A subscription allows a client to pay a monthly fee for an ongoing coaching service (pay as you go style). You can also think of this as month-to-month, where the charge occurs regularly until the coach or client cancels it.
This is generally used when there is no set end date for the service.
How do I set up a subscription?
Subscriptions are found in step two of our package setup.
Please note that subscriptions cannot be added to existing packages with other payment options. If you do not see the option to add a subscription to an existing package under payment choices, you will have to make a new package.
Subscription FAQs
How do I cancel a subscription?
Search for the client’s name in your clients section, click on their name, then go to the packages tab. Click “view” on the subscription package, then you’ll see a cancel button in the bottom right corner.
Is the client’s card automatically charged each month?
Yes! Your client will be automatically charged for each payment. They do not need to re-submit their payment information or approve anything. Clients will be charged on the same day each month based on when they made their original purchase.
Does my client receive a receipt for each payment?
Yes. This is done through Stripe. If you’d like to modify it, check the settings of your Stripe account.
Can my client cancel a subscription?
Yes, clients do have the option to self-cancel subscriptions on their package page.
What’s the difference between a monthly subscription and payment plan?
Subscriptions continue indefinitely until they’re cancelled by the client or provider. Payment plans have a set number of payments.
Can my client make all of their appointments up front? Or are they doled out with each payment?
Your client will be able to book all of their available appointments as soon as they purchase. This is limited to (the number of appointments per month) x (the number of months they are allowed to book ahead).
So if a client purchases a subscription package with 5 appointments per month and your book ahead setting is 2 months, the client would be allowed to book up to 10 appointments.
We find this is better than doling them out on the first day of the month so that both you and your client can pre-plan and not have to scramble to find a time slot each month. If your client’s payment fails you can simply cancel and remove any outstanding appointments.
Please note, you can book additional appointments for your client on their client page – including repeating appointments – but they can’t self book beyond the set limit.
What happens if my client’s credit card fails?
Stripe will automatically try to re-charge their card. You can view the specifics of this inside your Stripe account. The subscription will not be cancelled immediately, as there’s a grace period for the client to re-try their card.
Can I create a subscription if I use PayPal as my service provider?
No, subscriptions are only available with Stripe.
Can I create a package with the option for a subscription, payment plan OR a one-time payment?
No, subscriptions cannot be combined with other payment options.
Can I use 1:1 appointments with different lengths with subscriptions?
No. Actually the answer to this one is “not yet”. We didn’t feel totally clear on how you would want to use variable appointment lengths with your subscription packages. So if you have an offering like this, pretty please email us at hello@paperbell.com and let us know how your offering is structured!
Help, my clients’ unused subscription appointments are piling up!
We recommend a “use it or lose it” policy for subscription appointments. This helps motivate your client to actually use what they are paying for, and ensures that you aren’t left with a giant pile of appointments. You can manually remove appointments from a subscription, here’s how.
What happens to existing appointments when a subscription is cancelled?
As soon as the subscription is cancelled, clients can no longer book remaining appointments. Any future appointments are deleted. So we’d recommend having your client wait until the very end of their subscription period to cancel in order to use their appointments.
Can I set up a different cadence other than monthly?
Not at the moment, and please email us at hello@paperbell.com if you want this or any other subscription features so we’ll know to prioritize it higher!
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