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Introduction
In this detailed guide, we explore the processes and mechanisms involved in customer subscription management, focusing on cancellation procedures, payment retries, and workspace downgrades within a SaaS platform.
This summary provides a step-by-step breakdown of how customers can manage their plans via a custom portal, what happens when payments fail, and how the system handles downgrades to free plans.
The goal is to clarify user experience, system automation, and administrative controls to ensure seamless subscription lifecycle management.
Customer Self-Service in the Custom Portal
Access and Features
Customers with active subscriptions can manage their plans directly through a dedicated workspace or custom portal. This portal offers several key functionalities:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Purchase History | View all past transactions, invoices, and billing details. |
Invoice Download | Download detailed invoices from Stripe. |
Payment Methods | Add, update, or delete credit card information. |
Plan Management | Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel their subscription. |
How Customers Can Cancel a Plan
Customers navigate to their workspace.
They locate the cancel plan button.
Upon clicking, the subscription is immediately canceled.
The workspace reverts to the free plan without waiting for the billing cycle end.
Important: Cancellation is instantaneous, and the workspace downgrades immediately to the free tier.
Subscription Lifecycle and Downgrade Mechanics
Subscription Cancellation Workflow
Customer initiates cancellation via the portal.
The system terminates the paid plan immediately.
The workspace reverts to the free plan.
The workspace remains accessible but with limited features.
Downgrade to Free Plan
The free plan limits:
Number of bot users: Maximum 200.
Number of workspaces: One workspace per account.
If limits are exceeded:
Bot responses are disabled.
Workspace becomes read-only.
Errors are logged, prompting users to reach support.
Handling Excess Users
Scenario | Outcome | Action Required |
|---|---|---|
More than 200 bot users | Bot responses stop functioning | Customer must reduce bot users or contact support |
More than 1 workspace | Workspace paused | Customer needs to contact support to reactivate |
Payment Retry and Failed Payment Handling
Stripe Payment Settings
The platform relies on Stripe for billing.
Failed payments trigger retry attempts.
Administrators can configure retry policies:
Number of retries (e.g., 4 retries over 1 week).
Cancellation after retries fail.
Configuring Retry Policies
Access Stripe Subscription and Email Settings.
Set retry attempts:
e.g., 4 retries over 7 days.
Decide cancellation trigger:
If all retries fail, cancel the subscription.
Automation Post-Failure
When retries exhaust:
The system automatically cancels the subscription.
The workspace downgrades to the free plan.
Workspace data remains intact, but bot users are limited.
System Automation and Data Preservation
Workspace and User Data
Bot users are not deleted upon cancellation or downgrade.
This allows easy reactivation if the customer resubscribes.
User data and settings are preserved for future use.
Bot Users and Limits
Bot users are kept untouched.
If the limit is exceeded:
The bot stops responding.
Errors are logged, indicating limit breach.
Customers are advised to manage bot users to stay within limits.
Customer Experience and Support
Re-subscribing and Upgrading
Customers can upgrade their plan or add payment methods at any time.
Reactivation of a canceled workspace is possible upon new subscription.
Support is available for workspace reactivation or limit adjustments.
Support and Troubleshooting
Customers are instructed to reach support if:
They exceed bot user limits.
Their workspace is paused.
They need to reactivate or adjust limits.
Summary Table: Key Processes and Outcomes
Process | Action | System Response | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Customer cancels plan | Immediate cancellation | Workspace downgrades to free | No delay, data preserved |
Payment fails | Retry attempts configured | After retries, subscription canceled | Workspace downgraded automatically |
Exceeding bot user limit | Add more users | Bot responses disabled | Error logs generated |
Workspace exceeds limit | More than 1 workspace | Workspace paused, read-only | Customer must contact support |
Customer re-subscribes | New subscription | Workspace reactivated | Data remains intact |
Final Thoughts
This system ensures flexibility and robustness in managing customer subscriptions. Customers have full control over their plans via the custom portal, with immediate effects upon cancellation or plan changes. The platform's automated handling of failed payments and limits enforcement guarantees operational stability while preserving user data for seamless reactivation.
Key takeaways include:
Immediate cancellation upon user request.
Automatic downgrade to free plan with limits.
Configurable retry policies for failed payments.
Data preservation for quick reactivation.
Clear error handling and support pathways for exceeding limits.
This comprehensive approach balances user autonomy with system integrity, ensuring a smooth subscription experience for both customers and administrators.