Switching your default card
Your company issues a new card and the old one is being cancelled. Add the new card, set it as the default, then remove the old one once you have confirmed the new card is active.
Payment Methods
Add a credit card, mark one as your default, or remove a card you no longer use, all from your billing settings. Cards are added through Stripe, so your card number never touches Sistava's servers.
Every plan, top-up, and credit pack purchase runs against a saved card. Payment method management is the settings screen where you add a new card, change which one is charged by default, and remove a card that has expired or that you no longer want on file.
Adding a card starts a Stripe SetupIntent, scoped to your account's Stripe customer record. Stripe's own form collects and verifies the card details directly, and Sistava only stores a reference to it, along with its brand and last four digits, never the raw card number or CVC. That SetupIntent is created for off-session use, which is what lets a saved card be charged later for a subscription renewal or an automatic top-up without you being in the browser at the time.
Payment Methods only controls which card is on file, not what gets charged. Your plan decides what a subscription costs, and a credit pack purchase is a separate one-time charge; both draw on whichever card you have marked as default here. Only a teammate whose role includes billing management can add, change, or remove a card, so someone without that permission can see the plan and billing status but cannot touch the cards on file.
If you remove your default card while another card is still on file, Sistava automatically promotes the most recently added remaining card to default, so a scheduled charge is never left without one to run against. If you remove your only card while a subscription is still active, nothing blocks the removal, but you get a warning first: without a card, that subscription will fail to renew. A card can also land on your account outside this screen entirely, for example through Stripe's own flows; if you had no default set at that point, that card becomes the default automatically.
Adding a card
From billing settings, choose to add a new payment method. Sistava requests a SetupIntent from Stripe and hands your browser a client secret; Stripe's card form takes it from there. Once Stripe confirms the card, it appears in your list of saved payment methods with its brand and last four digits.
You can add more than one card. This is useful if you want a backup on file in case your primary card expires or gets declined, so a scheduled subscription renewal or credit top-up does not fail. Adding a card only verifies it with Stripe; nothing is charged until a subscription, renewal, or credit pack purchase actually runs.
Setting a default and removing a card
Any saved card can be marked as the default. The default is the card Sistava charges for your subscription renewal, manual top-ups, and one-time credit pack purchases, so switching it takes effect the next time a charge runs.
Removing a card checks that it belongs to your tenant, then deletes it from Stripe and your account right away, so you can only remove your own saved cards. If the card you remove was the default and another card remains, Sistava automatically makes the most recently added remaining card the new default, no action needed on your part. If it was your only card, the removal still goes through, but the confirmation step warns you that any active subscription will fail to renew until a new card is added.
How It Works
Stripe handles the card, Sistava handles the choice
When you add a card, the backend asks Stripe for a SetupIntent scoped to your account's Stripe customer record and returns a client secret to the browser. Stripe's own form collects the card number, expiry, and CVC, and confirms the SetupIntent directly with Stripe. The raw card details never pass through Sistava's servers.
Once Stripe confirms the card, Sistava saves a payment method record tied to your tenant, including the card brand, last four digits, and expiry, so you can recognize it later without exposing the full number.
Setting a card as default updates which card future subscription charges, top-ups, and credit pack purchases use. Deleting a card checks that it belongs to your account before removing it, and it also updates your active subscription record so billing stays accurate.
Use Cases
Keeping a backup card on file
You want to avoid a failed subscription renewal if your primary card has an issue. Add a second card as a backup so you can switch the default quickly if the first one is declined, or let Sistava auto-promote it if you remove the first.
Handing billing to one teammate
You want only one person managing what's charged. Give that teammate billing management permission so they're the one who can add, default, or remove cards, while the rest of the team can still see plan details without being able to touch payment methods.
FAQ
Does Sistava ever see or store my full card number?
No. Card entry and verification happen directly with Stripe through a SetupIntent. Sistava only stores a reference to the saved card along with its brand and last four digits, never the full card number or CVC.
Does adding a card charge me anything?
No. Adding a card only verifies it with Stripe and saves a reference to it. Nothing is charged until you subscribe to a plan, a renewal runs, or you buy a credit pack.
Can I have more than one card saved?
Yes. You can save multiple cards and choose which one is the default at any time. Keeping a backup card on file helps avoid a failed subscription renewal or top-up if your primary card expires or is declined.
What happens if I delete my default card?
If another card is still on file, Sistava automatically promotes the most recently added one to default, so you don't have to pick one yourself. If it was your only card, the removal still happens, but you'll see a warning that your subscription will fail to renew until you add a new card.
Who on my team can manage payment methods?
Only a teammate whose role includes billing management can add, set default, or remove a card. Everyone else can see the plan and billing status but cannot change what's on file.
Can someone else's payment method show up in my account?
No. Every lookup and change to a payment method is checked against your own account's Stripe customer record before it is read, updated, or deleted.
Where Payment Methods fits
Payment Methods is part of How you run the account itself.
Sign in the way your company already does, decide who can do what, and keep the money side legible. Credits, plans, invoices, referrals, and the controls that decide who reaches which part of the workspace.
- How you run the account itself: Your workspace, your money, your people.
Read the guide
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