Recurring card payments for memberships and donations: a guide for venues

Monthly memberships and regular giving have become a key part of how many venues fund their work. Once a supporter has signed up, a recurring card payment ensures their support continues without anyone on your team having to manually chase renewals

In our recent blog, 'Direct Debit or recurring card? The pros and cons for venues and audiences,' we compared two ways to collect regular payments through Ticketsolve Pay. If you’ve chosen recurring card payments for your giving schemes, this guide explains how to set up the process so supporters know what they’re agreeing to, can easily change their mind, and feel confident when signing up.

What is a Continuous Payment Authority?

Recurring card payments are known officially as “continuous payment authorities”, or CPAs. The Financial Conduct Authority describes them as “payments a business takes from your card repeatedly without asking your permission each time”. They're widely used for subscriptions and memberships - most consumers are familiar with them thanks to streaming services, insurance providers and gym memberships.

CPAs ensure your supporters only need to enter their card details once, and that one approval covers all future payments. This makes signing up simple, but it’s important to clearly explain what supporters are agreeing to from the beginning.

Clear, specific and informed consent 

According to FCA rules, cardholders must give clear, specific and informed consent to allow an organisation to take recurring payments from their card. In practice, this means giving supporters all the details they would need regarding the amount and frequency of payments so they fully understand what they’re signing up to.

I.e. specifying the following at checkout or box office:

• The amount. What they'll pay each time, and whether the amount could change.
• How often. Is payment taken monthly, quarterly or annually? When is the first payment taken?
• What it's for. Which membership tier or donation scheme they're joining.
• How to stop. Info about how to cancel, so they know when and how they can leave.

Sending a confirmation email with these details helps supporters understand fully & have something to refer back to. It gives your team a clear record of terms, also.

Making cancellation easy 

Supporters can stop a recurring card payment in two ways: by asking you, or by asking their card issuer. If they go to their bank, the bank must stop the payments, even if they haven't been in touch with you first. The FCA encourages people to let the business know where they can, but it isn't a requirement.

Cancellations must also be made by the end of the business day before the next payment is due. If cancelled later, the next payment may still be processed.

Most supporters will come to you first - especially if if cancelling with you is easy - i.e. can be done via a quick phone c all or email, or can be done via their online account. This also gives your team a chance to say thank you, offer a pause or a lower tier, or simply update your records.

Worth bearing in mind:

• You must refund any payments taken after cancellation: these payments are considered unauthorised and are required to be refunded, plus any related charges.
• Stopping payments does not end the agreement supporters have with you. Membership terms or contracts must stull be honoured even if a payment has been cancelled, so make sure supporters know what will happen to their benefits and if they are required to pay any outstanding balance.
• Recurring payments do not always carry over if a supporter changes cards. Some banks update card details automatically, but this is not always the case.

Renewals and Cancellations

Memberships are, in essence, an exchange: supporters pay their fee and receive agreed benefits. Along with sign-up, renewal is a key moment in your relationship with a member. It’s best to send a short reminder before an annual payment or contract renewal, reminding them of the renewal amount and a summary of benefits.

Regular donations usually do not have associated benefits; the relationship is built on trust and stewardship. Supporters want to know their gift makes a difference and that they can stop at any time. If your organisation is a charity, the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice, effective from 1 November 2025, sets standards for how you request and manage donations.

New subscription rules from January 2027

New subscription contract rules as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 will come into force in January 2027.

These rules require businesses to provide clear information about memberships before someone subscribes, send renewal reminders, make it easy to cancel, and let supporters know when their contract has ended.

Most venues already manage memberships in this way based on good practice, and your Ticketsolve setup will help you stay compliant.

If you’re a charity, note that the government plans to exclude charitable memberships that let supporters attend performances, see collections, or visit places related to your charitable purpose. However, the legislation for this exclusion has not been published yet, so it’s worth double checking for your own schemes instead of assuming they are exempt.

Ticketsolve Pay for Recurring card payments

Recurring card payments are available to all Ticketsolve Pay users. You can use them for memberships through Benefit Products and for recurring donations, and supporters can sign up online or in person at the box office. At checkout, they can enter their card details or pay with a digital wallet.

If a recurring payment fails, for example if a card has expired or the balance is low, Ticketsolve Pay will try again every four days, up to five times, before notifying your team. This helps reduce the number of lapsed memberships you need to mange and saves time on manual follow-ups.

You can find out more about setting up Rolling Memberships and Recurring Donations in our help centre.