How to control payment method selection on a one-off invoice

When a customer has a payment provider configured in Lago, every finalized invoice, including a one-off invoice, is automatically charged to their default payment method. One-off invoices are issued immediately, so the charge fires as soon as the invoice is created. If you want to create a one-off invoice without that automatic charge, set skip_psp: true on the fee when you create it. The invoice is still issued, but Lago does not send it to the payment provider.

Creating a one-off invoice without auto-charging

skip_psp is a standard field on the fee in the one-off invoice creation endpoint (POST /invoices). It requires no premium feature. Set it to true and the invoice is created and finalized as normal, but no payment is attempted, so you can collect the amount another way or record payment manually later. It defaults to false, which is why a one-off invoice charges the customer automatically unless you opt out.

Routing a specific invoice to a different payment method

skip_psp turns auto-collection off entirely. If instead you want the invoice to go out but be paid by a method other than the customer's default saved card (for example a wire transfer, or a specific saved payment method), use the payment_method object on the invoice. Its payment_method_type can be set to manual to skip automatic collection for that invoice, or to provider with a payment_method_id to target a specific provider payment method. This is the per-invoice routing control, and unlike skip_psp it also applies beyond one-off invoices. Per-invoice method selection is tied to the Multiple Payment Methods capability, so if the payment_method object has no effect on your account, that feature is most likely not enabled. Contact your account owner to confirm.

Other ways to avoid an automatic charge

If a customer should pay by wire transfer and you would rather not set a flag on every invoice, two account-level approaches also work.

Pre-fund a Lago wallet by wire transfer. When the wallet has sufficient balance, Lago debits the wallet at invoice time instead of charging a card. This is automatic once the balance is in place.

Remove the payment provider from the customer record. If the customer should never be auto-charged, unset their payment provider. Invoices are still generated, but no automatic payment is attempted on any of them.

This article reflects guidance drawn from customer case resolutions. It is not officially supported documentation and may not apply to all situations.