Subscription billing

Subscription billing is the setup of regular, recurring payments for plans and subscriptions. We connect the recurring capabilities of a payment service (Stripe Billing, Recurly, ЮKassa recurring payments and others): card binding with consent to recurring charges, plans and periods, trial periods, recalculation when the plan changes (proration), invoices and a charge history. The money for a subscription is charged automatically on schedule, without manual invoices every month. Importantly and honestly about consent: a recurring charge is only possible when the buyer has explicitly agreed to it at card binding — this is a requirement of the payment systems (in the EU — 3-D Secure/SCA confirmation, in Russia — the acquirer’s recurring-payment rules), you cannot just charge a card at will. Also honestly about failed payments: a share of recurring charges always fails — the card expired, there is no money, the bank declined; recovering them and working with churn is a separate, related task, “handling failed payments” (dunning — automated retries and reminders after failed payments), and we will advise whether you need it. To be clear: the basic billing does a single retry or notification within the payment service’s capabilities; a full cycle of reminders and retries with pauses is that separate dunning service. And about churn in general: technology will not hold someone who has decided to unsubscribe — it only reduces “involuntary” churn from failed charges, and only partly. About the law: recurring charges have requirements for disclosing the terms — the buyer must be clearly shown the amount, the frequency and how to cancel the subscription; in some countries the rules are strict, so check the nuances with your lawyer. We will think through the logic of refunds and recalculation on cancellation or a mid-period plan change in advance. If you sell one-off goods without subscriptions, you do not need this billing, and we will honestly say so. Picture this: a client signs up for a plan once, agrees to recurring payment — and after that the money is charged automatically every month, while they see the history and can cancel. The base price starts from 50,000 ₽; it depends on the number of plans, trial periods, the recalculation logic and the payment service. Complex upgrade and proration logic can increase the price noticeably — we will estimate it for your case.

• You issue subscription invoices by hand every period — slow and with delays.
• You do not know how to legally set up a recurring charge from a card.
• Some payments fail, and subscribers “drop off” unnoticed.
• Plan changes and refunds mid-period are calculated by hand, with errors.

• Connecting recurring payments (Stripe Billing / Recurly / ЮKassa recurring payments)
• Card binding with explicit consent to recurring charges
• Plans, periods and trial periods
• Recalculation on a mid-period plan change (proration)
• Invoices, charge history and notifications
• Basic handling of a failed payment — a retry or notification (a full cycle of reminders, dunning, is a separate service)
• Accounting for the requirements to disclose subscription terms
• Documentation and (by agreement) support

• The money for a subscription is charged automatically on schedule
• The recurring charge is set up according to the payment systems’ rules
• Less “involuntary” churn from failed charges
• Plan changes and refunds are calculated by clear rules

• We clarify the plans, periods, trial periods and recalculation logic
• We connect recurring billing, consent to charge and payment handling
• We test on test subscriptions, launch and support the start

• Can we just charge a card every month?

  Only with the buyer’s consent. A recurring charge works when the client has explicitly confirmed card binding for recurring payments — this is a requirement of the payment systems (in the EU — 3-D Secure/SCA, in Russia — the acquirer’s recurring-payment rules). We set this up by the rules; charging a card “quietly” is not allowed, and that is right.

• Will billing stop subscriber churn?

  Not entirely. Technology reduces “involuntary” churn — when a subscription fails because of an expired card or lack of money (this is addressed by retries and handling failed payments). But if a person has decided to unsubscribe, billing will not hold them — that is a matter of the product and its value, not of payments. Promising “no one will leave” would be dishonest.

• Is it legal and right for us?

  Recurring charges are legal with correct setup and disclosure of terms: the buyer must be clearly shown the amount, the period and how to cancel; in some countries the rules are strict — check the nuances with your lawyer. It fits if you sell subscriptions or plans. For one-off sales billing is not needed — we will honestly say so.