#clarkeash_subscription-schedule-updates
candid needleBOT
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plush violet
Not sure if its relevant but we are moving to mixed interval billing, I have access to the preview and the subscription I am testing with has been migrated to flexible mode
foggy brook
hi there!
plush violet
Hey 👋
foggy brook
When moving customers to the new plan I want to prorate the cost so they are only paying for the time remaining on their contract on their next bill.
Can you share a concrete example of how that would work? Like if I'm a new customer that started on June 1st for $100 per month, and want to update my subscription on June 15th. What should I pay and when?
plush violet
Yeah so lets say we charge $100/m so the new price is $1200 per year. If they signed up on the 1st of Jan they have so far paid 6 times at $100. so for the bill on the 1st July I want them to be charged $600 (half the annual plan) and then on 1st Jan next year they will pay $1200
foggy brook
got it, but that's not how our prorations would work by default. Instead the user would be charged the full $1200 when they upgrade, for one additional full year.
to achive what you want, you could use Subscription Schedules: https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/subscription-schedules
plush violet
are you saying theres a way to use schedules to be able to charge $600 in July? Or just to use schedules to switch to annual in Jan?
foggy brook
you would change your regular subscription into a subscription schedule with multiple phases:
- phase 0 (for the current month): no change in price
- phase 1 (for the next 6 months): pay $600 once
- phase 2 (for the remaining time): pay $1200 every year
candid needleBOT
plush violet
hmm, I guess thats the only option I did think about applying a coupon for the discount but then the renewal date would be incorrect
I was hoping to avoid schedules as it makes it more difficult for customers to make changes to their plan when theres a schedule (we use schedules for plan downgrades etc)
fast jewel
Hi 👋
I'm stepping in as my colleague has to go. Can you specify what specific issues you encounter with customers making changes to their plan?
plush violet
well as we use schedules for pending downgrades customers can currently cancel schedules which we would have to restrict. And when a plan change happens we would have to remove the schedule, make the change and reapply the schedule and if it was a plan downgrade then the schedule would be a merge of the downgrade and annual plan it just gets very messy
fast jewel
And when a plan change happens we would have to remove the schedule, make the change and reapply the schedule
You can just create a new phase that takes effect immediately instead. I recommend you review this doc: https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/subscription-schedules#updating
plush violet
okay, I will go away and have a read and test out some of this stuff, thanks for your help
fast jewel
If you aren't using test clocks https://docs.stripe.com/billing/testing/test-clocks, I recommend them in conjunction with Subscription Schedules when you are testing things out or coding simulations. It really helps to get an understanding of the behaviors.
plush violet
will do