#rfrisch43 - subscriptions
wild hatch
Hello! Just starting a thread for you -- I'll review and respond as soon as I can 🙂
Can you clarify what kind of payment you'd expect to collect up front with this invoice?
spare linden
Good question, I suppose it would be the first payment of the subscription.
Essentially, we want to start the subscription on a fixed date regardless of whether its paid or not (which is why we want to send an invoice).
if we send the invoice in advance and they make the first payment, i still wouldnt want to start the subscription until the fixed date.
It is also ok if they pay the invoice after the subscription starts.
wild hatch
I see, hmm
spare linden
I've been looking at the Subscriptions Schedules API but not sure if that is a good use case for that api.
wild hatch
I was considering suggesting Quotes, but if you always want the subscription to start but anchored to the future there might be other options, but nothing natively support this kind of advanced invoice
One option would be using a trial until the next renewal date, eg June 1 if you did it today, but using add_invoice_items to charge for the first month fees:
https://stripe.com/docs/api/subscriptions/create#create_subscription-add_invoice_items
timber aspen
Hello! Yeah, I don't think Stripe has anything that would support what you're talking about out of the box. You could build this using Stripe, but you'd have to handle parts of this on your end.
spare linden
Got it, thank you for the input
timber aspen
I would encourage you to read through this page for ideas and to understand what's possible: https://stripe.com/docs/products-prices/pricing-models
There might be a close fit there you can build on or adapt.
spare linden
Thank you, I'm reviewing all the links you sent.
If I drop the requirement for paying in advance, can I start the subscription even if the invoice is yet to be paid?
timber aspen
Meaning no payment would be due at Subscription start?
Or the Subscription should start even if payment fails?
spare linden
I'm not sure I appreciate the difference. Let's say I create a subscription with a future start date (i think thats possible). the invoices gets sent but not paid by the start date. How is that handled? I would want to start the subsciption and continue sending invoices each period even if payment is not completed or if it fails.
timber aspen
It's not possible to create a Subscription that does not start immediately. You can start a Subscription with a free trial though. You can also create a Subscription Schedule to create a Subscription for you in the future. Which of those scenarios are you referring to?
spare linden
Lets say Subscription Schedule
Maybe the answer is that subscriptions is not the right API. I'm essentially building an invoice service that happens to recur. I was hoping to avoid having to manage the recurring aspect on my end and allow Stripe to handle it but it sounds like that really isnt the use case for the Subscription API.
timber aspen
Subscriptions in Stripe become active when the first Invoice is paid, but it sounds like you want an active Subscription where the first Invoice has not been paid, so yeah, you may have to build this part on your end.
spare linden
Makes sense. Thanks, as always, for being a sounding board.
timber aspen
No problem! Let me test something real quick though...
Wait! So if you set collection_method to send_invoice and specify days_until_due the Subscription starts as active and will remain so until the number of days specified elapses without payment.
spare linden
Ok, that may work. So in that case I would still have to create the subscription on the start date (i.e. I can't create it in advance)
timber aspen
You can still use a Subscription Schedule to schedule creation in advance.
You have the same option there.
spare linden
With a scheduled subscription, when would the first invoice send?
timber aspen
When the Subscription is created.
spare linden
which would be on the day that is set by Subscirption schedule correct?
timber aspen
Yes.
It might be better for you to describe what you're trying to build, then I can recommend the best approach to building it with Stripe.
spare linden
OK, give me a few minutes
I will do my best to describe the situations without going crazy...our software enables membership organizations, like a Chambers of Commerce, who charge for membership to collect payments for those memberships. Being a member gives allows the member to do certain things on their website while you have an active membership such as post events to their calendar, or appear in their directory to name a few. The requirement is to allow the the Chamber to send invoices for the membership, however access to the website is based on a specified start and end date decided on by the chamber. It could be for a future period, such as 5/1/22-5/1/23, it could start upon payment, or any number of other possible scenarios. Sometimes these memberships recur each period, sometimes they are just for one period (one-time). We need to remain flexible in allowing the Chamber to choose their own terms for each product. Does that help illustrate the different use cases or did I make it more confusing?
timber aspen
So, to clarify, let's say I'm one of these members. On May 1st I would say something like, "I want access from June 1st to June 15th" and you want the ability to send an Invoice on May 1st that's due on June 1st?
spare linden
correct
timber aspen
Okay, and in other scenarios you want to do basically the same thing, but instead of a one-time payment for a single window of access, you want repeating payments for repeat windows (like monthly payments for access every month)?
spare linden
yes
timber aspen
Okay, for the first scenario it sounds like you want a one-off Invoice with collection_method set to send_invoice and a due date of June 1st, then you provision access based on the status of the Invoice.
For the second scenario it sounds like what we've been discussing above, with a Subscription.
Will that work, or am I missing a scenario or use case?
spare linden
The only use case that I am unsure of at this point is the following: We send an invoice with terms to pay in 60 days. We would still want to provision access starting June 1. I think we would need to handle that on our end correct?
timber aspen
Sorry, I don't understand. 60 days from when? Can you provide a detailed scenario with dates at every step?
spare linden
Sure...On May 1st I would say something like, "I want access from June 1st to June 15th" and you want the ability to send an Invoice on May 1st that's due by July 1st?
(ignore the question mark, i copied your original post) It should read: On May 1st I would say something like, "They want access from June 1st to June 15th" and I'd send Invoice on May 1st with a due date of July 1st
timber aspen
Yeah, you can do that. I think the part you're wondering about is how you provision access on your end then?
spare linden
yes, perhaps that is where Im getting hung up
timber aspen
A one-off Invoice doesn't have any concept of a period of time that's being billed for, so the provisioning and whatnot would be handled entirely on your end. You can store details on the Invoice in the metadata, but the logic for the provisioning piece is something you need to create.