Authorize Payment
The Authorize Payment block creates a payment authorization within MindStudio's managed payment mode.
Authorize a payment cap in managed billing workflows
The Authorize Payment block creates a payment authorization within MindStudio's managed payment mode. When triggered, it establishes a billing cap defined by an amount in cents and a number of units, along with a human-readable reason for the charge. Any billing events that occur after the authorization and fall within the total cap are charged to the user automatically.
The block takes four key inputs: amountCents (the maximum authorized amount in cents as a number), numUnits (the number of billable units covered), reason (a string describing why the charge is being authorized), and an optional cancelStepId that specifies which step to route to if the authorization is cancelled. The block does not produce a structured output object, so it functions as a control step rather than a data-producing step in a workflow.
This block fits into workflows where users must consent to or trigger a payment before accessing a service, generating content, or consuming a metered resource. It is typically placed before steps that incur costs, acting as a gate that ensures billing authorization is in place before downstream processing begins.
What you can build
Real-world workflows powered by the Authorize Payment block.
Gate AI Generation Behind Payment
Place the Authorize Payment block before a large AI generation step to ensure the user has an active billing authorization before compute costs are incurred.
Metered API Access Control
Use the block to authorize a unit-based cap before granting access to a metered API integration, ensuring charges stay within a predefined limit.
Document Processing Billing
Authorize a payment before processing a batch of uploaded documents, with the cap set proportionally to the number of pages or files submitted.
Subscription Feature Unlock
Trigger a payment authorization when a user attempts to access a premium workflow feature, routing to a cancellation step if the authorization is declined.
Per-Session Usage Billing
Authorize a session-level payment cap at the start of an interactive AI session so that all subsequent billing events within that session are covered.
E-Commerce Order Processing
Authorize a payment for a calculated order total before triggering fulfillment steps, ensuring funds are reserved prior to downstream processing.
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Get Started FreeCommon questions about Authorize Payment
What are the required parameters for the Authorize Payment block?
The block requires three parameters: amountCents (the maximum authorized amount expressed as an integer number of cents), numUnits (the number of billable units the authorization covers), and reason (a string explaining the purpose of the charge). The cancelStepId field is optional and specifies which workflow step to transition to if the authorization is cancelled.
What does the Authorize Payment block return as output?
The block does not define a structured output object. It functions as a control or gate step in a workflow rather than a data-producing step, so subsequent blocks do not receive a payload from it directly.
What happens if the user cancels the authorization?
If a cancelStepId is provided in the block's configuration, the workflow will transition to that specified step when the authorization is cancelled. If no cancelStepId is set, this fallback path is not defined.
What kinds of workflows commonly use this block?
This block is used in workflows that operate under MindStudio's managed payment mode, where users need to authorize a billing cap before consuming metered resources, accessing premium features, or triggering cost-incurring AI or API steps.
Does this block charge the user immediately when it runs?
No. The block creates an authorization, not an immediate charge. Billing events that occur after the authorization and fall within the authorized cap are what get billed to the user. The authorization establishes the maximum amount that can be charged through subsequent billing events.
Related capabilities
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