Recurring Database User Guide

1. Overview

The Recurring Database in Transaction Manager allows merchants to create, search, manage, and monitor recurring payment transactions. It is used when a customer needs to be billed repeatedly on a defined schedule, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or yearly.

Using the Recurring Database, merchants can:

• Add individual recurring transactions.
• Search existing recurring payment records.
• Edit recurring transaction details.
• View recurring transaction history.
• Manually process a recurring transaction.
• Suspend or delete a recurring transaction.
• Import recurring or installment records in bulk.
• Export recurring data for reporting or backup.
• Review expired credit card reports.
• View recurring transaction status reports.

The Recurring Database is useful for merchants who manage subscriptions, membership payments, installment plans, or any payment schedule that repeats over time.

2. Accessing Recurring Database

1. Log in to Transaction Manager using your username and password.
2. Navigate to: Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database
3. The Recurring Database page opens.

From this page, you can search recurring records, add a new recurring transaction, import recurring data, export records, review reports, and manage existing recurring transactions.

The recurring database stores data about transactions that occur regularly. You can manage, add, delete, process, suspend, import, or export the recurring transaction.

3. Recurring Database Search Fields

The Recurring Database page includes search filters that allow you to locate existing recurring transactions.

Field	Description
Effective Date	Search for recurring transactions based on the date when the recurring payment sequence starts.
Date Created	Search based on the date when the recurring record was created.
Frequency	Filter recurring records by payment frequency, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
Customer Info	Search using customer-related information, such as customer name, email, customer number, or other available customer details.
Active	Filter records based on whether the recurring transaction is active or inactive.
Status	Filter recurring transactions based on their current status.
Company Name / Last Name	Search using the customer’s company name or last name.
Identification	Search using the identification value associated with the recurring record, if available.
Amount	Search by recurring payment amount.
Card Number	Search using available card-related information, where applicable.
Invoice Number	Search by invoice number associated with the recurring transaction.

4. Searching for a Recurring Transaction

1. Go to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.
2. Enter one or more search criteria.
3. Click Search.
4. Matching recurring records are displayed in the results grid.
5. Review the search results to locate the required recurring transaction.

The results grid may include details such as Recurring ID, payment type, card number, effective date, frequency, number of payments, invoice number, customer number, company name, full name, identification, amount, and date created.

5. Adding an Individual Recurring Transaction

Use Add to manually create a recurring payment for a single customer.

Before you begin, make sure the customer exists in Customer Vault and has a saved Payment Profile. A recurring transaction cannot be added without a payment profile.

1. Navigate to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.

2. Click Add.

3. Select the required Device.

4. In Customer Info, enter the customer name, customer number, or other customer details.

5. Click Search.

6. Select the required customer from the Customer dropdown.
Note: If the customer does not exist, click +Add New Customer to create the customer record first.

7. Select the Payment Type, such as Credit Card or ACH.

8. Select the customer’s Payment Profile.
Note: If no payment profile is available, click Add next to the Payment Profile field.

9. In the Payment Profile window, enter the required payment details, such as:

• Description
• Full Name
• Card Number
• Expiration Date
• Address
• Zip Code
• CVV, if required

10. Click Add to save the payment profile.

11. Return to the Add Recurring Database page and select the saved Payment Profile.

12. Select the Plan Type.

13. Enter the Total Per Recurring amount.

14. Select the Frequency.

15. Enter the Total Number of Payments, or select Unlimited, if applicable.

16. Enter the Start Date.

17. Enter an Invoice/Reference Number, if applicable.

18. Click Add.

A confirmation message appears, and the recurring transaction is added to the Recurring Database

Note: The exact fields displayed on the Add Recurring screen may vary based on the merchant configuration, payment type, and available customer/payment method details.

6. Editing a Recurring Transaction

You can update an existing recurring transaction when details such as amount, frequency, effective date, payment method, or invoice information need to be changed.

1. Go to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.

2. Search for the recurring transaction.

3. In the search results, select the corresponding Recurring ID.

4. The Edit Recurring Database page opens.

5. Update the required fields.

6. Click Update to save the changes.

The recurring transaction is updated with the latest information.

7. Managing Recurring Transactions

After searching for a recurring transaction, you can perform several actions depending on the available options.

Action	Description
History	View the transaction history associated with the selected recurring record. This helps review previous recurring payment activity.
Delete	Remove a recurring transaction from the Recurring Database when it is no longer required.
Process	Manually process the recurring transaction outside its regular schedule.
Suspend	Temporarily pause the recurring transaction without deleting the record.

8. Viewing Recurring Transaction History

1. Search for the recurring transaction.

2. Select History for the required record.

3. Review the previous transaction activity associated with the recurring payment.

Use this option to verify past processing attempts, payment activity, or recurring transaction behavior.

9. Processing a Recurring Transaction Manually

The Process option allows you to manually trigger a recurring transaction.

1. Search for the recurring transaction.

2. Select Process for the required record.

3. Confirm the action, if prompted.

4. Review the processing result.

This option is useful when a payment needs to be processed immediately instead of waiting for the next scheduled date.

10. Suspending a Recurring Transaction

Use Suspend when a recurring transaction needs to be paused temporarily.

1. Search for the recurring transaction.

2. Select Suspend for the required record.

3. Confirm the action, if prompted.

The recurring transaction is suspended and will not continue processing until it is reactivated, where applicable.

11. Resuming a Recurring Transaction

Use Resume when a suspended recurring transaction needs to be resumed.

1. Search for the recurring transaction.

2. Select Resume for the required record.

3. Confirm the action, if prompted.

The recurring transaction is resumed and will continue processing until it is deactivated, where applicable.

12. Deleting a Recurring Transaction

Use Delete when a recurring transaction is no longer required.

1. Search for the recurring transaction.

2. Select Delete for the required record.

3. Confirm the deletion, if prompted.

The selected recurring transaction is removed from the Recurring Database.

13. Importing Recurring or Installment Records

Use Import when you need to upload multiple recurring or installment records in bulk.

1. Navigate to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.

2. Click Import or Upload Recurring.

3. Download the recurring import template, if needed.

4. Prepare the file according to the required import format.

5. Upload the completed file.

6. Click Import.

For complete file format details, field requirements, and import rules, refer to the Recurring and Installment Import Specifications guide.

Note: The import process is intended for bulk upload. To create one recurring transaction manually, use the Add option.

14. Exporting Recurring Records

Use Export to download recurring transaction data for reporting, analysis, backup, or reconciliation.

1. Navigate to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.
2. Search or filter the recurring records, if required.
3. Click Export.
4. Download or save the exported file.

15. Recurring Settings

Use Settings to configure recurring payment email reminders, payment result notifications, branding details, customer support details, and retry settings.

1. Navigate to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.

2. Click Settings. The Recurring Email Settings page opens.

Retry Settings

Use Retry Settings to configure whether failed recurring payments should be retried.

Note: Available settings may vary based on merchant configuration.

16. Expired Credit Card Reports

Use Expired Credit Card Reports to identify recurring transactions linked to expired or soon-to-expire credit cards. This helps merchants update customer payment methods before future recurring payments fail.

1. Navigate to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.

2. Click Expired Credit Card Reports.

3. Review the report details and update the customer’s payment method from Customer Vault or Manage Payment Methods, where applicable.

17. Status Report

Use Status Report to search and review recurring payment processing results. This report helps merchants track approved, failed, or errored recurring payment attempts.

1. Navigate to Virtual Terminal > Recurring Database.

2. Click Status Report.

3. Enter or select the required search criteria, such as:

• Payment Type
• Error
• Company Name
• Identification
• Customer #
• Amount
• Date From
• Date To

4. Click Search.

5. Review the recurring status results.

Use the report to verify whether recurring payments were approved, failed, or returned an error. Click Clear to reset the search filters, if required.

18. Important Notes

• A recurring transaction requires a customer and saved Payment Profile.
• A recurring transaction cannot be created directly from a hosted Payment Form transaction.
• Hosted Payment Form transactions do not automatically create Customer Vault records.
• Hosted Payment Form transactions do not automatically save or tokenize payment methods as Payment Profiles.
• Use Add to manually create one recurring transaction.
• Use Upload Recurring when importing multiple recurring or installment records in bulk.
• Use Customer Vault to create customers and manage saved credit card or bank account details.
• Use Expired Credit Card Reports to identify pa yment profiles that may need to be updated before future recurring payments fail.
• Use Status Report to review recurring payment results, approvals, errors, or failed attempts.
• Deleting a recurring record permanently removes it from the Recurring Database.
• Suspended recurring transactions can be reactivated, where the option is available.

19. Recommended Workflow for Recurring Billing

Use the following workflow when a merchant wants to bill a customer on a recurring schedule:

Create or locate the customer in Customer Vault
↓
Add or confirm a saved credit card/bank account Payment Profile
↓
Go to Recurring Database > Add
↓
Select Device, Customer, and Payment Profile
↓
Enter Plan Type, Total Per Recurring, Frequency, Number of Payments, and Start Date
↓
Click Add
↓
Manage the recurring transaction from Recurring Database

20. FAQs

Q: Can I create a recurring transaction directly from a hosted Payment Form transaction?

Ans: No. A hosted Payment Form transaction does not automatically create a recurring transaction. The customer and saved Payment Profile must first exist in Customer Vault.

Q: Does a hosted Payment Form transaction automatically create a Customer Vault record?

Ans: No. Hosted Payment Form transactions do not automatically create Customer Vault or Customer Database records.

Q: Does a hosted Payment Form transaction automatically save the customer’s card or bank account?

Ans: No. The payment method is not automatically saved as a Payment Profile. To use the payment method for recurring billing, add it under the customer’s saved payment methods in Customer Vault.

Q: What is required to manually add a recurring transaction?

Ans: The required fields include:

• Device
• Customer
• Payment Profile
• Plan Type
• Total Per Recurring
• Frequency
• Total Number of Payments
• Start Date

Q: When should I use Add instead of Import?

Ans: Use Add when creating one recurring transaction manually. Use Import when uploading multiple recurring or installment records in bulk.

Q: Can I use a saved credit card or bank account for recurring billing?

Ans: Yes. Saved payment methods from Customer Vault can be selected as the Payment Profile when creating a recurring transaction.

Q: Can I add a new Payment Profile while adding a recurring transaction?

Ans: Yes. If a Payment Profile is not available, click Add next to the Payment Profile field and enter the required card or bank account details.

Q: Can I suspend a recurring transaction?

Ans: Yes. Use Suspend to temporarily pause a recurring transaction.

Q: Can a suspended recurring transaction be reactivated?

Ans: Yes. Suspended recurring transactions can be reactivated, where the option is available.

Q: What does Delete do?

Ans: Delete permanently removes the recurring record from the Recurring Database.

Q: Where can I check recurring payment results?

Ans: Use Status Report to search and review recurring payment results, including approved, failed, or errored payment attempts.

Q: Where can I find expired cards used for recurring payments?

Ans: Use Expired Credit Card Reports to identify recurring records linked to expired or soon-to-expire cards.

21. Related Virtual Terminal Guides

If you want to…	See this guide
Configure hosted payment forms	Payment Form Guide
Integrate Payment Forms using API fields	Payment Form Specifications
Manage customer records and saved payment methods	Customer Vault User Guide
Import customer records in bulk	Customer Import Specifications
Send invoice payment links to customers	Bill Pay User Guide
Import recurring or installment records in bulk	Recurring and Installment Import Specifications
Manage authorization-only records	Auth Only Database User Guide and Specifications
Process multiple transactions together	Batch Transactions for Merchants Guide
Build batch files using technical file format	Batch Processing Specifications for Merchants

22. Support

If you encounter any issues while using the Recurring Database, contact Charge Anywhere Support at: support@chargeanywhere.com.