#MetalMonk
floral dawn
long crescent
I've done this with other invoices using stripe.invoiceItems.create but I don't have an invoice id to attach the item to when I'm calling stripe.subscriptions.create
slim tendon
This should be what you are looking for https://stripe.com/docs/billing/invoices/subscription#first-invoice-extra
long crescent
add_invoice_items is the thing I tried but didn't work. It seems to be meant for one off additions like maybe an initiation fee that has a set price and a price id in stripe. But I need the invoice item to be a variable amount depending on how much credit they have on file with us, and the invoice total.
slim tendon
You mentioned add_invoice_items give you some unknown parameters description, amount, correct? Can you share that request id? req_xxx from https://dashboard.stripe.com/test/logs
By variable amount, you can create a Price respectively and feed its id into the add_invoice_items.price
long crescent
I was hoping I could give my invoice item a description, amount, and metadata, like I do when I call stripe.invoiceItems.create. But description and amount are not allowed for add_invoice_items.
slim tendon
Ah right, because add_invoice_items only accept a minimal set of parameters here https://stripe.com/docs/api/subscriptions/create#create_subscription-add_invoice_items
amount is available inside price_data tho
Can you move description and metadata to the Subscription metadata?
long crescent
https://stripe.com/docs/api/subscriptions/create#create_subscription-add_invoice_items-price_data-unit_amount It says that add_invoice_items.price_data.unit_amount is A positive integer in cents (or 0 for a free price) representing how much to charge.
Maybe it would work if I try it with a negative number.
slim tendon
Could you try it?
long crescent
Yeah I'm creating a product right now because price_data.product is a required field and I'll retry with that product and pass it a negative price_data.unit_amount.
It won't allow negative price_data.unit_amount https://dashboard.stripe.com/test/logs/req_sKZvhCddfJMgI7
slim tendon
Okie there is another approach https://stripe.com/docs/billing/invoices/subscription#update-first-invoice
You can make the first Invoice goes stays in Draft mode for 1 hour
in that 1 hour, you can modify the Invoice, adding negative Invoice item or create a credit note
long crescent
That looks promising. Maybe I can pass collection_method: 'send_invoice' when I create the subscription, then call stripe.invoiceItems.create to add my negative invoice item like I usually do to the draft invoice, then stripe.subscriptions.update to change it to collection_method: 'charge_automatically' and charge the remainder due after credit is applied.
slim tendon
send_invoice won't automatically charge your customer, but if you don't want to then it's fine
long crescent
I want to apply their credit and then automatically charge them.
But I thought there was only the 1 hour draft period if I pass the collection_method: 'send_invoice' parameter when I call stripe.subscriptions.create.
long crescent
So I figured I could do that, then create my credit applied invoice item to the resulting draft invoice. Then once the credit line item is applied, update my invoice to collection_method: 'charge_automatically' so that it will immediately charge any remaining amount due.
Ok cool. So right now I'm trying:
- create subscription with
collection_method: 'send_invoice' - add my invoice item to the draft invoice
- update the invoice to
collection_method: 'charge_automatically
If it doesn't work, I'll try that trial trick next.
slim tendon
Niceee
long crescent
thank you so much for all the help and suggestion!