Implementing Recurly

Recurly offers a suite of versatile integration methods tailored for every need, whether you're looking to dive deep with direct API access, enhance your website's functionality with Recurly.js, or seamlessly incorporate Recurly into your mobile applications. This section provides an overview of each integration method, ensuring you choose the right fit for your platform.

Implementing Recurly means setting up the technical integrations that handle billing for your customers. The right approach depends on how much customization you need and how quickly you want to get live — from a hosted checkout that launches in minutes to a fully custom payment form built with Recurly.js.

Available on all Recurly plans

1Definition 2Key details

Definition

Recurly is a subscription management platform with the tools to handle subscription billing end-to-end. Implementing Recurly involves setting up the technical integrations that fit your company's billing requirements — whether that's a hosted checkout page, a custom payment form, direct API calls, or webhooks for real-time event handling.

Key details

Checkout vs Recurly.js

Recurly offers two primary front-end integration options. The table below highlights the key differences to help you choose.

Aspect	Checkout	Recurly.js
Development timeframe	Launches within minutes.	Setup ranges from one to two days, depending on web development readiness.
Location	Hosted on your personalized subdomain (`your-subdomain.recurly.com`) or a custom domain.	Directly integrated into your website.
Technical skill required	Little to no coding knowledge needed.	Requires a basic understanding of APIs and HMAC digital signatures.
Look and feel	Responsive design with customizable branding and product selection.	Fully customizable, pre-built payment form.
Billing flexibility	Localized currencies and a wide variety of payment methods for customers worldwide.	Supports regular subscription sign-ups, multiple plans, and one-time payments.
Customer management	Streamlined purchase experience for single plans, multiple plans, or one-time purchases.	Includes a form to update billing information. Other account actions are handled via separate methods.
PCI compliance	All card information is handled directly inside Recurly, making your business eligible for reduced PCI scope.	All card information is handled directly inside Recurly, making your business eligible for reduced PCI scope.

Legacy: Hosted Payment PagesRecurly also has Hosted Payment Pages as a legacy option. For new implementations, Checkout is recommended — it provides the same hosted experience with more flexibility and a better customer experience.

Integration methods

Checkout

A hosted payment experience that launches in minutes with no coding required. Customizable branding, multiple payment methods, and full PCI compliance built in.

Recurly.js

Embed a customizable payment form directly into your website. Ideal for teams with web development experience who need full control over the payment UI.

REST API keys

Communicate directly with Recurly's systems using RESTful API keys. Designed for developers who need precision and full programmatic control over billing workflows.

Webhooks (JSON and XML)

Receive real-time notifications about events in your Recurly account. Supports both JSON and XML for maximum compatibility with your existing systems.

Native mobile SDKs

Integrate Recurly directly into your iOS or Android app using native SDKs, enabling in-app payment experiences without routing users to a browser.

Updated 21 days ago

Did this page help you?