Subscriptions

The Subscriptions tab provides a comprehensive view of all recurring subscriptions purchased through your storefront. Any time a customer purchases a subscription product, it will appear here for monitoring and management.

How Subscriptions Work

Subscriptions in Frontend are designed for recurring monthly payments:

• Monthly Billing: All subscriptions are billed on a monthly basis
• Automatic Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew each month unless canceled
• Instant Activation: Subscriptions become active immediately upon successful payment
• Recurring Revenue: Provides predictable, recurring income from subscribers

When a customer purchases a subscription product, they’re enrolled in automatic monthly billing through Stripe.

Viewing Subscriptions

The Subscriptions tab displays all active and past subscriptions with key information:

• Customer Information: Name and email of the subscriber
• Product Details: Which subscription product was purchased
• Status: Whether the subscription is active, canceled, or expired
• Billing Date: When the next payment is due
• Payment History: Record of all previous subscription payments

Each row in the subscription table represents one customer’s subscription to a specific product.

Managing Subscriptions

You have full control over subscriptions directly from the subscription table. For each subscription row, you can:

Cancel Subscriptions

Manually cancel any subscription at any time:

• Click the cancel action for the subscription row
• The subscription will be marked as canceled
• No future payments will be processed
• Customer access typically continues until the current billing period ends

Use this when customers request cancellation, experience payment issues, or violate terms of service.

Renew Subscriptions

Manually renew subscriptions that have been canceled or expired:

• Click the renew action for the subscription row
• The subscription will be reactivated
• Monthly billing will resume
• Customer regains access to subscription benefits

This is useful for reactivating subscriptions after resolving payment issues or customer requests.

Subscription Lifecycle

Understanding the typical subscription lifecycle helps with management:

1. Purchase: Customer completes checkout for a subscription product
2. Active: Subscription is active and customer has access
3. Monthly Renewal: Stripe automatically processes payment each month
4. Cancellation (if applicable): Either manually canceled or customer cancels
5. Expiration: Access ends based on your subscription terms

Common Subscription Scenarios

Failed Payments

When a monthly payment fails:

• Stripe will automatically retry the payment based on your settings
• You can manually cancel or renew the subscription as needed
• Contact the customer to update payment information

Upgrade/Downgrade Requests

If a customer wants to change their subscription:

• They can cancel their current subscription
• Purchase a new subscription product at the desired tier
• Consider offering promo codes to offset any timing issues

Refunds

For subscription refunds:

• Process refunds through Stripe’s dashboard
• Manually cancel the subscription in Frontend
• Document the refund reason for your records

Best Practices

To effectively manage subscriptions:

• Monitor subscription status regularly to catch failed payments early
• Set up clear policies for cancellations and refunds
• Communicate subscription terms clearly to customers
• Use subscription data to understand customer retention
• Reach out to customers before payment failures lead to cancellation
• Track subscription metrics to improve your offerings

Subscriptions provide a powerful way to build recurring revenue, and proper management ensures a smooth experience for both you and your customers.