Set Up Subscription Products

Note

Before you use subscription billing in the Cleverbridge platform, this functionality must be activated for your account. For more information, contact Client Experience.

The Cleverbridge subscription commerce platform manages subscriptions in a similar fashion as products and services that have a one-time paymentClosed Exchange of money for goods and services in an acceptable amount to the customer where the payment amount has been agreed upon in advance. The customer can only pay with an accepted payment method. Each payment has an individual payment cost. model. All subscriptions must be set up in the Cleverbridge platform, and you have the following options:

Set Up a Fixed-Price or Variable-Price Subscription

To set up a fixed-price subscription (that is, a subscription product with a price that does not change through the subscription cycle) or a variable-price subscription (that is, a subscription product with unique prices for different intervals of time) follow these steps:

Step 1: Enable Subscription Billing for the Product

  1. In the main menu of the Commerce Assistant, click Product & Delivery > Products.
  2. Select the product for which you want to enable subscription billing.
  3. Click Suggested Retail Price > Base Price.
  4. Click Toggle Subscription Billing on the top right. Subscription Options appears under Suggested Retail Price.

sub bill toggle

Step 2: Define General Settings

  1. Click Suggested Retail Price > Subscription Options.
  2. Choose from the following settings:
Option Description
End subscription after this many billing events To end a subscription after a certain number of billing events, check this box and enter the desired number of billing events. The initial payment is not included in this number.
Sync next billing date with last payment date

Syncs the billing date with the date the last payment was received. In the event of late payments, this option automatically recalculates the next billing event date according to the last date a payment was received from the 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.​.

Cannot be canceled

Prevents the customer from canceling a subscription.

Subscription Agreement Type

Important

The product setting Subscription Agreement Type is managed by Client Experience and therefore not visible for clients. Opt-in is the default subscription agreement type; it is suitable for most products. Opt-out and Text only should be used in exceptional cases only because they entail a higher risk of customers completing a subscription without being aware of it. This could lead to increased chargebackClosed A credit card chargeback, typically referred to as chargeback, occurs when a customer successfully disputes a transaction on their bank report. Unlike a refund, where Cleverbridge proactively returns the amount to the customer, a chargeback involves the customer's bank automatically withdrawing the amount from Cleverbridge's account. Cleverbridge can contest illegitimate claims, but the card organization makes the final decision. Successfully contested chargebacks still contribute to the chargeback ratio., refund, or customer contact rates.

Select whether there is a Confirm subscription checkbox on the signup page and whether this checkbox is already checked. You can choose from the following options:

  • Opt-in (default) – The Confirm subscription checkbox is unchecked. Do not combine with subscription confirmation type Cannot be confirmed.
  • Opt-out – The Confirm subscription checkbox is pre-checked.
  • Text only – There is no checkbox. The customers only see a text with the information that they are buying a subscription product with auto renewal. Do not combine with subscription confirmation type Must be confirmed.
Subscription Confirmation Type

Important

The product setting Subscription Confirmation Type is managed by Client Experience and therefore not visible for clients. Must be confirmed is the default subscription confirmation type; it is suitable for most products. Confirmation is not required and Cannot be confirmed should be used in exceptional cases only because they entail a higher risk of customers completing a subscription without being aware of it. This could lead to increased chargeback, refund, or customer contact rates.

Select whether customers must confirm on the signup page that they understand they are signing up for a subscription to the product. You can choose from the following options:

  • Must be confirmed (default) – The customers cannot proceed to the checkout unless they check the Confirm subscription checkbox. Do not combine with subscription agreement type Text only.
  • Confirmation is not required – The customers can proceed to the checkout without checking the Confirm subscription checkbox.
  • Cannot be confirmed – The customers can automatically proceed to the checkout. There is no Confirm subscription checkbox or text. Do not combine with subscription agreement type Opt-in.
Cancelation product list Select other subscription products that will be canceled if this product is purchased. The canceled subscriptions are based on the customer’s billing email address.
License type text

If required, select if you want the text to change in the checkout process based on the following types of licenses. These options only change the text and not subscription prices or other factors.

  • Per enabled computer – The product text describes that the yearly price for the subscription is based on one computer, regardless of how many users use the computer.
  • Per enabled user – The product text describes that the yearly price for the subscription is based on one user account.
  • Undefined – The product text is generic. This is the default option.

Step 3: Select an Initial Subscription Interval

In the Initial Subscription IntervalClosed A subscription interval is the time period after which a recurring purchase is renewed and billed. The time period can be set in days, months, or years. One subscription can contain x products, all renewing on the same date. field, define how much time should pass between the initial payment and the first subscription billing event. This can be set in months or days. After the first billing event, the amount of time set for Recurring Subscription Interval is used for future billing events.

Example

You set the Initial Subscription Interval for 12 months. You set the Recurring Subscription Interval for 1 month.

This means that after the initial payment, the next billing event is one year later. After that billing event, all future billing events are billed monthly.

Step 4: Select a Recurring Subscription Interval

In the Recurring Subscription Interval field, define how much time there should be between billing events. This interval can be set in months or days, such as 1 month, 14 days, 4 months, and so on. Typically, 1, 3, or 12 months are used for monthly, quarterly, or annual billing intervals.

Step 5: Enter Product Pricing

  1. Click Suggested Retail Price > Base Price.
  2. Select a Volume Pricing Method from the drop-down list. For further information about Volume Pricing, see Use Volume Pricing.
  3. Select a Price type for taxation from the drop-down list.
  4. By default, the Intervals box to the left of the price grid displays 0. Enter unique pricing information in the price grid for interval 0.

    Note

    Interval 0 is the initial payment price for the product. It will remain the payment price for all subsequent subscription intervals if you do not enter pricing information for another interval.

  5. If you are setting up a fixed-price subscription product that does not change throughout the subscription cycle, proceed to set up the delivery details. If you are setting up a variable-price subscription product with unique prices for different intervals of time, continue to point 6.

    Important

    We do not recommend setting up identical prices for intervals of different lengths.

  6. Select another interval using the drop-down list, and click Add. Interval 1, for example, is the first billing event after the initial payment.
  7. Enter unique pricing information in the price grid for the interval.
  8. Repeat points 6 and 7 for any additional intervals.

    Example

    The initial payment price is $100 for the first year. After the first year, the customer pays a quarterly price of $20. You set the quarterly price as future intervals, starting with Interval 1.

For detailed information about setting up pricing, see Products ✱.

Step 6: Set Up Delivery Details

  1. Click Delivery > Delivery Details.
  2. Select a Delivery type for your product.
  3. Configure the Options for the Delivery type you chose.
  4. Select a Subscription Billing Option.
  5. To add additional delivery options for your subscription product, select Use different delivery details and click Add Delivery in the action bar.

For detailed information about setting up delivery details, see Products ✱.

Combine a Regular Product with a Subscription

You can sell a regular product with an additional subscription contract, such as a maintenance plan or other additional service.

  1. Set up the regular product.
  2. Set up the subscription product.
  3. Set up a cross-sell for the subscription product to combine it with the regular product. A cross-sell is a type of recommendation.

For more information on recommendations, see Add a Recommendation.

Set Up a Free Promotional Period for a Subscription

You can offer customers a free trial period, such as 30 days. If the customer does not cancel within that time frame, the free trial subscription automatically converts to a paid subscription at the end of that period. A free trial period is set either in the product itself or by using a coupon code. For more information, see About Free Trials.

Note

Additional fees apply to free trial transactions. For more information, contact Client Experience.

Tip

You can activate the pre-authorization of the customer's credit card for free trials. This setting is configurable on a client account and product level. For more information, contact Client Experience.

Set Up the Free Trial Period in the Product

You can set up a free trial on the product level by opening the Products section of the Subscription Commerce Manager (SCM) and the Products & Delivery section of the Commerce Assistant (CA). Depending on your tool of choice, do as follows:

Free Trial Setup in the SCM

  1. In the Products section in the main menu of the SCM, select the recurring product you want to set up a free trial period for.
  2. In the Pricing sub-section, select Start with free trial period and define the length of the free trial under Length of Initial Billing Interval. The price for Billing Interval 0 shows 0 automatically in the Billing Schedule.
  3. Example

    You want to set up a free trial period of 30 days for your product. In this case, you select days and enter 30 under Length of Initial Billing Interval.

  4. Define the length of subsequent billing intervals under Length of Recurring Billing Interval.
  5. Select Billing Interval 1 in the Billing Schedule and enter unique pricing information in the price grid for Billing Interval 1. This is the amount the customer will pay when the free trial period ends.
  6. Note

    If you don't define pricing information for Billing Interval 1, then Billing Interval 0 (as the initial price for the product) will remain the price for all subsequent subscription intervals.

You are now ready to offer customers a free trial period for the recurring product.

Free Trial Setup in the CA

  1. In the main menu of the Commerce Assistant, select Product & Delivery > Products.
  2. Select the product you want to set up a free trial period for.
  3. Click Suggested Retail Price > Base Price.
  4. If subscription billing hasn't been enabled for the product, click Toggle Subscription Billing on the top right. Subscription Options appears under Suggested Retail Price.
  5. Click Suggested Retail Price > Subscription Options and define the length of the free trial under Initial Subscription Interval.

    Example

    You want to set up a free trial period of 30 days for your product. In this case, you select Number of days and enter 30 under Initial Subscription Interval.

  6. Click Suggested Retail Price > Base Price and enter 0 as the price for Interval 0.

    Note

    Interval 0 is the initial price for the product. It will remain the price for all subsequent subscription intervals if you do not enter pricing information for another interval.

  7. Select Interval 1 from the drop-down list, and click Add.
  8. Enter unique pricing information in the price grid for the Interval 1. This is the amount the customer will pay when the free trial period ends.

You are now ready to offer customers a free trial period for the subscription product.

Set Up the Free Trial Period Using a Coupon Code

You can set up a free trial via coupon code by opening the Campaigns section of the Subscription Commerce Manager (SCM) and the Marketing section of the Commerce Assistant (CA). Depending on your tool of choice, do as follows:

Free Trial Setup via Coupon Code in the SCM

  1. In the Campaigns section in the main menu of the SCM, select Promotions > Add Promotion.
  2. In the General & Price section, enter a name for the free trial promotion, for example "Shieldware Internet Security – Free Trial".
  3. In the Discount sub-section, set up the discount as shown on the screenshot below. For more information on the individual options, see Set Up Discount for Promotion under Add a Promotion.
  4. Select the Coupons section and generate a coupon code:
    1. Click Add Coupons and select Generate Coupons:
    2. Enter information about how the coupon code should be created.
    3. Click Submit. The coupon code is added.
  5. In the Products section, click Select Product and choose the subscription product you want to set up a free trial period for. For more information on how to do this, see Add Products to a Promotion.
  6. Click Submit, then Save and Complete in the upper left corner of the Promotions section.

You are now ready to offer customers a free trial period for the recurring product.

Important

When creating the link to your checkout process, you must add the coupon code and hide the coupon input field. For more information on how to do this, see Coupon Settings.

Free Trial Setup via Coupon Code in the CA

  1. In the main menu of the Commerce Assistant, select Marketing > Add Promotion. The Promotion portal opens.
  2. In the General section, enter a name for the free trial promotion, for example "Shieldware Internet Security – Free Trial".
  3. Select the Discount section and set up the discount as shown on the screenshot below. For more information on the individual options, see Set Up Discount for Promotion under Add a Promotion.
  4. Select the Coupons section and generate a coupon code:
    1. Click Generate. The Generate Coupons window opens.
    2. Enter information about how the coupon code should be created.
    3. Click OK. The coupon code is added.
  5. In the Products section, specify the subscription product you want to set up a free trial period for. For more information on how to do this, see Add Products to a Promotion.
  6. Click Save in the upper left corner of the Promotion portal.

You are now ready to offer customers a free trial period for the subscription product.

Important

When creating the link to your checkout process, you must add the coupon code and hide the coupon input field. For more information on how to do this, see Coupon Settings.

Combine a Subscription with a Promotional Discount

You can combine subscriptions with promotional discounts. This means you can control how the promotional campaign is billed. You can decide whether the discount is:

Discount Only for Initial Purchase

To provide a discount for the initial purchase only:

  1. In the main menu of the Commerce Assistant, click Marketing > Promotions.
  2. Select the promotion you want to offer for the initial purchase.
  3. Click Discount.
  4. Select Apply to subscription billing intervals.
  5. Enter 0. Only the initial purchase is discounted. Later billing events are full price.

Discount for Limited Number of Billing Events

To provide a discount for a certain number of billing events:

  1. In the main menu of the Commerce Assistant, click Marketing > Promotions.
  2. Select the promotion you want to offer for the initial purchase.
  3. Click Discount.
  4. Select Apply to subscription billing intervals.
  5. In the toggle to the right, enter the number of billing events for which the discount applies. Later billing events are full price.

Important

There are two points which you must be aware of when setting up subscriptions in the Cleverbridge platform:

  1. Essential Settings: The following are some essential settings that you must configure:
    • Sync next billing date with last payment date – This box must be selected. In case of delinquent payments, the last payment date will be used to keep the intervals between billing events in sync.
    • Recurring Subscription Interval – You must define how much time there should be between billing events.
    • Initial Subscription Interval – You must define the number of months or days until the first billing event that follows the initial purchase. After that, the amount of time set for the Recurring Subscription Interval is used for future billing events.

      subscription subscription options

  2. Customer Checkboxes: By default, customers who purchase a subscription product or service will see a checkbox to confirm that they agree to pay the renewal charges. Customers must select this box before they can complete their purchase (see the example below). If you have questions about these confirmation options, contact Client Experience.

    subscription checkbox

For more information about the set-up options in the Cleverbridge platform, see Set Up Subscription Products.