Set up e-mandates to authorize payments from your bank in India.

This guide is for customers who use an Indian-issued credit or debit card to make recurring payments for their Squarespace subscriptions such as websites, domains, or Google Workspace. 

In accordance with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Squarespace requires the creation of e-mandates for payment methods in India. An e-mandate gives us permission to request payments from your bank up to a specific amount.

Note: If your subscription is set to automatically renew, and you don’t have an active e-mandate, we can’t request payment from your bank. As a result, your subscription will expire.

Review this guide to learn more about setting up and canceling an e-mandate, payment requests, and e-mandate limits.

Before you begin

• We require e-mandates for products with recurring charges, such as domain and website subscriptions. However, they’re not required when you make a one-time purchase, like for a Getty image.
• If you set up an e-mandate for a Squarespace website, the e-mandate will apply to any subscription associated with that website.
• When you set up an e-mandate for each site, it’s for a maximum limit of ₹15,000 per charge, or about that amount in your local currency. However, you'll only be charged for the amount of your purchase. These limits are set by both Squarespace and the Reserve Bank of India.
• Your individual card or bank determines how e-mandates are collected. For example, if you use a card that isn’t Visa or Mastercard, you may not be able to set up an e-mandate. You can still use these payment methods for your initial subscription purchase, but your renewal payment may fail.
• To set up an e-mandate, the billing address needs to be in India. Addresses that aren't located in India will not prompt the set-up process.

Set up an e-mandate

Both new and existing customers need to set up an e-mandate to ensure uninterrupted service for your Squarespace subscription(s). Entering and saving your billing information triggers the e-mandate set-up process. 

For steps on how to set up an e-mandate, review the section below that applies to you.

New Customers

If you’re a new Squarespace customer, to set up an e-mandate:

1. Follow the steps to purchase your Squarespace product:
   • Website
   • Domain
   • Google Workspace
   • Acuity Scheduling
2. After you enter your billing information, your bank will prompt you to authenticate the transaction using one of their available authentication methods.
3. After the authentication is complete, click Save. After you've successfully added your card as a payment method, the e-mandate will now be active.

Existing Customers

If you’re an existing Squarespace customer, to set up an e-mandate:

1. Update the payment method for your subscription:
   • Website - Open the Payment information panel.
   • Domain - Open the Domains dashboard, choose your domain, then click Billing.
   • Google Workspace - Open the Payment information panel.
   • Acuity Scheduling - Open the Payment information panel.
2. Next to Payment Method, click Edit.
3. Either update the existing billing information to a new card, or re-enter the same information. This triggers the e-mandate set-up process.
4. Authenticate the transaction using an authentication method sent from your bank.
5. After the authentication is complete, click Save. After you've successfully added your card as a payment method, the e-mandate will now be active.

For more details on currency and payment method limitations, and troubleshooting steps, visit Updating your billing information.

Confirm the e-mandate is active (optional)

To ensure your mandate is active, ask your bank to review your active mandates and which cards they're associated with. 

If you followed the proper steps to add your billing information and complete your bank's authentication, but are still having issues, we recommend contacting your bank to ensure there are no blocks in place from their end.

Payment requests

After you create the e-mandate, we can automatically request renewal payments from your bank. Your bank will notify you of the payment request at least 24 hours before every transaction on your card, which you need to reject or approve. You’ll also receive a notification from Squarespace if the purchase is over ₹15,000. Keep in mind:

• Payment requests may take up to 26 hours to process. During that time, manual payments will fail if the mandate isn't active while processing.
• To cancel a payment request that’s less than ₹15,000, you need to reject the payment request during the 26-hour processing time. Otherwise, your bank will automatically approve it.
• To approve a payment request over ₹15,000, you need to manually complete additional factor authentication (AFA). Your bank chooses the AFA method for you to complete. If you have any questions about it, contact your bank.
• Payments appear as pending on the order confirmation screen until the transaction is complete.

Services you can use immediately after your subscription payment

You can use these services immediately after you purchase a subscription using an e-mandate:

• Email Campaigns
• Google Workspace users you add to an existing Google Workspace account
• Acuity Scheduling
• Digital Products
• Websites

Services you can’t use until the e-mandate is in place

When you purchase a subscription for the following services using an e-mandate, you can't use the service until your payment has been fully processed. Payment requests may take up to 26 hours to process. Payments appear as pending on the order confirmation screen until the transaction is complete:

• Domain purchases
• New Google Workspace accounts

Failed payments

If your renewal payment fails, we'll email the address listed on the account. You'll likely need to repeat the steps above to update your billing information and set up a new e-mandate for every renewal payment failure.

If updating and verifying your billing information doesn't resolve the issue, contact your bank to ensure the e-mandate is active.

Cancel an e-mandate

If you no longer need your Squarespace subscription, there are two ways to cancel your e-mandate:

1. Cancel your Squarespace subscription
   • Website
   • Domain
   • Google Workspace
   • Acuity
2. Cancel your e-mandate through your bank. For questions on this process, please contact your bank.

When canceling an e-mandate, keep in mind:

• If you reactivate your subscription in the future, you'll need to set up a new e-mandate, even if one previously existed for the same card and subscription.
• If you cancel your e-mandate through your bank, we’ll remove the payment method from the associated Squarespace site. To keep your subscriptions active, set up a new mandate.