---
title: "Start Developer card setup"
method: POST
path: "/v1/billing/developer/checkout"
tags: ["Billing"]
---

# Start Developer card setup

`POST /v1/billing/developer/checkout`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.recruitmcp.com`
- URL: `https://api.recruitmcp.com/v1/billing/developer/checkout`
- Auth: one of:
  - HTTP bearer
  - OAuth 2 (authorization code, authorization URL `https://recruitmcp.com/oauth/authorize`, token URL `https://recruitmcp.com/oauth/token`, scopes: `billing:manage`)

Stripe Checkout in setup mode saves a card. Usage after the prepaid balance is zero is metered and billed monthly in arrears. Refused while a plan subscription is open. 404 feature_disabled when Developer billing is off. Account keys only.

Scope: `billing:manage`. Acts on the account; keys bound to a customer are refused.

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string
- `RecruitMCP-Version` '2026-10-13'

## Response `200`

Hosted card setup.

- CheckoutSession
  - `mode` 'stripe' | 'unconfigured', required
  - `url` string, nullable, required: Hosted checkout URL. Send the buyer here. Null when checkout is not configured.
  - `session_id` string, nullable, required: Checkout session id.
  - `credits` integer, required: Credits this checkout adds after payment.

## Other responses

- `400`: `unsupported_version` (do not retry): RecruitMCP-Version is not a supported version.
- `401`: `unauthorized` (do not retry): Missing bearer API key.
- `403`: `forbidden` (do not retry): This route acts on the account. Keys bound to a customer cannot use it. `insufficient_scope` (do not retry): This key does not include the scope this endpoint requires.
- `404`: `feature_disabled` (do not retry): Developer billing is not enabled.
- `409`: `conflict` (do not retry): The resource is in a state that refuses this change.
- `429`: `rate_limited` (retry): Per-key rate limit exceeded.
- `503`: `internal` (do not retry): Developer billing is not configured.

## Changes

- **2026-10-20** `ad27b35513a6`: 7 warning
  - added the new `approval_forced` enum value to the `error/code` response property for the response status `400`
  - added the new `approval_forced` enum value to the `error/code` response property for the response status `401`
  - added the new `approval_forced` enum value to the `error/code` response property for the response status `403`
  - added the new `approval_forced` enum value to the `error/code` response property for the response status `404`
  - …3 more

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/recruitmcp/apis/recruitmcp-api/changes/v1/billing/developer/checkout/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/recruitmcp/apis/recruitmcp-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/recruitmcp/apis/recruitmcp-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/recruitmcp/apis/recruitmcp-api/revisions/ad27b35513a6?raw)