To auto-charge a client (for a payment plan), you first need a card saved on file for them. You never handle the card yourself — the client enters it through a secure Stripe page, and Cradled stores only what's needed to charge it later.
Before you start
Your Stripe account has to be able to accept charges. If you haven't finished Stripe onboarding, do that first — see Finish your Stripe setup.
Send the request
- Open the client and find the Auto-charge panel in their billing section.
- Click Send card-on-file request.
- Cradled emails the client a secure link (or gives you one to share manually if there's no email on file). Nothing is charged.
The client opens the link, enters their card through Stripe, and you're done — the panel shows the saved card (brand and last four digits).
Where the card lives
The card is saved on your connected Stripe account — the same account that will charge it. Cradled never sees the full card number; it stores only a reference plus the brand and last four digits so you can recognize it.
Replacing a card
Sending a new card-on-file request replaces the one currently saved. That's exactly how you fix a payment plan that paused because a card was declined — send a new request, the client adds a working card, then resume the plan.