What is Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) file upload and how to use it? - Classic Experience (1.0)
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04/09/2025 15:30 PM
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This article will guide merchants through understanding and configuring Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) File Upload.
Uploading Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) Subscription Files
The Upload Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) Subscription File feature allows you to upload a file with multiple ARB subscription records to the payment gateway. To use this feature, you must first create the file. For information on how to format subscription information in a subscription file, refer to the Subscription File Formatting section below.
How to upload an ARB subscription file?
- Sign in to the Merchant Interface.
- Click Recurring Billing in the main left side menu.
- Click Upload ARB Subscription.
- Click Browse.
- Browse for the subscription file you want to upload.
- Click Upload File.
- Click Close.
Note: Do not close the message window until either an error list or a File ID is returned by the gateway. Closing the window while the file is uploading may cancel the upload. If any formatting error is detected in the file, or an error occurs during file processing, this window will return the line number the error occurred in and a description of the error. You will then need to correct any formatting or data errors and resubmit the subscription file.
How to view the status of an uploaded Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) file?
Once the subscription file has been successfully uploaded, you can click any File ID to view the status of subscriptions uploaded within that file. Follow these steps:
- Sign in to the Merchant Interface.
- Click Recurring Billing in the main left side menu.
- Click View Status of Uploaded ARB Subscriptions. All uploaded subscription files are listed.
- Click a File ID to view a listing of subscriptions included in the uploaded subscription file.
Subscription File Formatting
Subscription files must be carefully formatted. Any omission of required data or inaccuracy in field order may result in errors during uploading. When submitting a plain text subscription file, fields must be separated using a comma (,) delimiting character and quotation marks (") for the encapsulation character. Refer to the Upload ARB Subscription File help text for details about field order and formatting.
Data requirements may vary based on the type of subscription being submitted in the subscription file (for example, credit card vs. eCheck, or with or without a trial period). Ensure that all of the required information for each type of subscription is included in the subscription file. Refer to the Upload ARB Subscription File help text for details about data requirements.
Once the subscription file is successfully uploaded, a File ID will display. At this point, you can view the status of each uploaded subscription file on the Uploaded ARB Subscription File Status page.
A pre-formatted Excel template is attached.
ARB Field Formatting
ORDER | FIELD NAME | REQUIREMENTS | LENGTH | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Subscription Name | Optional | 20 | Merchant-assigned name for the subscription. |
2 | Invoice Number | Optional | 20 | The Invoice Number will repeat for each subsequent recurring transaction. |
3 | Description | Optional | 255 | A description of the subscription. |
4 | Amount | Required | 15 | The amount to be billed to the customer each time the transaction is submitted. If a trial period is specified, this is the amount that will be billed after the trial billing occurrences are completed. Must be a valid amount. |
5 | Payment Method | Required | CC, ECHECK | If blank, the default Payment Method is CC. |
6 | Credit Card Number | Required only if | 22 | Must be a numeric value. |
7 | Credit Card Expiration Date | Required only if | MMYY, MMYYYY |
|
8 | Bank Account Type | Required only if Payment | CHECKING, SAVINGS, or BUSINESSCHECKING | If blank, the default Account Type is CHECKING. |
9 | ABA Routing Number | Required only if Payment | 9 | Must be a valid 9-digit ABA Routing Number. |
10 | Bank Account Number | Required only if Payment | 20 | Must be a numeric value. |
11 | Name on Account | Required only if Payment | 40 | The full name of the individual associated with the bank account number provided. |
12 | Bank Name | Required only if Payment | 50 | The name of the financial institution associated with the provided bank account number. |
13 | Start Date | Required | MM/DD/YY | The date the subscription begins (also the date the initial billing occurs). |
14 | Total Occurrences | Required | 4 | Must be a numeric value. To indicate a subscription with no end date (an ongoing subscription), this field must be submitted with a value of "9999." If a trial period is specified, this number should include the trial occurrences. |
15 | Interval Length | Required | If the Interval Unit is "Month," can only be 1, 2, 3, 6, 12. If the Interval Unit is "Day," can be any number between seven (7) and 365. | The measurement of time between each billing occurrence based on the Interval Unit. For example, an Interval Length of "2" with an Interval Unit of "Month" would result in a billing every other month for the duration of the subscription. The day of the month that the billing occurs is dictated by the start date. |
16 | Interval Unit | Required | Month, Day | The unit of time, in association with the Interval Length, that is used to define the frequency of the billing occurrences. |
17 | Trial Occurrences | Optional | 2 | Must be a numeric value. This number should be included in Total Occurrences. |
18 | Trial Amount | Required only if a value | 15 | The amount to be charged for each billing during the trial period. After the trial period has completed, the amount indicated in the Amount field will be charged for remaining billing occurrences. |
19 | Customer ID | Optional | 20 | Merchant-assigned identifier for the customer. |
20 | Customer Type | Required only if Payment | I = Individual |
|
21 | Billing First Name | Required | 50 |
|
22 | Billing Last Name | Required | 50 |
|
23 | Billing Company | Optional | 50 |
|
24 | Billing Address | Optional | 50 |
|
25 | Billing City | Optional | 40 |
|
26 | Billing State | Optional | 40 |
|
27 | Billing ZIP Code | Optional | 20 |
|
28 | Billing Country | Optional | 60 | Must be a valid two-character country code or full country name (spelled in English). |
29 | Customer Phone | Optional | 25 |
|
30 | Customer Fax | Optional | 25 |
|
31 | Customer Email | Optional | 255 |
|
32 | Shipping First Name | Optional | 50 |
|
33 | Shipping Last Name | Optional | 50 |
|
34 | Shipping Address | Optional | 60 |
|
35 | Shipping Company | Optional | 50 |
|
36 | Shipping City | Optional | 40 |
|
37 | Shipping State | Optional | 40 |
|
38 | Shipping ZIP Code | Optional | 20 |
|
39 | Shipping Country | Optional | 60 | Must be a valid two-character country code or full country name (spelled in English). |
40 | Customer Tax ID/Social Security Number | Optional | 9 | Must be a valid 9-digit Tax ID or Social Security Number with no hyphens. |
41 | Driver's License Number | Optional | 50 |
|
42 | Driver's License State | Optional | 2 | Must be a valid two-character state code. |
43 | Driver's License Date of Birth (DOB) | Optional | YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY/MM/DD, MM/DD/YYYY, |
|
44 | eCheck Type | Required only if Payment | CCD , PPD , WEB | If blank, when Bank Account Type is Checking or Savings, the default eCheck Type is WEB. When Bank Account Type is Business Checking, the default eCheck Type is CCD. |
Completed File Examples
Sample Credit Card Subscription:"Sample 1 Subscription","00001","This is a sample credit card subscription","8.00","CC","0000000000000000","0505",,,,,,"08/01/03","12","1","Months",,,"43265",,"Jane","Doe",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sample Credit Card Subscription:"Sample 2 Subscription","00002","This is a sample credit card subscription with WFSS requirements","8.00","CC","0000000000000000","0505",,,,,,"08/01/03","12","1","Months",,,"43266",,"Jane","Doe","Jane Doe Enterprises","3333 Anywhere Street","Any City","AZ","00000-0000","US","(555) 555-5555",,"jdoe@genericdomain.com",,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sample eCheck Subscription:"Sample 3 Subscription","00003","This is a sample eCheck subscription","8.00","ECHECK",,,"CHECKING","000000000","000000000000","Jane Doe","First Bank","08/01/03","12","1","Months",,,"43267",,"Jane","Doe",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"WEB"
Sample eCheck Subscription:"Sample 4 Subscription","00004","This is a sample eCheck subscription with WFSS requirements","8.00","ECHECK",,,"CHECKING","000000000","000000000000", "Jane Doe","First Bank","08/01/03","12","1","Months",,,"43268","B","Jane", "Doe","Jane Doe Enterprises","3333 Anywhere Street","Any City","AZ","00000-0000", "US","(555)555-5555",,"jdoe@genericdomain.com",,,,,,,,,"000000000",,"AZ",,"WEB"
Tips for Uploading ARB Subscription Files
The minimum data requirements for uploading eCheck subscriptions are:
- Amount
- Payment Method
- Bank Account Type
- ABA Routing Number
- Bank Account Number
- Name on Account
- Bank Name
- Start Date
- Number of Payments
- Subscription Interval
- Interval Unit
- Billing First Name
- Billing Last Name
- eCheck Type
Trial Period Amount and Trial Period Cycles are required for all subscriptions with a trial period.
Although not required, we recommend that you provide the billing and shipping address information. Submitting this information allows the gateway to apply your AVS filter settings to the subscription's first transaction. Once the address is validated using the AVS filter, subsequent transactions in the subscription are then submitted without AVS information.
The Card Code is not required for creating a subscription. As card association security guidelines restrict the storage of Card Code data, the first and subsequent transactions for a subscription will be submitted without Card Code data.
Although not required, we recommend that you provide an invoice number if you need to reconcile your transaction processing between reports from a third-party software system and the Merchant Interface.
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