Pre-Filled Manual Renewal Subscriptions
Overview
Subscriptions to renewal allow the customer to purchase renewals that extend the validity of their previously purchased products having limited validity periods (terms).
The product validity period provides the customer with a particular period during which they can use the purchased product; e.g. 30 days, 3 months, 1 year.
With pre-filled manual renewal subscriptions (PMR):
- A renewal order is created automatically
- The customer receives an email suggesting the customer to pay for the renewal order
- The customer has to make a payment manually
How It Works
- The customer makes an order for a renewal product manually
This purchase looks like a regular order to the customer. No additional subscription information for the product is displayed. - Upon successful payment for the order, a PMR subscription is created
- After the subscription validity period (term) expires, a renewal order is created automatically (child order)
- The customer receives the email suggesting the customer to pay for the child order
- To renew the subscription, the customer must follow the link from the email and pay for their order manually
- If the payment is successful, the validity period (term) of the subscription gets extended
Subscription Statuses
PMR subscriptions use the same statuses as AR subscriptions.
Features
Renewal Setup | Use Products API |
Subscription Creation | A subscription is created after payment for a product with a subscription has been successful. No customer consent is required |
Free Trial Period | Not available |
Payment |
Any payment method can be used. The ability to pay for PMR subscriptions must be pre-enabled for the payment method. Please contact our support team if you want to modify your PMR subscription payment enablement |
Renewal Order Creation | Automatic |
Renewal Order Payment | The customer pays for the renewal order manually. The customer receives an email containing an offer to pay for the renewal order |
Subscription Data Receipt via API | Available to you via Webhooks, Orders API, Subscriptions API |
Subscription Data Display | Not available |
Subscription Management |
Not available to customers. Available to you via Subscriptions API |
Subscription Cancellation |
Customers are allowed not to pay for renewal orders. Thus, no new orders are created. Renewal can be cancelled upon request to support |
Subscription Resumption after Cancellation |
Not available |
Calculate Dates
After a subscription is created, the dates on which certain events must happen to the subscription are calculated.
Use the product validity period to calculate the core dates.
The product validity period (term) provides the customer with a particular period to use their purchased product
E.g., if a product has a 1-year validity period (1-year term), the customer can use this product for 1 year after purchase. Then the customer has to purchase a renewal. You can set up different product validity periods for an initial product and renewal
You can set the product validity period in days, months, years, e.g.: 30 days, 3 months, 1 year.
The subscription validity period (term) is calculated based on the product validity period:
- When a subscription is created, the date when the paid subscription term ends is calculated
- Further, according to this date, more additional dates are calculated: e.g. the dates of how long it should take to create a renewal order and send the email suggesting the customer to pay for the renewal, etc
Subscription Creation Date
A subscription is created after the customer pays successfully for their first order (parent). Starting with the date when this subscription is created, the countdown for its first paid validity period begins.
Paid Validity Period Start Date
This date determines when the paid validity period of a subscription starts.
When selling a license, this date conditionally implies the start of the validity period (term) of this license. "Conditionally" means that the true activation of this license is not monitored by default.
The order types influence how the date is calculated:
- For first orders (parent) – Equals the subscription creation date (order payment date).
The actual date the customer starts using their product is not taken into consideration. - For renewal orders (child) - Depends on the date when the customer pays for a renewal order:
- If the customer pays for their renewal order before the current paid validity period (paid term) of their subscription expires, the next paid validity period starts only after the expiration date of the current paid validity period comes.
- If the customer pays for their renewal order after the current paid validity period of their subscription expires, the next paid validity period starts on the date of the successful payment for the renewal order. The days when the renewal order was not paid are not included in the paid validity period and not deducted from it.
Subscription Expiration Date
This date determines when the paid validity period (paid term) of a subscription expires.
When selling a license, you determine the actual deactivation date of the license (in the user's installed product). E.g., it may depend on the license activation date or other licensing specifics. Therefore, the actual date may differ from the estimated subscription operation dates.
The date is calculated as "subscription paid validity period start date (subscription paid term start date)" + "product validity period (product term)".
Renewal Payment Notification Date / Child Order Creation Date
This is the date when the email suggesting the customer to pay for their renewal order is sent.
It coincides with the date on which a child order is created (child order creation date). Thus, the price of a renewal is fixed on this date (due to the price could have changed within the previous paid validity period (previous paid term).
If no child order is created, then every subsequent day a new attempt is made to create a child order (6 attempts in total). The renewal reminder email is sent only after a child order is successfully created.
The term is configured separately for each payment method. Example of default values when paying via bank transfer:
If the product validity period is ≥ 6 months | 30 days before the subscription expiration date |
If the product validity period is < 6 months | 9 days before the subscription expiration date |
Renewal Payment Notification Resend Date
This is the date when the email suggesting the customer to pay for the renewal is resent. The email is sent before 1/2 the term ends. These are the dates that come between the date when the first email is sent and the date when the subscription term ends.
For example, when paying via bank transfer:
If the product validity period is ≥ 6 months | 15 days before the subscription expiration date |
If the product validity period is< 6 months | 5 days before the subscription expiration date |
Contact our support team if you want to enable or disable the repeated reminder emails. The configuration is made separately for each payment method.