Purpose
Create reusable recurring terms that can later be assigned to customers. The interface now calls these Subscription Plans; older screens and system messages may still say subscription template.
Before you begin
Create at least one product first. A Subscription Plan does not create the thing being sold: it combines an existing product and price with the schedule that makes the charge recur.
Procedure
- Open Subscription Plans and select Add subscription plan.
- Enter the required plan name, SKU, and description. The SKU cannot be changed after creation.
- Under Products, select at least one existing product. If the product does not exist, select Create and add new product, create it, and return to the plan.
- Add optional fees. Select One-Time for a fee charged only at signup; leave it cleared for a fee charged every billing cycle.
- Configure the entire Cadence section:
- Recurring interval charges every specified number of days.
- Calendar based charges on a selected calendar day every specified number of months.
- Never continues until the subscription is cancelled.
- After occurrence(s) ends after the specified number of billing cycles. In this context, one “occurrence” means one scheduled recurring charge.
- Review payment methods, policies, custom fields, the post-purchase screen, and the recurring and one-time totals in Summary.
- Confirm the products, fees, cadence, end behavior, and customer-facing description, then select Add template.
What happens next
Creating the plan does not subscribe a customer. Open the plan and choose Subscribe customer, or open a customer and start the subscription from their record.
Troubleshooting
- Add template is unavailable: Complete the required general fields and add at least one product.
- The product is missing: Create it from Products or use Create and add new product in the plan builder.
- The SKU already exists: Enter a unique plan SKU.
- The total is not what you expect: Check product quantities and whether each fee is recurring or marked One-Time.