---
title: "Set a default customer payment method"
description: "Sets the selected customer payment method or legacy saved card as the default for its payment-method category."
type: "mcp_operation"
company: "RevCent"
operation_id: "SetDefaultCustomerPaymentMethod"
canonical: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/SetDefaultCustomerPaymentMethod.md"
api_schema: "https://revcent.com/documentation/files/api/operation/SetDefaultCustomerPaymentMethod.json"
---

# RevCent MCP Guide: `SetDefaultCustomerPaymentMethod`

Sets the selected payment method as the customer's default for its payment-method category.

## Operation

- API: `POST /v2/customers/{customer_id}/payment_methods/{payment_method_id}/set_default`
- Required permission: `customer:set_default_payment_method`.
- Available profiles: MCP and AI Assistants.
- Related overview: [OverviewCustomerPaymentMethod](https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/OverviewCustomerPaymentMethod.md).

## Inputs

| Parameter | Location | Required | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| `customer_id` | URL path | Yes | The customer that owns the payment method. IDs contain 20 characters. |
| `payment_method_id` | URL path | Yes | A 20 character RevCent ID for a payment method or legacy saved card belonging to that customer. |

The selected payment method or legacy card must belong to the authenticated account and the customer in the URL, and its Live/Test mode must match the request. RevCent checks for a matching Payment Method first, then the exact legacy card. Deleted or otherwise unavailable selections are rejected. Invalid explicit selections fail without substituting another payment method or default. Disabled selections can still be managed.

MCP arguments include these identifiers. In a direct HTTP request, substitute them into the URL; do not duplicate them in the JSON body.

No request-body properties are needed. For HTTP, omit the body or send `{}`. Do not send an `enabled` or `is_default` property; the selected operation performs that action.

## MCP argument example

```json
{
  "customer_id": "CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC",
  "payment_method_id": "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM"
}
```

IDs are illustrative. Substitute your customer ID and the selected payment-method ID or legacy saved card ID.

## Result and next step

A successful response includes the existing acknowledgment fields such as `code`, `customer_id`, `result`, and API response metadata. The identifiers describe the affected selection:

| Selection | Response `payment_method_id` | Response `customer_card_id` |
|---|---|---|
| Card with an associated Payment Method | The associated Payment Method ID | The affected card ID |
| Legacy card without an associated Payment Method | The selected legacy card ID | The same legacy card ID |
| Non-card Payment Method | The selected Payment Method ID | Omitted |

The response `payment_method_id` may differ from the value supplied in the URL. For card actions, use `customer_card_id` to confirm the affected card. These actions do not create a Payment Method for a legacy card that has none. They synchronize the associated card and Payment Method when both exist. Responses do not contain full card credentials.

The selected method becomes the default for its own category. A card default and a digital-wallet default are separate choices; do not treat this as one default shared by every category.

Repeating set-default when the selection is already the default succeeds. Set-default does not enable a disabled selection.

[GetCustomerPaymentMethods](https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/GetCustomerPaymentMethods.md) lists the customer's methods. [OverviewCustomerPaymentMethod](https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/OverviewCustomerPaymentMethod.md) explains categories, defaults, and saved-method selection.

API errors can include `code: 0`, `error_code`, `message`, and `result`. Use the response to determine whether the action completed; do not treat an error as a successful change.


---
Document Parent Directory
* [Operations](https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/index.md) - AI/MCP details and overviews for operations available within the RevCent MCP.