The useful question is what changes for users, developers or buyers, and whether the announcement stays industry context or becomes something people can actually use.

CoinGate has introduced a Billing API to automate recurring crypto billing, addressing the push-based nature of blockchain payments where funds cannot be pulled silently from a customer’s wallet. The system generates and sends invoices on a set schedule, requiring the customer to approve each payment. This approach replaces manual invoice creation and reduces card-specific failures such as expired cards or issuer declines that often disrupt subscriptions. The API integrates with existing systems by linking a customer’s external ID to CoinGate’s contact records, streamlining record-keeping without additional mapping tables.

The Billing API operates by creating a contact (customer), optionally a product (priced line item), and a recurring schedule with a frequency and start date. For example, a subscription priced in euros uses the numeric currency ID from the currencies endpoint, not the symbol. The API then automates invoice generation and email delivery to the customer. A callback URL receives updates on billing request statuses, such as pending, completed, expired, or canceled, allowing businesses to track payments and manage subscriptions accordingly.

To discontinue a recurring billing schedule, businesses can send a PATCH request to the API, which stops future and scheduled invoices while leaving already-issued ones unaffected. The schedule’s status updates to canceled, and the callback payload includes the external contact ID for accurate user identification. This ensures that cancellations are handled efficiently without disrupting existing invoices or requiring manual intervention.

The Billing API distinguishes between the currency displayed on the invoice (currency_id) and the currency received (receive_currency_id), which may differ based on customer payment preferences. For businesses preferring to retain original coins and manage conversions separately, the Convert API can be used. This setup clarifies the practical limitations of crypto subscriptions compared to traditional card-based billing, emphasizing transparency and customer control in each transaction cycle.