Create Subscriptions Inside Advanced Billing

This guide will walk you through creating subscriptions (standard, grouped, parent/child) within the Advanced Billing Admin UI.

Standard Grouped Parent/Child

Summary

Feature: Subscriptions
You Need: Complete Design Your New User Signup Flow
Code: No
Difficulty: ◉◎◎◎◎

Create Standard Subscriptions

Standard subscriptions are the most common subscription type.

1. Set Customer and WhoPays

Create a new customer, or select an existing customer. Set WhoPays to "Separate Invoices".

2. Set Payment Type

Set payment type, and optionally set next billing date and other fields.

About payment types:
- Automatic: credit card or bank account
- Remittance: Payment is remitted manually after the invoice is received. You can collect a payment method after the subscription is created, and change to Automatic.
- Prepaid: Payments are withdrawn from a replenishing balance (like a digital wallet).

3. Configure Subscription Plan

Select the currency, then either build a subscription plan by clicking "Select a Product" of choose an existing offer (prepackaged bundle).

1) Add a product
2) optional - add component(s)
3) optional - add coupon(s)

Select an Existing Offer

4. Preview Cost and Create Subscription

Preview the cost. Ensure everything looks correct. When ready, click 'Create Subscription'.

Create Grouped Subscriptions

Grouped subscriptions use consolidated invoices to bill 1 customer for multiple subscriptions. Before getting started, go to Settings > Config > Customer Hierarchies & WhoPays, and enable both settings.

1. Create New Customer with Consolidated Invoices

Create a new customer. Set WhoPays to "Consolidated Invoices". This will be the first subscription in a group.

2. Set Payment Type

Set payment type, and optionally set next billing date and other fields.

3. Configure Subscription Plan

Select the currency, then either build a subscription plan by clicking "Select a Product" of choose an existing offer (prepackaged bundle). If you are creating a group that has 2 subscriptions with different billing intervals, the first subscription should be the smallest billing interval. Example: yearly subscription with monthly usage, the first subscription should be the monthly one.

1) Add a product
2) optional - add component(s)
3) optional - add coupon(s)
4) optional - add custom field(s)

1) Add Offer
2) optional - add custom field(s)

4. Preview Cost and Create Subscription

Preview the cost. Ensure everything looks correct. When ready, click 'Create Subscription'.

Optional - Create the 2nd+ subscription in a group

Select the existing customer, select 'Consolidated Invoices".

Next, you'll see 3 invoice consolidation options.

Screen_Shot_2022-09-26_at_9.47.49_AM.png

There are 6 possible configurations. Your use case, very likely, only has 1 configuration that you'll actually use. In the table below, let's assume the product is $100/mo, so we can easily understand how much will be charged at signup and at the first group renewal.

Configuration option	Description	At signup	At group renewal
1. None	Not recommended. Always use some form of the Align setting.	n/a	n/a
2. Accrue only	Not recommended. If you need to accrue, use Accrue + Align instead.	n/a	n/a
3. Accrue + Align	The amount owed is not charged today. Instead, it will be accrued to the next renewal.	$0	$200 ($100 accrued + $100 normal renewal)
4. Accrue + Align + Prorate	The amount owed at signup is prorated and accrued to the next renewal.	$0	$200-300 ($100 accrued + $100 normal renewal + $0-100 prorated)
5. Align only	Nothing is charged today. The renewal is the normal amount.	$0	$100
6. Align + Prorate	The amount owed at signup is prorated and charged today. The renewal is the normal amount.	$0-100	$100

Create Parent/Child Subscriptions

Parent/Child subscriptions make it easy for Parents to pay for multiple Child Subscriptions. Before getting started, go to Settings > Config > Customer Hierarchies & WhoPays, and enable both settings.

1. Create a Parent Customer

If you already have a Parent Customer, skip this step. In the top right corner, click Create > Create Customer and click the Parent Customer.

2. Create a Child Customer under the Parent

Click Billing > Customers, and search for your Parent Customer. Click into their customer profile, scroll to the bottom, and click "Add new customer as Child." Add the Child, and click "Submit". The Child is now associated with the Parent.

3. Create a subscription for the Child

In the Parent Customer Profile, scroll to the bottom, click the Child's Customer Profile link (or, just perform a customer search for the Child). On the Child's profile, click "Create a Subscription", then set WhoPays to the Parent, and complete the subscription creation process.

Optional - Create a 2nd+ Child subscription paid by the Parent

In the Parent Customer Profile, scroll to the bottom, click the Child's Customer Profile link (or, just perform a customer search for the Child). On the Child's profile, click "Create a Subscription", set WhoPays to the Parent, and set the 3 Invoice Consolidation Options (find the combination right for you, once you know, repeat each time), and then complete the subscription creation process.

Optional - Create a Standalone Parent Subscription

A Parent Customer, who is in a hierarchy, pays for their own Subscription.

Open the Parent Customer Profile, scroll down, and click "Create a Subscription". Set WhoPays to Separate Invoices, and then complete the subscription creation process.

Optional - Create a Standalone Child Subscription

A Child Customer, who is in a hierarchy, pays for their own Subscription. Uses Customer Hierarchies.

Open the Child Customer Profile, scroll down, and click "Create a Subscription". Set WhoPays to Separate Invoices, and then complete the subscription creation process.