the subscription cycle reaches its renewal boundary. This page is the Reference definition of the Payment Methods sub-page.
What is this for?
Read this page when you want the structural definition of payment-method management — what kinds of instruments are supported, how the renewal-target works, and how method updates connect to the subscription lifecycle.
Good use cases
- You need to add a new card before the current one expires.
- You are explaining to a stakeholder how SGEN handles payment-method updates.
- You hit a "renewal failed because the card expired" question and want the model laid out.
- You are designing internal SOPs around payment-method handoff.
What NOT to use this for
- Step-by-step add/update procedures — open the relevant Guide.
- Per-customer pricing — customer agreement.
- Per-release shipped change — open What's New or Changelog.
- Store-side payment processing — open Payment Gateways.
How this connects to other features
- Billing Overview — parent Reference area.
- Subscriptions — what the renewal-target instrument charges against.
- Invoices — the record of every charge against a payment method.
- SG-Dashboard Overview — parent surface.
Definition
A payment method in SGEN is a configured payment instrument the platform can charge against the account. The account can hold multiple methods; one is designated as the renewal-target.
The defining property is account-tier. Payment methods belong to the account, not to individual sites. One renewal-target handles the subscription regardless of how many sites the account holds.
Purpose
The purpose of this page is to define the payment-method model as a Reference layer rather than as a configuration walkthrough. It explains what kinds of methods are supported, how the renewal-target is selected, and how method updates affect the subscription lifecycle.
Scope
This page covers Payment Methods at the Reference level.
The page covers:
- The kinds of payment methods supported.
- The renewal-target selection model.
- How method updates affect renewal.
- The boundary against store-side payment processing.
- Per-step add/update procedures — Guides.
- Per-customer pricing — customer agreement.
- Store-side payment processing — Payment Gateways Reference.
Supported method types
The platform supports common payment instrument types.
Card
Credit and debit cards. The most common renewal-target type.
Bank-related instruments
Where the plan and region support it, ACH-style instruments are accepted as renewal-target.
Manual / invoice-based
For Enterprise-tier accounts where billing happens via invoice rather than auto-charge, the renewal-target can be set to manual mode. The platform issues invoices on the renewal cadence; payment happens through the invoice flow rather than via a charged instrument.
Account · Billing · Payment methods
Methods on file
Renewal-target selection
One method is designated renewal-target at any time. The renewal-target is the instrument the platform charges at the next renewal cycle.
Single renewal-target
Only one renewal-target exists per account. Setting a new renewal-target automatically un-sets the previous one.
Switching renewal-target
Switching is supported between any two methods on file. The switch takes effect immediately; the next renewal charges the newly designated instrument.
Method updates and renewal impact
Updating a payment method affects future renewal but never re-charges past invoices.
Update before renewal boundary
Updating the renewal-target before the next renewal boundary means the next charge runs against the updated method.
Update after a failed renewal
Updating the renewal-target after a failed renewal allows the operator to retry the renewal against the updated instrument; the recovery flow walks the operator through the retry.
Update outside renewal events
Updating outside renewal events has no immediate billing effect; the change applies at the next renewal boundary.
Constraints and boundaries
Payment Methods is a Reference area for the configured payment instruments at account tier. It is not a substitute for store-side payment processing.
Use this Reference for:
- Understanding what payment instruments SGEN supports for billing.
- Confirming the renewal-target model.
- Reasoning about method updates and their effect on renewal.
- Store-side customer payments — Payment Gateways Reference.
- Per-customer pricing — customer agreement.
- Per-step procedures — Guides.
Public boundary
This page is intentionally public-safe. It does not expose payment processor internals, exact API surfaces, or protected operational identifiers.
Examples
Example 1 — Operator updates renewal-target before card expiry
The current renewal-target card expires next month. The operator adds a new card, sets it as renewal-target, confirms the next renewal date matches the expected charge against the new card. The previous card stays on file but is no longer the renewal-target.
Example 2 — Failed renewal resolves via method update
Renewal fails because the configured card declined. The operator opens Payment Methods, updates the card, runs the recovery retry, and the subscription returns to active.
Example 3 — Enterprise account configures invoice-based billing
An Enterprise-tier account configures the renewal-target as manual / invoice-based. The platform issues invoices on the renewal cadence; payment happens through the invoice flow rather than via auto-charge.
Documentation guidance
Use this page as the structural definition for payment-method management. Procedural detail belongs in Guides; per-release behavior change belongs in What's New or Changelog.
Reading order
Open this page when scoping payment-method changes or troubleshooting renewal-related questions. Pair with Subscriptions for the renewal cycle context and Invoices for the historical charge record.
Related reading
- Billing Overview — parent Reference area.
- Subscriptions — what the renewal-target charges against.
- Invoices — historical charge record.
- Payment Gateways — store-side payment processing (separate concern).
Vocabulary cross-reference
- Payment method is a configured payment instrument on file.
- Renewal-target is the method the platform charges at the next renewal.
- Method update is any change to a payment method on file.
- Recovery retry is the action that re-runs a failed renewal against an updated method.
- Manual / invoice-based is the billing mode that issues an invoice instead of auto-charging.
Maintenance discipline
When payment-method behavior changes across releases (new method type supported, new renewal-target rule, new recovery flow), update this Reference and log the change in Changelog. The model stays valuable because the renewal-target shape stays small.
Related reading
| Topic |
|---|
| Billing Overview |
| Subscriptions |
| Invoices |
| SG-Dashboard |