Subscription Management 1.0 and 2.0

Note

By default, Subscription Management 2.0 is set up for all client accounts since 2019. If you onboarded the Cleverbridge platform before 2019 and are using Subscription Management 1.0, contact Client Experience to migrate to version 2.0.

When we migrate your client account from Subscription Management 1.0 to 2.0, we will perform a batch update for all existing subscriptions:

  • Subscriptions with the status Deactivated – Awaiting Reinstate will get a manual renewal type, and their status will change to Active – Active.
  • All other subscriptions will get the automatic renewal type, and their status will remain the same.

Subscription Management 2.0 revolves around a customerClosed An individual or business purchasing your product or service by placing an order through Cleverbridge. The customer is the end user of this product, as they are not allowed to resell the purchased products or services. ​ A customer is unique per client. If a customer purchases products or services from two different clients, there are 2 separate records of said customer.​ self-service UI, which allows customers to manage their subscriptions. For more information, see Subscription Management Portal.

Cleverbridge offers two types of subscription management:

  • Subscription Management 1.0 with a basic feature set for managing renewals, cancelations, and reactivations.
  • Subscription Management 2.0 with a subscription-centric approach that allows both you and the customer to better understand how the subscription will renew (automatic vs. manual), which status the subscription has (Active vs. Deactivated), and which products will be charged upon renewal.

The following table summarizes the main differences:

  Subscription Management 1.0 Subscription Management 2.0
Automatic/Manual Renewal
  • There is not a renewal type attribute on the subscription level
  • Renewal is set on the product level and influences the subscription status and item status
  • Renewal type is always an attribute of the subscription. Possible values are manual and automatic
  • Renewal type is independent of the product itself, and subscription status and item status
Product Setup
  • Two separate products must be created, one for manual-renewal subscriptions and the other for automatic-renewal subscriptions
  • One product is created for both automatic- and manual-renewal subscriptions
Signup Process
  • Either the auto- or manual-renewal product is used for the subscription, depending on which renewal options the customer selects
  • Customers subscribe to different products
  • The subscription gets either a manual or automatic renewal type, depending on the setting of the checkbox "Confirm auto-renewal"
  • Customers subscribe to the same product
Subscription Status & Item Status
  • Automatic-renewal subscriptions start with the status combination Active – Active
  • Manual-renewal subscriptions start with the status combination Deactivated – Awaiting Reinstate
APIs & Notifications

Turn off the automatic renewal option on subscription item basis using the following API endpoints:

Corresponding notifications:

RecurringBillingCanceledNotification

RecurringBillingReinstatedNotification

Turn off the automatic renewal option for the entire subscription using the following API endpoint:

Corresponding notification:

SubscriptionRenewalTypeChangedNotification

Commerce Assistant
  • Subscription Billing tab of Purchase viewer shows the renewal type of the subscription
  • To change the renewal to manual, click the Switch to Manual Renewal button
Cleverbridge Customer Self-Service
  • Customers can cancel or reinstate individual subscription items
  • No option to turn on/off automatic renewal for the subscription

For single-item subscriptions:

  • Customers can turn on/off automatic renewal for the subscription
  • No option to cancel or reinstate the item

For multi-item subscriptions:

  • Customers can cancel or reinstate individual subscription items
  • Option to turn on/off automatic renewal for the subscription

For a more detailed description of the differences between Subscription Management 1.0 and 2.0, see the sections below.

Automatic/Manual Renewal

Subscriptions can either renew automatically (automatic renewal) or when the customer explicitly confirms that the subscription should remain active (manual renewal). While this behavior is set on product level in Subscription Management 1.0, it is set on subscription level in Subscription Management 2.0.

Subscription Management 1.0

Note

Since the renewal is set on product level, automatic and manual renewal applies to the subscription item and not to the entire subscription.

Automatic renewal is the default for subscription products. If you would like to offer subscription products with manual renewal, you must request this capability from Client Experience. The renewal is set on product level and influences the subscription status and item status. There is no renewal type attribute on the subscription level.

Subscription Management 2.0

Note

Since the renewal type is a subscription attribute, automatic and manual renewal applies to the subscription and not to the individual subscription item.

You can offer your customers the ability to choose between manual and automatic renewal, regardless of the product they subscribe to. The renewal type is a persistent attribute of the underlying subscription with the values automatic and manual. It is independent both of the product itself, and the subscription status and item status.

Product Setup

The different implementation of the renewal type has an impact on product setup and maintenance.

Subscription Management 1.0

Note

Manual renewal and IsOneTimeRebilling are database settings at the product level. They are maintained by our Technical Support team. For more information, contact Client Experience.

If you would like to offer automatic and manual renewal for the same product, you have to set up two separate products in the Cleverbridge platform. During the signup process, your customers subscribe to one product or the other, depending on whether they confirm that they want automatic renewal. For manual-renewal products two options are available:

  • The subscription must be manually renewed during the initial subscription interval only. (IsOneTimeRebilling=false)
  • The subscription must be manually renewed during every subscription interval. (IsOneTimeRebilling=true)

Subscription Management 2.0

You can offer automatic and manual renewal for the same product, which reduces product setup and maintenance efforts, as well as the risk of configuration errors. During the signup process, your customers subscribe to the same product, no matter whether or not they confirm automatic renewal.

Signup Process

During the signup process, a product selection (Subscription Management 1.0) or the checkbox "Confirm auto-renewal" (Subscription Management 2.0) determines how the subscription renews.

Subscription Management 1.0

You must create a product variation that allows your customers to select between the renewal options "automatic" and "manual" for the product. For more information on how to set this up, see Show Product Suggestions.

Depending on which renewal option the customer selects, the auto- or manual-renewal product is used for the subscription. The subscription starts with the following subscription status and item status:

  • Active – Active in case of automatic renewal
  • Deactivated – Awaiting Reinstate in case of manual renewal

Subscription Management 2.0

During the signup process, the checkbox "Confirm auto-renewal" determines how the subscription is renewed:

  • When the customer signs up with the check box selected, the subscription automatically renews at the end of the interval.


  • When the customer signs up with the check box unselected, the customer must manually renew the subscription at the end of the interval.

Depending on the setting of the checkbox, the superscription gets a manual or automatic renewal type. The underlying product, as well as the well as the subscription status and item status (Active – Active), are the same in both cases.

Subscription Status & Item Status

In subscription management 1.0, the renewal-related information is included in the subscription status and item status. In subscription management 2.0, the renewal type is independent of the subscription status and item status. For an overview of subscription status, see Subscription Statuses and Update Options.

Subscription Management 1.0

Automatic-renewal subscriptions start with the status combination Active – Active. Manual-renewal subscriptions can move through the following status combinations during their lifecycle:

  • All manual-renewal subscriptions start with the status combination Deactivated – Awaiting Reinstate.
  • When the customer receives your email that their subscription is up for renewal and confirms the renewal, the subscription temporarily switches to Active – Active.
  • After the renewal, the subscription either switches back to Deactivated – Awaiting Reinstate or stays Active – Active. This depends on how the manual-renewal product is set up.

Subscription Management 2.0

Both automatic- and manual-renewal subscriptions start with the status combination Active – Active. Since renewal-related information is included in the renewal type, the subscription status and item status focus on the transaction:

  • The subscription status (Deactivated vs. Active) indicates whether you need to provide service to the customer or not.
  • The subscription item status (Deactivated vs. Active) indicates whether that item will be charged in the next renewal. (The customer can deactivate the subscription items for which they don't want to receive entitlement.)

APIs & Notifications

You can use our APIs and notifications to implement a "turn off automatic renewal" functionality in your Customer Self-Service section. With subscription management 2.0, the implementation is easier.

Subscription Management 1.0

Important

If the customer's subscription contains more than one subscription item (multi-item subscription), you must offer a "turn off automatic renewal" option for every subscription item. Customers can then decide for which subscription items they want to turn off automatic renewal: one item, several items, or all items.

To implement a "turn on/off automatic renewal" functionality, you can use the following API endpoints:

For more information, see Turn Off Automatic Renewal.

When a customer turns on/off automatic renewal, you receive a RecurringBillingCanceledNotification or RecurringBillingReinstatedNotification.

Subscription Management 2.0

Note

Since the renewal type is a subscription attribute, you can offer a "turn off automatic renewal" option for the entire subscription.

Our APIs and notifications fully support the renewal type attribute:

Commerce Assistant

In the Commerce Assistant, you can find renewal-related information on the Subscription Billing tab of the Purchase viewer. Here, you can also change how the subscription will renew at the end of the interval.

Subscription Management 1.0

The Subscription Billing tab shows the subscription status Active and the item status Active for automatic-renewal subscriptions. To change the renewal to manual, click the Await Reinstate button.

As a result, the subscription status changes to Deactivated and the item status to Awaiting Reinstate. Instead of being automatically renewed at the end of the interval, the subscription only renews if the customer manually confirms that it should stay active. This change is also recorded as a history entry. For more information, see History ✱.

Subscription Management 2.0

The Subscription Billing tab shows the renewal type of the subscription. To change the renewal from automatic to manual, click the Switch to Manual Renewal button.

The subscription stays active but it will not automatically renew at the end of the interval. This change is also recorded as a history entry. For more information, see History ✱.

Cleverbridge Customer Self-Service

The Cleverbridge customer self-service, which allows customers to manage their subscriptions, is configured differently for subscription management 1.0 and 2.0.

Subscription Management 1.0

Note

If you only sell one product at a time through the Cleverbridge platform (single-item subscriptions), we can activate the customer self-service version with the renewal type switch for your account.

Customers can cancel or reinstate subscription items, but there is no option to turn on/off automatic renewal for the subscription. When a customer cancels or reinstates a subscription item, you either receive a RecurringBillingCanceledNotification or RecurringBillingReinstatedNotification.

For more information, see Offer Self-Service Solutions to Subscription Customers

Subscription Management 2.0

For clients on Subscription Management 2.0 Cleverbridge offers Subscription Management Portal. For more details, see Subscription Management Portal.