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Recurring PSP API guide

Work in progress

Recurring API card passthrough for PSPs is in development and targeted for Q2/Q3 2026.

PSPs using the Recurring API process card payments through their own infrastructure using card passthrough.

This page covers the PSP-specific card passthrough additions; for full Recurring API documentation, see the Recurring API section.

Overview​

Key PSP constraints for card passthrough:

  • Agreements: PSPs must process the Customer-Initiated Transaction (CIT) themselves to verify the payment source and confirm the agreement — Vipps MobilePay does not handle this on your behalf. See Agreements in the Recurring API guide.
  • Charges: PSPs can create recurring charges and unscheduled charges. An optional initial charge on the agreement controls the CIT amount during sign-up; if omitted, a zero-amount CIT is performed. See Charges in the Recurring API guide.
  • Payment sources: Cards are the only supported payment source for PSPs initially. When a user changes their card on an existing agreement, you receive a zero-amount CIT callback to verify the new card — handled entirely through the card callback.

Flows​

There are three main PSP card passthrough flows:

  • Agreement sign-up — user selects a card when signing an agreement. You process a CIT.
  • Charge creation — you create a charge and obtain its card info (returned in the response for unscheduled charges, or fetched via Get payment info on the due date for recurring charges). You process the payment and update us asynchronously.
  • Payment source update — user changes their card on an existing agreement. You process a zero-amount CIT.

Endpoints​

The following table shows how Recurring API endpoints are used in a PSP card passthrough integration.

Recurring API endpointsPSP usage and notes
Draft agreement:
POST:/recurring/v3/agreements		Draft agreement with the merchant's MSN and cardPassthrough fields. Card token delivered via callback to cardCallbackUrl.
Update an agreement:
PATCH:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}		Stop an agreement or update its terms when the user cancels on your end or terms change.
Check the agreement status:
GET:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}
GET:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}		Optional: compare current agreement and charge state with PSP records and decide if updates are needed.
Create charges:
POST:/recurring/v4/agreements/charges		Batch-create PSP recurring or unscheduled charges. Card info is returned directly in the response body for successful unscheduled charges.
Get payment info:
GET:/recurring/v4/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}/payment-info		Fetch card info for a scheduled RECURRING charge on its due date, before reporting its result. Unscheduled charges already receive card info from charge creation.
Report a charge result:
POST:/recurring/v4/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}/result		Report the PSP processing outcome with SUCCESS or FAILED. This keeps Vipps MobilePay and the user's app aligned with the downstream payment result.
Update the status of a reserved charge:
POST:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}/capture
POST:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}/refund
DELETE:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}		Communicate capture, refund, and cancel status to Vipps MobilePay. Payment processing happens in PSP/acquirer systems.

PSPs use the standard Recurring API authentication headers. The PSP-specific parts of the integration are the cardPassthrough object on draft agreement and the PSP-only v4 charge endpoints (create charges, get payment info, and report result). Other endpoints are the same as direct.

These endpoints are rate limited like the rest of the Recurring API. See Rate limits for the current limits.

important

Include the Merchant-Serial-Number header in every request. This identifies the merchant/sales unit you are operating on behalf of.

Authorization​

All Recurring API requests require an access token. Obtain one from the Access Token API using POST:/accesstoken/get:

curl -X POST 'https://apitest.vipps.no/accesstoken/get' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H 'client_id: YOUR-CLIENT-ID' \
-H 'client_secret: YOUR-CLIENT-SECRET' \
-H 'Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key: YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY' \
-H 'Merchant-Serial-Number: YOUR-MSN' \
--data ''

In production, include all Vipps-System headers to aid debugging. See HTTP headers for details.

Use the returned access_token value as the Bearer token in the Authorization header of every subsequent API request:

Authorization: Bearer <access_token>

PSP credentials are not interchangeable with regular merchant or partner credentials. If you already have an ePayment integration as a direct merchant or partner, you need PSP keys. Contact your account manager or customer service to obtain PSP-specific API keys.

Agreements​

Agreement sign-up​

Agreement sign-up is a user-initiated flow. The user selects a card in the Vipps MobilePay app, and Vipps MobilePay calls your cardCallbackUrl synchronously with the card token. You process the CIT and respond with the result to confirm the agreement.

PSP merchant agreement sign-up flow

  1. PSP creates an agreement with Vipps MobilePay (POST /recurring/v3/agreements with cardPassthrough).
  2. Vipps MobilePay returns the vippsConfirmationUrl, agreementId, and chargeId to PSP.
  3. PSP presents the URL to the user.
  4. User selects a card and confirms the agreement with Vipps MobilePay.
  5. Vipps MobilePay posts a card token to the PSP's cardCallbackUrl.
  6. PSP processes the payment.
  7. PSP returns 200 OK with status RESERVE or CAPTURE to Vipps MobilePay.
  8. Vipps MobilePay notifies the user that the agreement is signed.
  9. User is redirected to the PSP's returnUrl.
  10. PSP begins charging the user.

Steps:

  1. Send the agreement request
  2. Respond to the card callback
  3. Start creating charges

Send the agreement request​

Agreement sign-up with card passthrough is initiated by sending a draft agreement request with the following settings:

  • Use the Merchant-Serial-Number header for the merchant/sales unit whose agreement is being created
  • Include the cardPassthrough object, filled out
    • pspReference (required): Your unique reference for CITs on this agreement. Included in the card callback during agreement sign-up and payment source updates.
    • cardCallbackUrl (required): URL where we POST the user's card data (network token, or — when publicEncryptionKeyId is set — the encrypted PAN if no token is available).
    • allowedCardTypes (required): Card types the user can select. At least one of: VISA_DEBIT, VISA_CREDIT, ELEC_DEBIT, MC_DEBIT, MC_CREDIT, DANKORT.
    • preferVisaPartOfVisaDankort: For Danish co-branded Visa/Dankort cards, set to true to route payments through the Visa scheme rather than Dankort. Has no effect on cards that are not Visa/Dankort. Default: false.
    • publicEncryptionKeyId: UUID of your public encryption key registered with us. When set, the PAN is encrypted with this key in card callbacks. Otherwise, only network tokens are delivered.

cardPassthrough​

The cardPassthrough object is required when a PSP merchant drafts an agreement. It is not supported for non-PSP merchants.

FieldRequiredDescription
pspReferenceYesYour unique reference for CITs on this agreement. Included in the card callback during agreement sign-up and payment source updates.
cardCallbackUrlYesURL where we POST the user's card data. HTTPS only; deeplinks are not allowed. See Card callback for the expected request and response format.
allowedCardTypesYesCard types the user can select. At least one of: VISA_DEBIT, VISA_CREDIT, ELEC_DEBIT, MC_DEBIT, MC_CREDIT, DANKORT.
preferVisaPartOfVisaDankortNoFor Danish co-branded Visa/Dankort cards, set to true to route payments through the Visa scheme rather than Dankort. Has no effect on cards that are not Visa/Dankort. Default: false.
publicEncryptionKeyIdNoIdentifier of your public encryption key registered with us. When provided, the PAN is encrypted with this key in card callbacks. Otherwise, only tokens are returned.
note

If you include DANKORT in allowedCardTypes, consider providing a publicEncryptionKeyId. Standalone Dankort cards are not tokenizable — without a key, payments from those cards will fail. See Token vs encrypted PAN in the Card callback section for details.

note

The cardPassthrough object can be updated on an existing agreement via PATCH:/recurring/v3/agreements/{agreementId}. All fields are optional in the patch body — included fields replace existing values, omitted fields are left unchanged.

Example request body:

{
  "pricing": {
    "type": "LEGACY",
    "currency": "NOK",
    "amount": 10000
  },
  "interval": {
    "unit": "MONTH",
    "count": "1"
  },
  "initialCharge": {
    "amount": 10000,
    "description": "First payment",
    "transactionType": "RESERVE_CAPTURE"
  },
  "merchantRedirectUrl": "https://example.com/redirect",
  "merchantAgreementUrl": "https://example.com/agreement",
  "productName": "Streaming subscription",
  "cardPassthrough": {
    "pspReference": "subscription-product-123",
    "cardCallbackUrl": "https://example.com/psp-callback",
    "allowedCardTypes": ["VISA_DEBIT", "VISA_CREDIT", "ELEC_DEBIT", "MC_CREDIT", "MC_DEBIT", "DANKORT"],
    "preferVisaPartOfVisaDankort": true
  }
}
Full example

Example request (PSP-specific fields are highlighted):

curl -X POST https://apitest.vipps.no/recurring/v3/agreements/ \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR-ACCESS-TOKEN" \
-H "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key: YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY" \
-H "Merchant-Serial-Number: MERCHANT-MSN" \
-H 'Idempotency-Key: YOUR-IDEMPOTENCY-KEY' \
-H "Vipps-System-Name: acme" \
-H "Vipps-System-Version: 3.1.2" \
-H "Vipps-System-Plugin-Name: acme-webshop" \
-H "Vipps-System-Plugin-Version: 4.5.6" \
-d '{
  "cardPassthrough": {
    "pspReference": "subscription-product-123",
    "cardCallbackUrl": "https://example.com/psp-callback",
    "allowedCardTypes": ["VISA_DEBIT", "VISA_CREDIT", "ELEC_DEBIT", "MC_CREDIT", "MC_DEBIT", "DANKORT"],
    "preferVisaPartOfVisaDankort": true
  },
   "interval": {
      "unit" : "WEEK",
      "count": 2
   },
   "pricing": {
      "amount": 1000,
      "currency": "NOK"
   },
   "merchantRedirectUrl": "https://example.com/redirect-url",
   "merchantAgreementUrl": "https://example.com/agreement-url",
   "phoneNumber": "12345678",
   "productName": "Test product"
}'

The optional initialCharge field controls the CIT amount — omit it and a zero-amount CIT is performed instead. We forward the card details to you, and it is your responsibility to process the CIT and respond with the result.

Once the agreement is successfully signed, you can start charging the user according to the agreement terms.

The user may also reject the agreement or abandon the flow — subscribe to agreement webhooks to be notified of these and other events.

For all available fields, see Agreements in the Recurring API guide.

note

When the user confirms the agreement, Vipps MobilePay sends a card token to your cardCallbackUrl. See Card callback for the request format, HMAC authentication, and expected response.

Update the status of an agreement​

Use these Recurring API endpoints to keep us aligned with the agreement state in your systems.

For reconciliation, you can optionally use:

For the full range of options available, see Agreements in the Recurring API guide.

Charges​

Charge creation​

PSPs can create both recurring charges and unscheduled charges. You are responsible for creating charges according to the terms of each agreement.

Charges are submitted in batches of 1–50 against active agreements. Each charge is validated and created independently. The response separates successful, failed, and retryable charges, so a single bad item never blocks the rest of the batch.

A single batch can contain both unscheduled and recurring charges; the per-charge flow differs by type, shown separately below.

PSP unscheduled charge flow (v4 batch)

  1. PSP submits a batch of unscheduled charges with Vipps MobilePay (POST /recurring/v4/agreements/charges).
  2. Vipps MobilePay returns the response split into successfulCharges (each including the card data needed for downstream processing), failedCharges (with non-retryable error messages), and retryableCharges (with transient errors that can be retried with the same agreementId and chargeId).
  3. For each successful charge: PSP processes the payment downstream, then reports the outcome to Vipps MobilePay using the result endpoint, which returns 202 Accepted.

PSP recurring charge flow (v4 batch)

  1. PSP submits a batch of recurring charges with Vipps MobilePay (POST /recurring/v4/agreements/charges), each with a future due date.
  2. Vipps MobilePay returns the response split into successfulCharges (created DUE, without card data), failedCharges (with non-retryable error messages), and retryableCharges (with transient errors that can be retried with the same agreementId and chargeId).
  3. On the due date, for each successful charge the PSP fetches the current card data with GET .../payment-info.
  4. The PSP processes the payment downstream, then reports the outcome to Vipps MobilePay using the result endpoint, which returns 202 Accepted.

Steps:

  1. Send the charge request
  2. Get payment info (recurring charges)
  3. Process the charge
  4. Report the charge result

Send the charge request​

Submit a batch of charges to POST:/recurring/v4/agreements/charges. Each charge is validated and created independently. The Merchant-Serial-Number header identifies the merchant the PSP is creating charges for, so all agreements in the batch must belong to that merchant.

Charge creation uses item-level idempotency. For the Merchant-Serial-Number in the request header, the agreementId + chargeId pair identifies the charge. If an item is returned in retryableCharges, retry it with the same agreementId and chargeId.

Response item order is unspecified. Correlate response items by agreementId + chargeId, not by array position.

note

retryDays for recurring charges

For RECURRING charges, retryDays controls how many days after the due date the charge stays payable before it is automatically failed. Throughout this window, Get payment info keeps returning the charge's payment info so you can attempt the payment again. It defaults to 14 and must be between 0 and 14. For UNSCHEDULED charges it does not apply — omit it or send 0.

A RECURRING charge item also requires a due date and accepts retryDays, for example:

{
  "type": "RECURRING",
  "due": "2026-12-01",
  "retryDays": 5,
  "amount": 49900,
  "description": "December subscription",
  "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-004",
  "agreementId": "agr_5kSeqz",
  "transactionType": "RESERVE_CAPTURE"
}

The following batch request uses unscheduled charges:

curl -X POST https://apitest.vipps.no/recurring/v4/agreements/charges \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR-ACCESS-TOKEN" \
-H "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key: YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY" \
-H "Merchant-Serial-Number: MERCHANT-MSN" \
-H "Vipps-System-Name: acme" \
-H "Vipps-System-Version: 3.1.2" \
-H "Vipps-System-Plugin-Name: acme-webshop" \
-H "Vipps-System-Plugin-Version: 4.5.6" \
-d '[
  {
    "type": "UNSCHEDULED",
    "amount": 49900,
    "description": "October subscription",
    "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-001",
    "agreementId": "agr_5kSeqz",
    "transactionType": "RESERVE_CAPTURE"
  },
  {
    "type": "UNSCHEDULED",
    "amount": 49900,
    "description": "October subscription",
    "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-002",
    "agreementId": "agr_unknown",
    "transactionType": "RESERVE_CAPTURE"
  },
  {
    "type": "UNSCHEDULED",
    "amount": 49900,
    "description": "October subscription",
    "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-003",
    "agreementId": "agr_5kSeqz",
    "transactionType": "RESERVE_CAPTURE"
  }
]'

Unlike the agreement sign-up and payment source update flows, charges do not use a card callback. For UNSCHEDULED charges the card data is returned directly in the charge creation response; for RECURRING charges it is fetched later from Get payment info on the due date.

Example response:

{
  "successfulCharges": [
    {
      "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-001",
      "agreementId": "agr_5kSeqz",
      "cardInfo": {
        "maskedCardNumber": "492500******0004",
        "cardType": "VISA_DEBIT",
        "cardIssuedInCountryCode": "NO",
        "cardDataType": "TOKEN",
        "networkToken": {
          "number": "4111111234567890",
          "cryptogram": "AgAAAAAAAIR8CQrXcIhbQAAAAAA=",
          "expiryMonth": "12",
          "expiryYear": "30",
          "eci": "05",
          "tokenType": "CLOUD",
          "paymentAccountReference": "V0010013020091420099000060000"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "failedCharges": [
    {
      "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-002",
      "agreementId": "agr_unknown",
      "errors": [
        {
          "code": "agreement_not_found",
          "description": "Agreement not found."
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "retryableCharges": [
    {
      "chargeId": "acme-shop-123-charge-003",
      "agreementId": "agr_5kSeqz",
      "error": {
        "code": "technical_error",
        "description": "A transient technical error occurred. Retry with the same agreementId and chargeId."
      }
    }
  ]
}

Check all three response arrays:

  • successfulCharges: Charges that were created. Process the payment downstream and then report the result of each charge.
  • failedCharges: Charges that were rejected and should not be retried unchanged. Fix the request before trying again.
  • retryableCharges: Transient item-level failures. Retry these items with the same agreementId and chargeId, even if the error code is new to your integration.

When a network token isn't available and publicEncryptionKeyId is set on the agreement, cardInfo returns cardDataType: PAN and an encryptedPan instead of a networkToken. When neither is available, the charge is returned in failedCharges with an explanatory error.

Charge creation error codes​

Use the response array to decide what to do next:

  • Retry retryableCharges with the same agreementId and chargeId.
  • Do not retry failedCharges unchanged. Fix the request first.
note

Use code for logic, not the human-readable description. The description can change, and new codes may be added. Retry charges returned in retryableCharges.

CodeReturned inMeaning
type_emptyfailedChargesThe type field is missing, null, or empty.
type_invalidfailedChargesThe type value is invalid.
type_unscheduled_due_datefailedChargesUNSCHEDULED charges must not include due.
due_date_emptyfailedChargesRECURRING charges must include due.
due_date_invalid_formatfailedChargesThe due value is not a valid date.
due_date_too_soonfailedChargesThe due date is too soon.
due_date_too_farfailedChargesThe due date is too far in the future.
amount_emptyfailedChargesThe amount field is missing or null.
amount_below_minfailedChargesThe amount is below the minimum allowed.
amount_too_highfailedChargesThe amount exceeds the maximum allowed for the agreement.
description_emptyfailedChargesThe description field is missing, null, or empty.
description_too_longfailedChargesThe description field is too long.
charge_id_emptyfailedChargesThe chargeId field is missing or null.
charge_id_invalid_formatfailedChargesThe chargeId value has an invalid format.
agreement_id_emptyfailedChargesThe agreementId field is missing or null.
agreement_id_invalid_formatfailedChargesThe agreementId value has an invalid format.
agreement_not_foundfailedChargesThe agreement was not found.
agreement_not_pspfailedChargesThe agreement is not a PSP agreement.
agreement_not_activefailedChargesThe agreement is not active.
transaction_type_emptyfailedChargesThe transactionType field is missing or null.
transaction_type_invalidfailedChargesThe transactionType value is invalid.
retry_days_invalidfailedChargesretryDays must be between 0 and 14.
retry_days_not_allowedfailedChargesretryDays cannot be set for UNSCHEDULED charges.
charge_already_existsfailedChargesA charge with this chargeId already exists for the agreement.
charge_in_invalid_statefailedChargesThe charge already exists in a state that cannot be processed. Create a new charge with a different chargeId.
charge_not_creatablefailedChargesThe charge cannot be created.
processing_timeoutretryableChargesThe charge did not finish processing in time. The outcome is uncertain, and it can be retried with the same agreementId + chargeId pair.
technical_errorretryableChargesA transient technical error occurred. The charge can be retried with the same agreementId + chargeId pair.
internal_processing_errorfailedChargesAn internal error occurred while processing the charge.

Always report the charge result once you've processed it. Without it, the charge remains unresolved in both our system and the user's app — the user will see a pending charge they cannot act on, which typically leads to confusion and support requests.

Get payment info​

Recurring charges only. A RECURRING charge is created DUE for a future date, and its cardInfo is not returned in the charge creation response. On the due date, fetch the current card data with GET:/recurring/v4/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}/payment-info.

  • It returns the same cardInfo (a networkToken, or an encryptedPan when publicEncryptionKeyId is set on the agreement) that unscheduled charges receive at creation.
  • It is available from the due date onward — calling it earlier returns 409 Conflict — and keeps returning payment info throughout the retryDays window so you can retry a failed payment.
  • You must call it before reporting the result of a RECURRING charge. reporting the result first returns 409 Conflict.

UNSCHEDULED charges skip this step — their cardInfo is already returned in the charge creation response.

Process the charge​

This step is done by you, the PSP.

For each successful charge, process the payment using the networkToken or encryptedPan returned in cardInfo.

We aren't involved in the actual card processing; we only provide card data.

Once you've processed the charge, report its result to keep us aligned.

Report the charge result​

Report the outcome of each charge to POST:/recurring/v4/agreements/{agreementId}/charges/{chargeId}/result. Call this once per charge created via the batch endpoint.

  • Success: send { "status": "SUCCESS" } when the payment was reserved in your systems.
  • Failure: send { "status": "FAILED", "error": { "code": <code>, "retry": <true|false>, "message": "<reason>" } }. retry is required; message is optional and stored for auditing only — it is not shown to the payer. See the endpoint reference for the accepted error codes.

On a failure, error.retry decides whether the charge can still be paid:

  • retry: true — you intend to try again. The charge stays DUE, its failure reason is recorded, and the user is notified. Fetch fresh card data with Get payment info and report a new result before the charge's retry window ends.
  • retry: false — you have given up. The charge is settled to FAILED and no further attempts are possible.

The retry window runs from the due date through the end of that day plus the charge's retryDays (set at creation).

  • RECURRING: the due date plus retryDays (0–14).
  • UNSCHEDULED: the due date only, since retryDays is always 0.

Keep track of the window on your side. While it's open you can retry with retry: true. Once it closes, the charge can no longer be retried. At that point report a final result: SUCCESS if the payment went through, FAILED with retry: false if the payment failed. A retry: true sent after the window closes returns 400 Bad Request.

When you report a failure, error.code is mapped to an equivalent failureReason on the charge. See Charge failure reasons for what each value means for the user.

error.codefailureReason on the charge
100, 200, 400user_action_required
210, 300, 500non_technical_error
600, 700, 900technical_error

The failure reason is used to flag the agreement and guide the user in the app toward fixing the underlying issue — for example, adding funds or changing the agreement's payment source — which improves the odds that your next attempt succeeds. Reporting a final result (SUCCESS, or FAILED with retry: false) clears these flags.

note

For RECURRING charges you must call Get payment info before reporting the result. This guarantees you process the payment against the latest card info for the agreement. Reporting the result of a RECURRING charge before fetching its payment info returns 409 Conflict. This doesn't apply to unscheduled charges — you already receive their card info in the charge creation response.

The transactionType set when creating the charge determines the resulting state when you report a SUCCESS result:

  • RESERVE_CAPTURE: the charge is reserved. Capture it later with the Capture charge endpoint, which also supports partial captures.
  • DIRECT_CAPTURE: the charge is captured for its full amount automatically and goes straight to CHARGED — no separate capture call is needed. Only full capture is supported, so use RESERVE_CAPTURE if you need partial captures.

For subsequent state changes after a successful charge — captures, refunds, or cancellations — use the existing Recurring API endpoints:

note

State changes on charges are delivered as webhook events. Subscribe to the relevant events in Charge webhooks to be notified.

Example: charge lifecycle with reserve, capture, and refund​

This example shows the full lifecycle of a RESERVE_CAPTURE charge: reserved at creation, captured later when the merchant fulfils the order, and refunded later still after the customer returns it. Each state change is acknowledged synchronously by the API and confirmed asynchronously via a webhook event.

PSP merchant charge lifecycle (reserve → capture → refund)

For the full range of options available, see Recurring API guide: Charges.

Payment source​

Payment source update​

Each agreement has an attached payment source that can be changed by the user in the app at any time. The new payment source must be verified with a zero-amount CIT — it is your responsibility to process this transaction. The flow is user-initiated and otherwise identical to agreement sign-up.

PSP merchant payment source update flow

  1. User initiates a payment source change on their agreement with Vipps MobilePay.
  2. Vipps MobilePay posts the new card token to the PSP's cardCallbackUrl.
  3. PSP processes a verification payment using the new token.
  4. PSP returns 200 OK to Vipps MobilePay.
  5. Vipps MobilePay notifies the user that the update was successful.
note

See Card callback for the request format, HMAC authentication, and expected response.

Card callback​

The card callback applies to:

  • ePayment PSP API: creating a payment
  • Recurring PSP API: agreement sign-up and payment source updates

The flow works like this:

  1. The PSP sends Vipps MobilePay an API request to initiate an ePayment or Recurring request.
  2. Vipps MobilePay presents the request to the user in the app.
  3. If the user approves and selects their card, Vipps MobilePay sends a POST request to the cardCallbackUrl specified in the initial request.
  4. The PSP must decrypt the message and respond within 20 seconds, or the request will fail.

How the callback works:

  • The callback is synchronous — your endpoint must respond with the payment authorization result.
  • If you respond with a retryable error, the user can retry with the same or a different card.
  • HTTP 500 errors and timeouts are treated as non-retryable.
tip

If you need to whitelist our servers, find details on the servers page.

Callback request​

Request body​

The callback we send to your server contains the following properties:

  • pspReference: Your unique reference for this payment, as provided in the create payment request.
  • authorizationAttemptId: Unique identifier for this authorization attempt.
  • merchantSerialNumber: The merchant serial number for the payment.
  • amount: Object containing the payment amount:
    • value: The amount in minor units.
    • currency: The three-letter ISO 4217 currency code.
  • softDeclineCompletedRedirectUrl: URL to redirect to after a soft decline is resolved.
  • cardInfo: Object containing the card details:
    • maskedCardNumber: The masked card number (for example, 47969485XXXX1234).
    • cardType: The card type (for example, VISA-DEBIT).
    • cardIssuedInCountryCode: The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code where the card was issued.
    • cardDataType: The type of card data included in the callback. Possible values are TOKEN or PAN. See Token vs encrypted PAN.
    • networkToken: Object containing the network token details when cardDataType is TOKEN:
      • number: The token number.
      • cryptogram: The cryptogram for the transaction.
      • expiryMonth: Token expiry month.
      • expiryYear: Token expiry year.
      • tokenType: Token network type (for example VISA).
      • eci: Electronic Commerce Indicator.
      • paymentAccountReference: Stable reference across token renewals.
    • encryptedPan: Encrypted PAN when cardDataType is PAN.

The callback body is plain JSON — no decryption is needed to read it. Use HMAC authentication to verify that the callback is genuine before processing it.

An example request body containing a token:

{
  "pspReference": "7686f7788898767977",
  "authorizationAttemptId": "d8f9a1d7-b9d3-4c2f-b5c2-7d8b93df12ab",
  "merchantSerialNumber": "123456",
  "amount": {
    "value": 1000,
    "currency": "DKK"
  },
  "softDeclineCompletedRedirectUrl": "https://vipps.no/mobileintercept?transactionId=123456789&responsecode=OK",
  "cardInfo": {
    "maskedCardNumber": "47969485XXXX1234",
    "cardType": "VISA-DEBIT",
    "cardIssuedInCountryCode": "DK",
    "cardDataType": "TOKEN",
    "networkToken": {
      "number": "5000000000000000001",
      "cryptogram": "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=",
      "expiryMonth": "03",
      "expiryYear": "2030",
      "tokenType": "VISA",
      "eci": "7",
      "paymentAccountReference": "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
    },
    "encryptedPan": null
  }
}

If you requested an encrypted PAN and one is available, encryptedPan will be populated instead of networkToken:

{
  "pspReference": "7686f7788898767977",
  "authorizationAttemptId": "731C95C5-7E8B-40C3-A6EA-713B24694E6E",
  "merchantSerialNumber": "123456",
  "softDeclineCompletedRedirectUrl": "https://vipps.no/mobileintercept?transactionId=123456789&responsecode=OK",
  "cardInfo": {
    "maskedCardNumber": "47969485XXXX1234",
    "cardType": "VISA-DEBIT",
    "cardIssuedInCountryCode": "DK",
    "cardDataType": "PAN",
    "encryptedPan": "fsfnsdjkfbgdft34895u7345"
  },
  "amount": {
    "value": 1000,
    "currency": "DKK"
  }
}

You must decrypt encryptedPan using your RSA private key to obtain the card number. See Token vs encrypted PAN for details.

HMAC authentication​

To verify that the callback originates from us and has not been tampered with, we sign each callback using HMAC with a shared secret.

The shared secret is your PSP client secret.

Use the shared secret together with the Host, x-ms-date, x-ms-content-sha256, and Authorization headers of the request.

How HMAC works
  1. Secret key: A secret key is shared between the sender and the receiver.
  2. Message: The message to be authenticated.
  3. Hash function: A cryptographic hash function such as SHA-256 is used.
  4. HMAC generation:
    • The message and the secret key are combined in a specific way.
    • The combined data is hashed using the cryptographic hash function.
    • The result is the HMAC value.
  5. Verification:
    • The receiver uses the same secret key and hash function to generate an HMAC value for the received message.
    • The receiver compares the generated HMAC value with the HMAC value sent with the message.
    • If they match, the message is verified as authentic and unaltered.

You will receive an HTTP POST with this format:

POST https://example.com/psp-makepayment

Host: example.com
x-ms-date: Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:38:32 GMT
x-ms-content-sha256: WyZnKtAizV4gkGbiMMhm2NIrvlumpic9Zdjcqs6Q2hw=
Authorization: HMAC-SHA256 SignedHeaders=x-ms-date;host;x-ms-content-sha256&Signature=RwcYy13oXAu1ZFU1zOi0MmSIHynnNnHe9lwNx+LgMqc=
X-Vipps-Authorization: HMAC-SHA256 SignedHeaders=x-ms-date;host;x-ms-content-sha256&Signature=RwcYy13oXAu1ZFU1zOi0MmSIHynnNnHe9lwNx+LgMqc=
Content-Type: application/json

{ ... }

X-Vipps-Authorization contains the same value as Authorization. You can verify either header, but they should match when both are present.

  1. Check that the content has not been modified

    Hash the exact request body as UTF-8 using SHA-256, then base64 encode it. This hash must match the x-ms-content-sha256 header. Use the raw body exactly as received. Re-serializing the JSON may change whitespace and produce a different hash.

  2. Verify the authentication header

    Concatenate the request method, path and query, date, host, and content hash in this format:

    POST\n<pathAndQuery>\n<date>;<host>;<hash>

    The host value must match the Host header, including the port if one is present.

    Please note the use of \n not \r\n.

    Sign the string with HMAC-SHA256 using your shared secret. This must match the Signature part of the Authorization header.

Sample code
'use strict';

const assert = require('node:assert');
const { describe, it } = require('node:test');
const crypto = require('crypto');

describe('Sample code', () => {
    it('Verifying card callback HMAC headers', () => {
        const secret = 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==';

        const request = {
            method: 'POST',
            url: 'https://example.com/psp-makepayment',
            pathAndQuery: '/psp-makepayment',
            headers: {
                'Host': 'example.com',
                'x-ms-date': 'Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:38:32 GMT',
                'x-ms-content-sha256': 'WyZnKtAizV4gkGbiMMhm2NIrvlumpic9Zdjcqs6Q2hw=',
                'Authorization': 'HMAC-SHA256 SignedHeaders=x-ms-date;host;x-ms-content-sha256&Signature=RwcYy13oXAu1ZFU1zOi0MmSIHynnNnHe9lwNx+LgMqc=',
                'X-Vipps-Authorization': 'HMAC-SHA256 SignedHeaders=x-ms-date;host;x-ms-content-sha256&Signature=RwcYy13oXAu1ZFU1zOi0MmSIHynnNnHe9lwNx+LgMqc='
            },
            content: '{"pspReference":"7686f7788898767977","authorizationAttemptId":"3030303thisisaguid","merchantSerialNumber":"123456"}'
        };

        const expectedContentHash = crypto
            .createHash('sha256')
            .update(request.content, 'utf8')
            .digest('base64');

        assert.equal(
            request.headers['x-ms-content-sha256'],
            expectedContentHash,
            'Content hash was not valid');

        const expectedSignedString =
            `${request.method}\n` +
            `${request.pathAndQuery}\n` +
            `${request.headers['x-ms-date']};${request.headers['Host']};${request.headers['x-ms-content-sha256']}`;

        const expectedSignature = crypto
            .createHmac('sha256', secret)
            .update(expectedSignedString, 'utf8')
            .digest('base64');

        const expectedAuthorization =
            `HMAC-SHA256 SignedHeaders=x-ms-date;host;x-ms-content-sha256&Signature=${expectedSignature}`;

        assert.equal(expectedAuthorization, request.headers.Authorization, 'Authorization was not valid');
        assert.equal(request.headers['X-Vipps-Authorization'], request.headers.Authorization, 'Headers did not match');
    });
});

Token vs encrypted PAN​

By default, the card callback includes a card token and cryptogram, covering the vast majority of Visa and Mastercard cards.

A small number of cards (~0.1%) are not tokenizable — primarily the Danish Dankort rail, but occasionally individual Visa or Mastercard issuers. Provide a publicEncryptionKeyId to receive an encrypted PAN for these cards; without it, those payments will fail.

Encrypted PAN setup and handling

To enable encrypted PAN, you must:

  1. Onboard a public encryption key with us.

    The RSA public key should be provided as X.509 SubjectPublicKeyInfo (using ASN.1 DER Encoding) represented in PEM encoding (use PEM file extension). The public key must have a length of 4096 bits. You must clearly state your PSP name in the file name. Naming template for public key: {integratorname}-{environment}-public

    • Example: company-prod-public

    Please send the public keys in a ZIP-file. We will register the keys and supply you with a PublicKeyId to be used when initiating payments.

    Please note that if a public key is unused for 6 months, we will delete it. If this happens, you must supply a new public key.

  2. Pass the resulting publicEncryptionKeyId in the cardPassthrough object when creating the payment or agreement.

The encryptedPan is encrypted using RSA/NONE/OAEPWithSHA256AndMGF1Padding (SHA-256 is also used for padding). Once decrypted, the structure looks like this:

{"timestampticks":123456789123456789,"encryptedCardData": { "cardNumber": 1234567812345678, "expiryMonth": 12, "expiryYear": 28 }}
Always use the cardType field

Always process the payment using the card type specified in the cardType field. This is the only way we can offer card type picking for co-branded cards in accordance with PSD2 requirements. If you process a PAN where cardType is DANKORT as a Visa transaction, the SCA will be missing and an unwanted 3DS step-up is likely to occur. PAN-based transactions are not regarded as authenticated — handle them according to your acquirer's scheme rules for SCA compliance.

Dankort co-branded cards

Most Dankort cards are co-branded as Visa/Dankort, supporting both a tokenizable Visa flow and a PAN-based Dankort flow. If you include DANKORT in allowedCardTypes and provide a publicEncryptionKeyId, the Dankort rail will be available. Use the preferVisaPartOfVisaDankort flag to route co-branded cards through the Visa rail instead.

To process tokens only, omit publicEncryptionKeyId and remove DANKORT from allowedCardTypes — standalone Dankort cards are not tokenizable.

Callback response​

You must return a valid callback response within 20 seconds or the operation will fail.

Respond with HTTP 200 OK and a JSON body with the following properties:

  • status (required): The payment authorization result. One of:
    • RESERVE - The authorization succeeded, and the amount was reserved.
    • SOFT_DECLINE - Additional cardholder action is required to complete the authorization. Include softDeclineUrl.
    • FAIL - The authorization failed. Include errorCode and errorMessage.
  • networkTransactionReference: Your reference for the network transaction. Include this when the authorization succeeded and you have such a reference.
  • softDeclineUrl: URL the user should be redirected to in order to complete a soft decline flow. Required when status is SOFT_DECLINE.
  • errorCode: Numeric error code describing why the authorization failed. Required when status is FAIL.
  • errorMessage: Human-readable description of the failure. Required when status is FAIL.

The following examples show what the response body should look like for each status value.

Use RESERVE when the authorization succeeded and the payment should remain reserved for a later capture.

{
  "networkTransactionReference": "123456789",
  "status": "RESERVE"
}

Use SOFT_DECLINE when the cardholder must complete an additional issuer or authentication step before the payment can proceed.

{
  "status": "SOFT_DECLINE",
  "softDeclineUrl": "https://example.com"
}

Use FAIL when the authorization did not succeed and no soft decline flow is available.

{
  "status": "FAIL",
  "errorCode": 300,
  "errorMessage": "Refused by Issuer"
}

When you respond with status: FAIL, use one of the following errorCode values:

errorCodeNameRetryableDescription
100Card ErrorYesCard-related failure where the card should not be retried unchanged for this payment.
200Insufficient FundsYesThe card or account does not have enough available funds to complete the payment.
210Limit ExceededYesA card, account, or issuer limit has been reached, so the payment cannot be authorized.
300Issuer DeclinedYesThe issuer declined the payment without providing a more specific reason.
400Permanent DeclineNoA hard decline where the payment must not be retried.
500Risk DeclinedYesThe payment was blocked by fraud or risk controls.
600Temporary Technical ErrorYesA transient PSP, issuer, or network problem prevented the authorization attempt from completing.
700Merchant Configuration ErrorNoThe payment failed because of merchant, PSP, or transaction configuration issues.
800Duplicate or In ProgressNoThe payment is already being processed, or a duplicate attempt was detected, so retrying immediately is not allowed.
900Unknown ErrorYesThe authorization failed, but the reason could not be mapped confidently to a more specific error.

If we receive a FAIL response, we will allow the user to retry with the same or a new payment source unless the errorCode maps to a non-retryable failure.

If there is a timeout or HTTP 500, the payment cannot be tried again by the user. You will need to initiate a new payment request.

The Recurring API section covers the full breadth of what's possible with the underlying recurring payment platform — including detailed flow diagrams, user journey walkthroughs, and descriptions of advanced features that apply to PSP integrations as well.

It's worth exploring to understand what you can offer your customers:

  • How it works — visual flows for payment agreements, charges, and other recurring scenarios
  • Agreement guide — creating and managing payment agreements
  • Charges guide — creating, capturing, and refunding charges
  • Recurring API spec — the full technical specification for all endpoints, including required fields, data types, and valid formats
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