---
title: "Saved cards and subscriptions with USA ePay"
url: "https://kestrelwp.com/docs/usa-epay-saved-cards-and-subscriptions/"
description: "Let customers save cards with USA ePay and charge them for subscriptions and pre-orders."
published: "2026-10-06T20:23:10+00:00"
modified: "2026-10-06T20:23:10+00:00"
---

With saved cards turned on, logged-in customers can store a card and pay with it next time, and WooCommerce Subscriptions and WooCommerce Pre-Orders can charge it automatically. USA ePay stores the card; your store keeps a reference to it, with the card type, last four digits and expiration.

## When you’d use this

- Let returning customers check out without entering their card again.
- Charge subscription renewals with WooCommerce Subscriptions or Constellation’s built-in recurring billing.
- Take payment for pre-orders when they’re released, with WooCommerce Pre-Orders.

## Turn on saved cards

Go to **WooCommerce » Settings » Payments » USA ePay**, turn on **Tokenization** and click **Save changes**.

Logged-in customers then see an option to save their card under the card form at checkout (**Securely Save to Account** on the classic checkout), and can add a card under **My account » Payment methods** without placing an order. When a cart needs a saved card, such as a cart with a subscription, the card is saved without asking.

![USA ePay: Turn on saved cards (my account › Payment methods)](https://kestrelwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/usa-epay-ue-08-docs-01.png)With **Saved Card Security Code** on (the default), customers enter the card’s security code again when they pay with a saved card.

## What customers can do

Under **My account » Payment methods**, customers can:

- Add a card.
- Choose which saved card is their default.
- Delete a card they no longer want to use.

At checkout, they pick a saved card or choose **Use a new card**.

### Update an expired card

A saved card’s details can’t be changed. When a card expires or is replaced, the customer deletes it under **My account » Payment methods** and adds the new card. If a subscription used the old card, they then change the subscription’s payment method to the new card from the subscription in **My account**.

## Subscriptions and Pre-Orders

With **Tokenization** on, USA ePay for WooCommerce supports:

- **WooCommerce Subscriptions**: automatic renewals charged to the saved card, payment method changes, renewal date changes and failed payment retries. Renewals are flagged to USA ePay as recurring payments.
- **Constellation’s built-in recurring billing**, which runs on the same subscriptions engine.
- **WooCommerce Pre-Orders**: the saved card is charged when the pre-order is released.

If either plugin is active and **Tokenization** is off, the admin shows "USA ePay is inactive for subscription transactions. Please enable tokenization to activate USA ePay for Subscriptions." (or the same message for pre-order transactions). Turn on **Tokenization** to clear it.

## Manage a customer’s saved cards

Go to **Users**, edit the customer and scroll to **USA ePay for Payment Tokens**. It lists their saved cards with the card type, last four digits and expiration, and lets you remove one.

![USA ePay: Manage a customer's saved cards (the USA ePay for Payment Tokens section)](https://kestrelwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/usa-epay-ue-09-docs-01.png)Saved cards belong to an environment, so cards saved while testing in **Sandbox** don’t show or work in **Production**.

## Common issues

### There’s no option to save the card

**Tokenization** is off, or the customer isn’t logged in.

### A renewal failed after the customer’s card expired

The saved card still has the old expiration. Ask the customer to add their new card under **My account » Payment methods** and switch the subscription to it, then retry the renewal order.

### "USA ePay is inactive for subscription transactions."

WooCommerce Subscriptions or Constellation is active, but **Tokenization** is off. Turn it on in the gateway settings.

## Keep learning

- [Get started with USA ePay](/docs/get-started-with-usa-epay/) (Tokenization and Saved Card Security Code)
- [Capture and refund USA ePay payments](/docs/capture-and-refund-usa-epay-payments/)