# Set up a payment profile (https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/payment-profile)

***

title: Set up a payment profile
description: Add a billing method to your GoDaddy account before registering or renewing domains. Required for any operation that charges money.
keywords: credit card, 402, PAYMENT\_REQUIRED, billing setup, domain purchase, checkout required
agentNotes:
permissions: \["Billing"]
scopes: \["Not applicable — configured via UI"]
rateLimit: "Not applicable — one-time setup"
idempotent: true
destructive: false
failureRecovery: "Payment profile is configured through the account UI, not the API. If registration/renewal returns NO\_PAYMENT\_PROFILE (HTTP 422), the account has no billing method — direct the user to add one at godaddy.com."
related:
guides:

* title: "Register a domain"
  href: "/docs/api-users/domains/register"
* title: "Manage renewals"
  href: "/docs/api-users/domains/manage/renewals"
  concepts:
* title: "Handle errors"
  href: "/docs/api-users/errors"

***

Domain registration, renewal, and transfer charge the billing method saved on your GoDaddy account. The Domains API does not accept card numbers or payment objects in the request body — v3 registration quotes and purchases draw from the account's **payment profile**.

If no billing method is on file, quote and purchase calls fail before registration logic runs. The API returns `NO_PAYMENT_PROFILE` (HTTP `422`) until billing is configured. Go to [Handle errors](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/errors) for the full error envelope and other billing-related error codes.

## Add a payment method

You can add a payment method in the account UI or open the same page from the CLI.

### Using the CLI

The GoDaddy CLI opens your browser to the payment-methods page for the active environment:

```bash
gddy payment-methods add
```

Only a **credit card** or **Good as Gold** balance can be used for domain purchases. For built-in CLI environments, the command opens:

| CLI environment                  | Account payment URL                                                                                        |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Production (`gddy env set prod`) | [account.godaddy.com/payment-methods/add-payment](https://account.godaddy.com/payment-methods/add-payment) |

### Using the account UI

1. Sign in at [account.godaddy.com/payment-methods/add-payment](https://account.godaddy.com/payment-methods/add-payment).
2. Click **Add Payment Method**.
3. Complete the **Billing Information** and **Payment Method** sections.
4. Click **Save**.

Domain purchase also requires a complete registrant contact (phone and mailing address) on the account. If billing is set up but contact fields are missing, the API returns `MISSING_CONTACT` or validation errors on individual address fields. Update contacts at [account.godaddy.com/profile/contacts](https://account.godaddy.com/profile/contacts).

## Verify billing is ready

After adding a payment method, confirm the account can receive a registration quote. A successful quote returns a `quoteToken`; `NO_PAYMENT_PROFILE` means billing is still missing.

```bash
curl -s -X POST "https://api.godaddy.com/v3/domains/registration-quotes" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GODADDY_PAT" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "example.com", "period": 1}'
```

A `quoteToken` in the response confirms billing is configured. `NO_PAYMENT_PROFILE` means add a payment method first. `MISSING_CONTACT` means complete the registrant contact on the account before quoting or purchasing.

## Common errors

| Code                   | HTTP  | Likely cause                                                                       | What to do                                               |
| ---------------------- | ----- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| `NO_PAYMENT_PROFILE`   | `422` | No payment method on the account.                                                  | Add a payment method (UI or `gddy payment-methods add`). |
| `INVALID_PAYMENT_INFO` | `402` | Payment authorization failed at purchase time — no usable method or card declined. | Verify the card on file or add a new method.             |
| `ACCOUNT_NOT_FUNDED`   | `403` | Good as Gold balance is $0.00 with no fallback card.                               | Add funds or add a credit card.                          |
| `MISSING_CONTACT`      | `422` | Registrant phone or address missing from the account profile.                      | Complete contact info in the account UI.                 |

Some accounts use a prepaid Good as Gold balance instead of a card. Registrations draw from the balance first. When registering multiple domains in sequence, each call is a separate charge. The balance must cover each domain individually. Good as Gold is available for USD accounts, including accounts based in countries outside of the US. If the balance is $0 and no fallback card is on file, registration fails with a billing-related error. Go to [What is Good as Gold?](https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-is-good-as-gold-3359) for an overview.

### Payment declines

Your API purchases might be declined even when a valid billing method is on file. Two situations commonly cause this:

| Situation                                     | Description                                                     | Cause                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Resolution                                                                                                                                         |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **High-velocity transactions**                | Many purchases on the same payment method in a short period     | Your issuing bank might decline the transaction as a fraud precaution. GoDaddy can't quantify the threshold as it's entirely issuer-determined. GoDaddy tracks velocity per shopper ID; if the same card is used across multiple GoDaddy accounts, each account's activity is counted separately at GoDaddy's level. Your issuer, however, sees all charges on the card regardless of which account originated them. | Fund a Good as Gold account in advance and use it for these transactions. Good as Gold draws from a prepaid balance and bypasses your card issuer. |
| **European Economic Area (EEA) transactions** | Purchases in GBP or EUR with a billing address in the UK or EEA | Payment Services Directive 2 requires Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). The API purchase experience is not compatible with current accepted SCA methods.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Use Good as Gold within this region. Good as Gold transactions are not subject to SCA requirements.                                                |

Go to [What is Good as Gold?](https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-is-good-as-gold-3359) for an overview, or [Set up a Good as Gold account](https://www.godaddy.com/en-in/help/set-up-or-add-money-to-my-good-as-gold-account-7562) to get started.

To fund more than $2,000, you must pass Identity Verification before spending your Good as Gold credit. GoDaddy only processes USD transactions.