# Remove the payment method

Source: https://docs.recoupable.dev/api-reference/accounts/payment-method-delete

Turn off automatic credit top-ups for the authorized account, then detach its selected default card.

## DELETE /api/accounts/{id}/payment-method

Full OpenAPI specification: https://docs.recoupable.dev/spec/accounts.json

## Authentication

This operation requires one of the security alternatives in the specification below. Security scheme definitions are included where present in the published specification.

[Authentication guide](https://docs.recoupable.dev/authentication)

## Operation and referenced schemas

```json
{
  "openapi": "3.1.0",
  "info": {
    "title": "Recoup API - Accounts",
    "description": "API documentation for the Recoup platform - an AI agent platform for the music industry",
    "license": {
      "name": "MIT"
    },
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "servers": [
    {
      "url": "https://api.recoupable.dev"
    }
  ],
  "paths": {
    "/api/accounts/{id}/payment-method": {
      "delete": {
        "operationId": "deleteAccountsByIdPaymentMethod",
        "description": "Turn off automatic credit top-ups for the authorized account, then detach its selected default card. This removes one card selected from the account's tagged Stripe customers; it does not delete every saved card. A successful request returns 204 with no response body. `id` may be the authenticated account or an organization the caller belongs to.\n\nOther cards remain attached. A later `GET /api/accounts/{id}/payment-method` can return another remaining card; removal does not guarantee `card: null` or checkout-only purchases. A later explicitly requested credit purchase can use a remaining card, while an account with no card uses checkout. Removal does not turn automatic top-ups back on; enabling them again requires an explicit settings update.\n\nThe API saves `auto_topup_enabled: false` before detaching the selected card. If saving that setting fails, no card is detached. If settings are saved but detachment fails, automatic top-ups remain off and the request returns 500. Both failures return the same generic error, so read the payment method and auto-top-up settings to determine the current state. A missing customer or selected card returns 404 without changing settings or cards.\n\nAfter an error or uncertain response, reread both states before deciding whether to retry. A successful removal may expose another selected card, so blindly repeating DELETE can remove a different card. Removal preserves balances, configured top-up amounts and thresholds, and other saved cards. It does not cancel subscriptions, invoices, a charge already in progress, or a concurrent explicit settings update.",
        "parameters": [
          {
            "name": "id",
            "in": "path",
            "description": "The unique identifier (UUID) of the account. Must be the authenticated account or another accessible via organization membership.",
            "required": true,
            "schema": {
              "type": "string",
              "format": "uuid"
            }
          }
        ],
        "security": [
          {
            "apiKeyAuth": []
          },
          {
            "bearerAuth": []
          }
        ],
        "responses": {
          "204": {
            "description": "Automatic top-ups are off and the selected card is detached; no response body."
          },
          "400": {
            "description": "Invalid account id; no billing changes are performed.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AccountPaymentMethodErrorResponse"
                },
                "example": {
                  "error": "id must be a valid UUID"
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "401": {
            "description": "Unauthorized - invalid or missing authentication",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AccountPaymentMethodErrorResponse"
                },
                "example": {
                  "error": "Unauthorized"
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "403": {
            "description": "Forbidden - the account is not the caller's and not an organization they belong to (an unknown id also returns 403, never 404)",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AccountPaymentMethodErrorResponse"
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "404": {
            "description": "No tagged Stripe customer or selected card exists. Settings and cards are unchanged.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AccountPaymentMethodErrorResponse"
                },
                "example": {
                  "error": "No payment method on file"
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "500": {
            "description": "Unable to complete card removal. Automatic top-ups may already be off; read the card and settings before retrying.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "schema": {
                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AccountPaymentMethodErrorResponse"
                },
                "example": {
                  "error": "Internal server error"
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "components": {
    "schemas": {
      "AccountPaymentMethodErrorResponse": {
        "type": "object",
        "required": [
          "error"
        ],
        "properties": {
          "error": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Human-readable error message.",
            "example": "Unauthorized"
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "securitySchemes": {
      "apiKeyAuth": {
        "type": "apiKey",
        "in": "header",
        "name": "x-api-key",
        "description": "Your Recoup API key. [Learn more](/quickstart#api-keys)."
      },
      "bearerAuth": {
        "type": "http",
        "scheme": "bearer"
      }
    }
  }
}
```