How can I create a subscription in a draft or paused state using the Stripe API?

Based on the Stripe API’s current functionality, there isn’t a built-in way to create a subscription directly in a “paused” or “draft” state during creation for the purpose of delaying charges until you manually approve it.

Here are some key points:

• Trial-Based Pausing:
  A subscription can automatically enter a paused state if it’s created with a trial and no payment method is provided. However, this only applies to the specific case where a free trial ends without a payment method. It isn’t a general “draft” state that you can invoke at creation time.

• Pausing Payment Collection:
  Once a subscription is created and active (or trialing), you can pause payment collection using the Stripe API (or Dashboard) for an existing subscription. This doesn’t change the subscription’s status; rather, it stops invoice generation until you resume payment collection. This approach maintains the subscription as active but delays billing.

• Stripe Connect Context:
  The behavior is the same regardless of whether the subscription is created for a customer under your own Stripe account or as part of a Stripe Connect integration.

Possible Workarounds

1. Extended Trial Period:
   Create the subscription with a trial period long enough to give you time to “approve” it manually. During the trial period no invoices will be generated, and you can convert the subscription to active when you’re ready.

2. Pause Payment Collection Post-Creation:
   Create the subscription as usual (with a trial if needed) and then use the API’s pause payment collection feature to stop invoicing until you resume it manually. This is done after creation and allows you to control when the customer is charged without altering the core subscription status.

Summary

There isn’t a direct “create in draft” or “paused state at creation” option. Instead, you need to either:

• Rely on trials (where absence of a payment method can lead to a paused state after trial ends) or
• Create the subscription normally and then pause payment collection via the API until you’re ready to proceed.

These methods let you delay charges, but both require handling the logic in your integration to switch the subscription to a billing state when you “approve” it manually.

For more details, see the sections in the Stripe API docs related to subscription trials and pausing collection.