A recurring billing form is a digital document that collects and stores the customer information required to process payments for ongoing services or subscriptions. It’s used by businesses that operate on a subscription or membership model with automatic charges, typically on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. Recurring billing forms are an important part of the global subscription economy, which is projected to experience 68% market growth from 2024 to 2028.

Recurring billing forms make automated recurring payments and subscription businesses possible. These forms are the webpages or pop-ups customers fill out when they agree to a recurring charge for streaming services, meal plans, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms, and any other product that arrives on a regular schedule.

Below, we’ll explain why businesses should use recurring billing forms, how they can create the best recurring billing forms for their customers, and common mistakes they make around these forms.

What’s in this article?

• Why should businesses use recurring billing forms?
  
• What should a recurring billing form include?
  
• How to create the best recurring billing forms for your customers
  
• How Stripe can help
  
• What are common mistakes in recurring billing forms?
  

Why should businesses use recurring billing forms?

With any subscription service—whether it’s a weekly produce box or a platform for collaborative software development—there’s a moment when the customer submits their payment information, checks a box agreeing to ongoing charges, and confirms how often they’ll be billed. That’s a recurring billing form at work.

Here’s how these forms can benefit businesses:

• Automated income stream: Companies rely on recurring billing to keep operations running. Instead of manually chasing down payments each month, they know their billing is automated.

• Time-saving setup: A well-made form automatically handles repeat charges. That means fewer manual tasks for your finance or support teams, such as following up on overdue payments or resending invoices.

• Fewer errors and disputes: Manual billing can lead to small mistakes—typos in addresses, expired cards, or double charges that might slip through accidentally. Automating the process reduces the chance of errors.

• Customer experience: Customers want to know that the service or product will arrive and that payments will happen without any extra steps. A recurring billing form makes that experience possible.

• Legal clarity: In many regions, you can’t store someone’s card information and charge it indefinitely without explicit approval. A recurring billing form provides a solution to this requirement.

What should a recurring billing form include?

There are standard elements that appear on most recurring billing forms. Here are the fields often included that a customer should fill out:

• The customer’s name, email address, and phone number

• The customer’s shipping address

• The customer’s payment information (e.g., credit card details, billing address)

• Payment authorization (e.g., a checkbox agreeing to recurring charges or a signature field)

• A coupon code field or any available add-ons, if applicable

Here’s information the business should provide:

• The selected plan tier (e.g., Basic, Standard, Premium)

• Billing frequency

• Renewal and start dates

• Terms and conditions (often a link to a longer document)

Placing a short summary of what the customer is paying for before the customer’s last step to submit can prevent confusion. Once the customer clicks “Confirm,” display a message such as “Thanks for signing up!” to validate their sign-up, and consider including any next steps.

How to create the best recurring billing forms for your customers

Recurring billing forms can shape the way people feel about your business. If the form is quick and easy to fill out, that will reflect well on your business. If the form is messy or confusing, customers might wonder if the product will be similarly subpar.

Here’s how you can structure your billing forms to set your customers at ease:

• Be transparent about pricing: Avoid surprises. If your monthly cost is $20, be explicit about that. Clearly show any applicable taxes or fees.

• Mention your security protocols: If you handle payments in-house, consider including a note about encryption or compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). If you’re using Stripe or another secure platform, mention that on the form. A short statement can help reassure customers that their payment information is secure.

• Include minimal steps: Nobody wants to wade through pages and pages of forms. Ask for the information you truly need and no more.

How Stripe can help

Stripe Billing lets you bill and manage customers however you want—from simple recurring billing to usage-based billing and sales-negotiated contracts. Start accepting recurring payments globally in minutes—no code required—or build a custom integration using the API.

Stripe Billing can help you:

• Offer flexible pricing: Respond to user demand faster with flexible pricing models, including usage-based, tiered, flat-fee plus overage, and more. Support for coupons, free trials, prorations, and add-ons is built-in.
  
• Expand globally: Increase conversion by offering customers’ preferred payment methods. Stripe supports 100+ local payment methods and 130+ currencies.
  
• Increase revenue and reduce churn: Improve revenue capture and reduce involuntary churn with Smart Retries and recovery workflow automations. Stripe recovery tools helped users recover over $6.5 billion in revenue in 2024.
  
• Boost efficiency: Use Stripe’s modular tax, revenue reporting, and data tools to consolidate multiple revenue systems into one. Easily integrate with third-party software.
  

Learn more about Stripe Billing, or get started today.

What are common mistakes in recurring billing forms?

Even if you have the best possible product, oversights in your billing form can discourage potential customers away from your business. Here are some of the pitfalls that can undermine your subscription sign-up.

• Asking for too much information at the start: If the form asks for too many personal details, people might abandon it. Stick to the basics, so customers complete the process. If you need extra data, ask for it after they’re subscribed, or break it up into optional sections.

• Hiding the price or fees: Some forms bury the monthly fee in a corner or only mention taxes on the final step. This can annoy customers who feel shocked when they see the grand total. Be up front about the cost, frequency, and anything else that affects the final price. Display it on the same screen as the credit card fields or in a top-line summary.

• Having a confusing layout or poor design: If fields are mislabeled, bunched together, or arranged in a strange order, customers will grow frustrated. Group related fields logically—personal information, then payment details, then review. Use brief instructions if an action item is not immediately clear.

• Failing to acknowledge recurring charges: If customers are unaware they’ll be charged regularly, they might try to dispute the charge later. Make sure there’s a checkbox or statement that says, “I understand and agree to be charged $X on a recurring basis.” Record that acknowledgment in your system.

• Splitting the sign-in process across pages: Some forms scatter important steps across multiple pages, which can hurt momentum. For example, a customer might have to confirm their email on a separate screen before they can finish checkout. Keep the flow as simple as possible, and if multiple pages are necessary, indicate how many steps remain so users know how close they are to the finish line.

• Overlooking mobile: The layout that looks perfect on a desktop might look jumbled on a phone. Test your form on different device sizes; make sure fields are large enough, and that any big images or design elements don’t push the form off the screen.

• Not sending a confirmation message: If a user clicks “Submit” and sees a blank page or a reload, they might wonder if the form went through. They might click again, risking double charges, or they might leave in frustration. Always include a success message that explains what just happened and what’s next. For example, “You’re all set! Look for a welcome email within the next few minutes.”