# Pause a subscription

Building with an AI agent? Start at https://docs.payme.io/agents.md

- Sandbox: `POST https://sandbox.payme.io/api/pause-subscription`
- Production: `POST https://live.payme.io/api/pause-subscription`

## Credentials

- Request body field `seller_payme_id` (required): The seller's MPL. You can send it in the `PayMe-Merchant-Key` header instead.
- Request body field `payme_client_key` (optional): Partners only: your partner key. You can send it in the `PayMe-Partner-Key` header instead. A seller authenticates with `seller_payme_id` alone.

## Overview

Pauses a subscription in status `2` (Active), `4` (Failed) or `7` (Failed, retry pending). Other statuses return error `305`. PayMe sends a `sub-pause` callback, and `sub_error_text` holds the pause reason that PayMe writes (in Hebrew).

While the subscription is paused, nothing is charged. Each iteration whose date passes is skipped: it counts in `sub_iterations_skipped`, reduces `sub_iterations_left` and sends `sub-iteration-skipped`. Skipped iterations aren't charged after you resume. If every remaining iteration is skipped, the subscription becomes `6` (Completed) while paused.

Resume with [Resume a subscription](/payments/subscriptions/patch-subscriptions-sub-payme-id-resume). A paused subscription can't be canceled: resume it first.

A subscription in status `4` has no working card. To fix it, have the buyer pay again with [Pay a subscription](/payments/subscriptions/post-generate-subscription-2) rather than pausing and resuming it.

## Authentication

Send `seller_payme_id` (the seller's MPL) in the JSON body or the `PayMe-Merchant-Key` header. Partners also send `payme_client_key`, in the body or the `PayMe-Partner-Key` header. The subscription must belong to the seller (error `370`).

## Errors

Errors return `status_code` `1` with HTTP 500 unless the table says otherwise.

| HTTP | Code | When |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | `1` | A required field is missing, or no credential was sent. `status_additional_info` names the field. |
| 500 | `251` | The `seller_payme_id` matches no seller. |
| 500 | `370` | The subscription belongs to another seller. |
| 500 | `371` | No subscription has this `sub_payme_id`. |
| 500 | `305` | The subscription isn't in status `2`, `4` or `7`. |

## Parameters

This endpoint takes no path, query or header parameters.

## Request body

Content type: `application/json`

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `seller_payme_id` | string | yes | The seller's MPL. You can send it in the `PayMe-Merchant-Key` header instead. |
| `payme_client_key` | string | no | Partners only: your partner key. You can send it in the `PayMe-Partner-Key` header instead. A seller authenticates with `seller_payme_id` alone. |
| `sub_payme_id` | string | yes | The subscription to pause (`sub_payme_id` from [Create a subscription](/payments/subscriptions/post-generate-subscription)). |
| `language` | string | no | Language of error messages: `he` (default), `en`, `es`, `ru` or `ar`. |

### Request example

```json
{
  "seller_payme_id": "MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-1234567",
  "sub_payme_id": "SUB16885-68336QPL-UQSSS1CC-SYKXI53N"
}
```

## Code samples

### curl

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://sandbox.payme.io/api/pause-subscription' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "seller_payme_id": "MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-1234567",
  "sub_payme_id": "SUB16885-68336QPL-UQSSS1CC-SYKXI53N"
}'
```

### Node.js

```javascript
const response = await fetch("https://sandbox.payme.io/api/pause-subscription", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "seller_payme_id": "MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-1234567",
    "sub_payme_id": "SUB16885-68336QPL-UQSSS1CC-SYKXI53N"
  }),
});

console.log(await response.text());
```

### Python

```python
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://sandbox.payme.io/api/pause-subscription",
    json={
        "seller_payme_id": "MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-1234567",
        "sub_payme_id": "SUB16885-68336QPL-UQSSS1CC-SYKXI53N",
    },
)

print(response.text)
```

### PHP

```php
<?php

$body = <<<'BODY'
{
  "seller_payme_id": "MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-1234567",
  "sub_payme_id": "SUB16885-68336QPL-UQSSS1CC-SYKXI53N"
}
BODY;

$ch = curl_init('https://sandbox.payme.io/api/pause-subscription');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => 'POST',
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
        'Content-Type: application/json',
    ],
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => $body,
]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

echo $response;
```

## Responses

### 200 — The subscription is paused. (success)

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `status_code` | integer | `0` on success. |
| `payme_status` | string | `success`. |
| `status_error_code` | integer | `0` on success. |
| `seller_payme_id` | string | The seller's MPL. |
| `seller_id` | string | The partner's own reference for the seller, if the partner set one. Otherwise `null`. |
| `sub_payme_id` | string | PayMe's subscription ID (`SUB…`). Use it in every other subscription call. |
| `sub_payme_code` | integer | PayMe's numeric subscription ID. |
| `subscription_id` | string | Your own reference, as sent when the subscription was created. `null` if you didn't send one. |
| `sub_created` | string | When the subscription was created, `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS`. |
| `sub_start_date` | string | Date of the first charge, `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS`. |
| `sub_prev_date` | string | When the last successful charge ran. `null` until the first charge. |
| `sub_next_date` | string | When the next charge is due. Ignore it on a canceled or completed subscription. |
| `sub_status` | integer | Current status. See [Subscription statuses](/payments/codes-statuses/subscription-statuses). |
| `sub_iteration_type` | integer | Billing interval. See [Subscription iteration types](/payments/codes-statuses/subscription-iteration-types). |
| `sub_currency` | string | ISO 4217 currency code, e.g. `ILS`. |
| `sub_price` | integer | Price of one iteration, in minor units (`5000` = 50.00). |
| `sub_description` | string | What the buyer is paying for. |
| `sub_iterations` | integer | Total number of iterations. `-1` means unlimited. |
| `sub_iterations_completed` | integer | Iterations charged successfully. |
| `sub_iterations_skipped` | integer | Iterations skipped while the subscription was paused. They are never charged. |
| `sub_iterations_left` | integer | `sub_iterations` minus completed and skipped iterations. `-1` when unlimited. |
| `sub_paid` | boolean | `true` once a card (buyer token) is attached to the subscription. It does not mean the current iteration was charged. |
| `sub_error_text` | string | The last failure, pause or cancel reason. `null` if there is none. Reasons that PayMe writes are in Hebrew. |
| `sub_payment_date` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: when the card was attached. |
| `buyer_card_mask` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: the masked card number. |
| `buyer_card_exp` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: card expiry, `MMYY`. |
| `buyer_name` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: the card holder's name. |
| `buyer_email` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: the card holder's email. |
| `buyer_phone` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: the card holder's phone, or `null`. |
| `buyer_social_id` | string | Returned only when a card is attached: the card holder's national ID, or `null`. |

```json
{
  "status_code": 0,
  "payme_status": "success",
  "status_error_code": 0,
  "seller_payme_id": "MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-MPLDEMO-1234567",
  "seller_id": null,
  "sub_payme_id": "SUB16885-68336QPL-UQSSS1CC-SYKXI53N",
  "sub_payme_code": 477004,
  "subscription_id": "order-1001",
  "sub_created": "2026-11-09 10:15:00",
  "sub_start_date": "2026-12-01 00:00:00",
  "sub_prev_date": null,
  "sub_next_date": "2026-12-01 00:00:00",
  "sub_status": 3,
  "sub_iteration_type": 3,
  "sub_currency": "ILS",
  "sub_price": 5000,
  "sub_description": "Monthly plan",
  "sub_iterations": 12,
  "sub_iterations_completed": 0,
  "sub_iterations_skipped": 0,
  "sub_iterations_left": 12,
  "sub_paid": true,
  "sub_error_text": "הושהה על ידי המשתמש בתאריך 09/11/2026 10:30:00",
  "sub_payment_date": "2026-11-09 10:20:00",
  "buyer_card_mask": "532610******5846",
  "buyer_card_exp": "1230",
  "buyer_name": "Israel Israeli",
  "buyer_email": "buyer@example.com",
  "buyer_phone": null,
  "buyer_social_id": null
}
```

### 500 — The request was refused. See the error table. (error)

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `status_code` | integer | `1` on failure. |
| `status_error_details` | string | What went wrong, in the language you asked for (Hebrew by default). |
| `status_additional_info` | string | The field or value concerned. Can be `null`. |
| `status_error_code` | integer | PayMe error code. See the error table above and [Errors](/payments/getting-started/errors). |
| `session` | string | PayMe session ID. Quote it when you contact support. |

```json
{
  "status_code": 1,
  "status_error_details": "Required parameter is missing",
  "status_additional_info": "sub_payme_id",
  "status_error_code": 1,
  "session": "FhT3aXe7"
}
```