---
updatedAt: 2026-06-30T16:05:21.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.pelcro.com/llms.txt
---

# Delete payment method

Delete a payment method.

## Overview

Delete a payment method. Soft-deletes the record.

**Example:** Remove a customer's expired credit card from their account.

***

## Validation Constraints

| Condition                                                    | Result                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Payment method is associated with an active subscription     | Returns 400: "Cannot delete source already associated to a subscription" |
| Payment method does not exist or belongs to a different site | Returns 404                                                              |

***

## Side Effects by Payment Gateway

The delete behavior varies depending on the account's active payment gateway.

### Stripe

| Behavior          | Detail                                                                                                     |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| External API call | Detaches the payment method from the Stripe customer                                                       |
| Local effect      | Soft-deletes the record                                                                                    |
| Event fired       | `source.deleted` is dispatched **asynchronously** once Stripe webhook round-trip is received and processed |

### Braintree

| Behavior          | Detail                                                               |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| External API call | Deletes the payment method from Braintree                            |
| Local effect      | Soft-deletes the record                                              |
| Event fired       | `source.deleted` is dispatched **synchronously** in the same request |

### Tap

| Behavior          | Detail                                                               |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| External API call | *External deletion is not yet implemented*                           |
| Local effect      | Soft-deletes the record                                              |
| Event fired       | `source.deleted` is dispatched **synchronously** in the same request |

### Vantiv

| Behavior          | Detail                                                               |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| External API call | *External deletion is not yet implemented*                           |
| Local effect      | Soft-deletes the record                                              |
| Event fired       | `source.deleted` is dispatched **synchronously** in the same request |

### Cybersource

| Behavior          | Detail                                                               |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| External API call | *External deletion is not yet implemented*                           |
| Local effect      | Soft-deletes the record                                              |
| Event fired       | `source.deleted` is dispatched **synchronously** in the same request |

***

## Important Behaviors

* Deleting a customer's default payment method does **not** automatically reassign another payment method as the new default. The `default_source_id` may reference a soft-deleted record.
* The `source.deleted` event triggers connected webhook and integration listeners (e.g., MailChimp sync).
* For Stripe accounts, the event is fired asynchronously via webhook, meaning integrations react after a short delay rather than within the API response.

# OpenAPI definition

```json
{
  "openapi": "3.1.0",
  "info": {
    "title": "core-api",
    "version": "1.88"
  },
  "servers": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.pelcro.com/api/v1/core"
    }
  ],
  "components": {
    "securitySchemes": {
      "sec0": {
        "type": "apiKey",
        "in": "header",
        "name": "Authorization",
        "x-bearer-format": "bearer"
      },
      "sec1": {
        "type": "apiKey",
        "in": "query",
        "name": "site_id"
      }
    }
  },
  "security": [
    {
      "sec0": [],
      "sec1": []
    }
  ],
  "paths": {
    "/sources/{id}": {
      "delete": {
        "summary": "Delete payment method",
        "description": "Delete a payment method.",
        "operationId": "api-core-delete-payment-method",
        "parameters": [
          {
            "name": "site_id",
            "in": "query",
            "description": "The unique identifier of the site associated with your account.",
            "required": true,
            "schema": {
              "type": "integer",
              "format": "int32"
            }
          },
          {
            "name": "Authorization",
            "in": "header",
            "required": true,
            "schema": {
              "type": "string",
              "default": "Bearer eyJ***"
            }
          }
        ],
        "responses": {
          "200": {
            "description": "Success.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": ""
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "400": {
            "description": "Invalid request.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": "{\n  \"error\": {\n    \"status\": 400,\n    \"message\": \"Invalid request, please try again.\"\n  }\n}"
                  }
                },
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {
                    "error": {
                      "type": "object",
                      "properties": {
                        "status": {
                          "type": "integer",
                          "example": 400,
                          "default": 0
                        },
                        "message": {
                          "type": "string",
                          "example": "Invalid request, please try again."
                        }
                      }
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "401": {
            "description": "Unauthenticated.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": {
                      "error": "Unauthenticated."
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "404": {
            "description": "Not found.",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": {
                      "error": {
                        "status": 404,
                        "message": "Not found."
                      }
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        },
        "deprecated": false
      }
    }
  },
  "x-readme": {
    "headers": [],
    "explorer-enabled": true,
    "proxy-enabled": true
  },
  "x-readme-fauxas": true
}
```

# Sibling pages

* [List payment methods](https://docs.pelcro.com/reference/api-core-list-payment-methods.md)
* [Get payment method](https://docs.pelcro.com/reference/api-core-get-payment-method.md)
* [Create payment method](https://docs.pelcro.com/reference/api-core-create-payment-method.md)