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Supported verticals

Subscription Payment Processing, Boarded on PayPal Rails

If your revenue depends on the next rebill, you need a processor built for it, not one that treats recurring billing as an afterthought. SwissPay vaults cards and PayPal wallets for subscriptions and trials, processed on PayPal.

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SubscriptionsCard and wallet vaulting
PCI L1Service Provider (AOC-backed)
PayPal railsProcessed on PayPal
T+2 USDSettlement to your own bank
Quick answer

Subscription payment processing is how recurring businesses charge cards on a schedule, from monthly memberships to free trials that convert to paid rebills. SwissPay is a payment facilitator built for subscriptions, boarding merchants in-house on PayPal rails with card and PayPal-wallet vaulting for rebills, 3-D Secure 2 where required, and T+2 USD settlement.

What is subscription payment processing?

Subscription payment processing is the recurring charging of a customer's card or wallet on a schedule, covering memberships, free trials, and rebills. It relies on a stored, tokenized payment credential (a vault) so the merchant can bill again without re-entering card details. SwissPay provides that vaulting on PayPal rails for card and PayPal-wallet payments.

Unlike a one-time checkout, a subscription charges the same customer again and again, so the payment credential has to be stored securely and reused. That stored credential lives in a tokenized card vault inside a PCI DSS Level 1 environment. With SwissPay, each rebill charges the vaulted credential through one integration. It works for straight monthly plans, annual plans, free trials that convert, and mixed rebill cycles.

How a payment flows through SwissPay: 1. Customer pays, Card or PayPal wallet at your checkout; 2. Screened in real time, Fraud scoring and 3-D Secure 2; 3. Processed on PayPal rails, SwissPay boards and underwrites you in-house; 4. Disputes handled, Card chargebacks and PayPal disputes; 5. Paid out T+2 in USD, Settlement to your own bank account
Diagram: SwissPay.ai

How does card and wallet vaulting for rebills work?

Vaulting stores a tokenized version of the customer's card or PayPal wallet at first checkout, then reuses that token for every rebill. SwissPay vaults credentials in a PCI DSS Level 1 tokenized environment, and each rebill charges the vaulted credential on PayPal rails, so customers do not re-enter their details.

When a customer subscribes, SwissPay stores their Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover card, or their PayPal wallet, in its tokenized card vault inside its PCI DSS Level 1 environment, and your systems keep only a token. Each rebill charges the vaulted credential, with 3-D Secure 2 where required, and settles in USD to your own bank at T+2. Because the credential is vaulted, the customer does not re-enter payment details, and rebills run through one integration.

How does SwissPay handle free trials and rebills?

SwissPay supports free trials that convert to paid. The card or PayPal wallet is vaulted at signup, and each rebill, from trial conversion onward, charges that vaulted credential without asking the customer to pay again. Every rebill settles in USD, T+2, to your own bank account, on PayPal rails.

A common problem for any subscription business is involuntary churn: rebills that fail because a card expired or was declined. Merchants usually handle it with clear pre-rebill reminders, an easy way for customers to update their payment details, and more than one way to pay. On SwissPay, subscribers can pay by card or with their PayPal wallet.

How does SwissPay control chargebacks on subscriptions?

Recurring billing draws more disputes than one-time sales, so SwissPay pairs it with chargeback and PayPal dispute handling with automated evidence submission. Every subscription runs behind real-time fraud scoring, with 3-D Secure 2 where required. A clear descriptor, a predictable cadence and an easy cancellation path help on your side.

Subscriptions attract disputes because customers forget a rebill, miss a trial-conversion date, or do not recognize the descriptor. On the front end, SwissPay applies real-time fraud scoring using AVS, device and risk signals, with 3-D Secure 2 where required. On your side, a descriptor that matches your brand helps customers recognize the charge. When a dispute does land, whether a card chargeback or a PayPal dispute, SwissPay handles it with automated evidence submission.

Which subscription verticals does SwissPay support?

SwissPay supports recurring and trial billing across nutraceuticals and supplements, health and wellness subscriptions, telehealth and telemedicine, skincare and beauty, and software and SaaS. Each of these leans on rebills, trials, or memberships, and each is boarded in-house on PayPal rails with card and PayPal-wallet vaulting built for recurring revenue.

Nutraceuticals and supplements

Subscribe-and-save, auto-ship and trial-to-paid rebills.

Health and wellness

Subscription boxes, memberships and recurring testing.

Telehealth and telemedicine

Recurring prescriptions via a licensed pharmacy, including GLP-1.

Skincare and beauty

Replenishment subscriptions and trial offers.

Software and SaaS

Monthly and annual plans with card and wallet vaulting.

How do I get started with subscription processing?

Submit one application with your business, billing model and website. SwissPay reviews and underwrites you in-house, with no PayPal account required. If approved, you wire recurring billing through a rich REST API, hosted checkout, or the Shopify and WooCommerce plugins. Start at the application form or email support@swisspay.ai.

  1. 1
    Complete the application

    Provide your business name, contact, website and subscription model.

  2. 2
    We review and underwrite you

    SwissPay reviews and underwrites your business in-house.

  3. 3
    Integrate recurring billing

    Wire recurring billing on a rich REST API, hosted checkout, or the Shopify and WooCommerce plugins.

  4. 4
    Vault and run rebills

    Vault cards and PayPal wallets, then run rebills and trials with T+2 USD settlement.

Running subscriptions, trials or rebills?

Apply once and the team will assess your billing model and vertical.

Apply for a merchant account

Related

Frequently asked questions

What is subscription payment processing?
Subscription payment processing is the recurring charging of a customer's card or wallet on a schedule, covering memberships, free trials and rebills. It relies on a stored, tokenized payment credential so a merchant can bill again without re-entering card details. SwissPay provides that vaulting on PayPal rails for card and PayPal-wallet payments.
Can SwissPay handle free trials that convert to paid?
Yes. A free trial vaults the customer's card or PayPal wallet up front, then bills it when the trial converts to paid. SwissPay supports trial-to-paid rebills, and each later rebill charges the vaulted credential, with T+2 USD settlement to your own bank account.
Where are subscribers' card details stored?
Card details are stored in SwissPay's tokenized card vault inside its PCI DSS Level 1 environment, and your systems keep only a token. Each rebill charges the vaulted credential, with 3-D Secure 2 where required, so customers do not re-enter their details every cycle.
Do I need my own PayPal account to run subscriptions on SwissPay?
No. SwissPay is a PayPal-managed payment facilitator that boards and underwrites merchants in-house on PayPal rails. You vault cards and PayPal wallets and run rebills without holding your own PayPal account, and payments are processed on PayPal, one of the most established payment networks on the internet.
How does SwissPay handle chargebacks on recurring billing?
Recurring billing draws more disputes than one-time sales, so every subscription runs behind real-time fraud scoring, with 3-D Secure 2 where required. When a card chargeback or PayPal dispute lands, SwissPay handles it with automated evidence submission.
Which subscription businesses does SwissPay support?
SwissPay supports recurring and trial billing for nutraceuticals and supplements, health and wellness subscriptions, telehealth and telemedicine including GLP-1 via a licensed pharmacy, skincare and beauty, and software and SaaS. If you are not sure where your model fits, apply once and the team assesses it.
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026

Apply for a merchant account

Tell us about your business. One application, boarded and underwritten in-house on PayPal rails, with card and PayPal-wallet processing built for subscriptions.

  • Boarded and underwritten in-house, no separate PayPal account needed
  • Card and PayPal-wallet vaulting for subscriptions, trials and rebills
  • PCI DSS Level 1, 3-D Secure 2 where required, and chargeback and dispute handling built in