Authorize.net

Connect Authorize.net to Recurly to process credit card transactions — configure your API credentials, AVS, CVV, and card type settings in a few steps.

Authorize.net is a well-established payment gateway that enables secure credit card processing between your payment portal and card networks. This guide walks you through connecting Authorize.net to Recurly, configuring fraud settings, and going live. For pricing and new account signup, visit Authorize.net.

Available on all Recurly plans

1Definition 2Key details 3Gateway setup guide 4Fraud settings

Limitations

Limited decline detail — Authorize.net's API responses are generic on declines. Recurly uses decline reasons, merchant-advice-code logic, and processor/issuer/network responses to inform retry decisions. Following Auth.net best practices, Recurly does not retry renewal declines where Auth.net recommends treating the decline as "hard" — this includes expired cards and lost or stolen cards. See Auth.net's gateway response knowledgebase article for details.
Fraud review flow not supported — If you're using Authorize.net's fraud monitoring, be aware the gateway can void or invalidate transactions that were initially approved. Monitor those external systems independently, as any cancellations made outside Recurly won't be visible within the platform.
Gateway Specific NTIDs on File — Authorize.net does not return raw NTIDs, but instead, their own value that we store. If you need to migrate away from Authorize.net to another platform, even within Recurly, contact Recurly Tech Support to initiate an NTID migration conversation with our team and Auth.net directly.

Definition

Authorize.net is a payment gateway that facilitates secure credit card transactions between your payment portal and card processors. It includes built-in fraud prevention tools, supports a range of card brands, and integrates with Recurly to power recurring subscriptions and one-time payments.

Key details

Feature	Details
Services that work with Recurly	Recurring subscriptions, payments (eCommerce and MOTO)
Supported operations	Anti-Fraud, Authorize and Capture, Purchase, Refund, Verify, Void
Supported payment types	Credit card
Supported card brands	Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, JCB, Diners Club, Union Pay
Gateway-specific 3DS2 supported	No — Authorize.net does not support 3DS
Card on file supported	Yes
Regions	Worldwide
Currencies	AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, NZD, PLN, and USD

Gateway setup guide

Step 1: Sign up for an Authorize.net account

Create your account

Go to the Authorize.net signup page and complete the application form with your business details.

Log in

After approval, log in to your Authorize.net account to proceed with credential retrieval.

Step 2: Get your API Login ID and Transaction Key

Navigate to API credentials

In your Authorize.net account, go to Account → Settings → API Credentials & Keys.

Note your API Login ID

Copy your API Login ID — you'll need it when configuring Recurly.

Generate a Transaction Key

If you don't have a Transaction Key or need a new one, select New Transaction Key. You can optionally disable previously created keys using the checkbox in your Auth.net dashboard.

Warning Checking "Disable Old Transaction Key Immediately" takes effect the moment you click Submit and will instantly break any active Auth.net integrations. Only select this option if you've been explicitly instructed to do so for fraud-prevention or security purposes.

Submit and retrieve your key

Click Submit. In some cases, Auth.net will email you a PIN to verify the request — enter that PIN in the field provided to complete key generation.

Step 3: Configure Authorize.net in Recurly

Open Payment Gateways

In Recurly, navigate to Configuration → Payment Gateways and select Add a Gateway → Authorize.net.

Enter your API credentials

Input your API Login ID and Transaction Key from Authorize.net.

Select accepted card types

Choose which card types you're approved to accept. Contact your Auth.net representative if you're unsure which card brands apply to your account.

Set accepted currencies

Select the currencies your Auth.net gateway is approved to accept.

Configure zero-dollar authorizations (ZDA)

Select which card types you'd like to accept ZDA-style transactions for. ZDA transactions verify a card's validity without charging any amount.

Save your configuration

Click Add Payment Gateway to save. If you're editing an existing setup, this button will read Update Payment Gateway.

Step 4: Set up Address Verification Service (AVS)

Open Payment Settings

In Recurly, navigate to Configuration → Payment Settings and scroll to the Address Verification Check section.

Choose your AVS rules

Select Enabled (default) or Disabled. When enabled, transactions where the provided address doesn't match the issuer's records will be rejected.

Save your changes

Click Save Changes. Note that AVS settings apply to all supported gateways, not just Authorize.net.

Step 5: Enable Card Code Verification (CVV)

Open Payment Settings

Navigate to Configuration → Payment Settings and scroll to the Credit Card Verification Code Check section.

Enable CVV verification

Set the radio button to Enabled. Invalid or mismatched CVV submissions will be rejected based on issuer feedback.

Save your changes

Click Save Changes. Like AVS, these settings apply to all supported gateways.

Step 6: Test your integration

Run a configuration test

In Recurly, go to Configuration → Payment Gateways → Authorize.net and click Test Configuration.

If your API Login ID and Transaction Key are correct, you'll see a confirmation message.

Step 7: Go live

Once the configuration test passes, you're ready to accept real transactions. Monitor your transactions in both Recurly and Authorize.net to confirm everything is running as expected.

Tip For specific questions about your integration, contact your Authorize.net representative or Recurly Support. Always ensure PCI compliance when handling sensitive card data.

Fraud settings

Address Verification Service (AVS)

AVS works well for US-based customers — US zip codes are numeric and match cleanly. However, many international postal codes contain letters, which causes AVS zip code matching to fail. If you accept payments from international customers, Recurly recommends configuring AVS to allow transactions where either the street address or zip code matches, rather than requiring both.

Card Code Verification (CVV)

When a new subscription is created or a credit card number is updated, Recurly submits the card number and CVV to Authorize.net together. Per PCI regulations, CVV values can't be stored — so the CVV is used only on that initial request. Submitting the CVV upfront improves approval rates and deters fraud. Banks generally continue to approve subsequent transactions from the same merchant once a clean history has been established.