Summary:
Subscriptions with a fixed end date
Pro-rata pricing when you don't import members' current subscriptions - a warning
Subscriptions with a fixed end date
When creating a subscription, you can specify a fixed end date for the subscription. This is useful where you want to collect all of your subscription fees from members at the same time. Click here for details on how to create and edit subscriptions.
What happens if a member buys their first subscription part way through the period?
The subscription will be dated the day on which the the subscription is created. This happens at the time their order is updated to Payment Received.
Yearly Subscriptions
If the member purchases the subscription at any time during the first 10 months of the subscription period, the subscription will run to the next end date. However, if they purchase in the last 2 months, their subscription will run until the end date just over a year later. This is to give members flexibility to purchase the subscription in the few weeks before the start date, and be given the full year.
Example: Annual subscription runs from 1st Jan to 31st Dec. A member who buys a subscription on 1st June 2012, will receive a subscription lasting to 31/12/2012. However, a member who buys on 1st November 2012, will receive a subscription lasting to 31/12/2013.
You can specify reduced pricing for members who purchase part way through the year. See the section on Pro-Rata Subscriptions below.
Monthly Subscriptions
Monthly subscriptions always run from the 1st day of a month to the last day of a month.
If the member purchases the subscription at any time before the last 10 days of the month, the subscription will run to the end of that month. However, if they purchase in the last 10 days, their subscription will run until the end of the following month. This is to give members flexibility to purchase the subscription in the few days before the start date, and be given a full month's worth.
Example: A member who buys a subscription on 10th June, will receive a subscription ending on 30th June. However, a member who buys on 21st June, will receive a subscription ending on 31st July.
Pro-rata subscription pricing (reduced pricing for members who buy part the way through the month) is not available.
Pro-rata Subscriptions
What are they?
Pro-rata subscriptions are a reduced price subscription for the first year for new members who purchase part way through the year. When the member renews, they will renew at the full price.
Which subscriptions does it apply to?
You can only specify reduced pricing for Annual Fixed End Date subscriptions. It is not available for monthly or fixed period subscriptions.
How to configure the pro-rata pricing
First create your subscription product, with the price for the full year. Click here for details on how to create a subscription.
After you have saved the subscription product, you will see a screen which summarises the subscription product information. You can also get to this screen by clicking View next to the subscription product in the administration panel home page.
On this page, in the Pricing Section, you will see a column, headed Pro-rata. For each pricing option there will be a link to add or edit the pro-rata pricing.
When you click on the link, a pop-up box will appear.
The rows in the box show you the date range for which a particular price will apply. The top row always starts with the first day of your subscription period. (ie if you specified an end date of 31/12, it will show 01/01). If you have not yet configured any pro-rata periods, the end date will be 10 months after the start date (just before the rollover period begins).
The bottom row in the box shows the date range for the rollover period. This is the period when, if a new member purchases the subscription, they are automatically given a subscription that includes the following year (ie they receive a sub for 13 months instead of 1 month). The price in the rollover period is always the full price. Click here for details on rollover periods and how to change the length of the period.
To add a reduced price period, you must specify the first date for the period, and the price. When you click on add, you will see the period slot into the rows in chronological order.
You can add as many reduced price periods as you like. However, we strongly recommend that you don't add more than 2, because it becomes confusing for members, and looks messy on the subscriptions page (see below).
See here for an example of configuring pro-rata periods.
What your members will see
On the subscriptions page
Where a subscription has pro-rata pricing configured, all of the prices and date ranges are displayed to the members on the subscriptions page. So they will be able to see, at any time of year, how the price changes. The renewal price is also displayed.
When they log into their My Subscriptions page
Where a member has purchased a reduced price subscription during the year, when they log in to My Subscriptions, they will see the details of the subscription they hold, and the current renewal price for the subscription (not the reduced price).
In their subscription renewal email/letter
The price for the subscription in the renewal email/letter is the renewal price. No pro-rata pricing is displayed.
Renewals
Where a member renews a subscription, it will automatically extend the subscription by one period (month or year), regardless of when they renewed.
The price for the renewal will always be the full price, regardless of when the member renews.
Pro-rata pricing when you don't import your members' details
Warning
If you choose not to import your current member's details (including their subscriptions), then the system has no way of knowing that they already have a subscription. So it will treat them as a new member for the purposes of buying a subscription. If they purchase the subscription during the pro-rata period, they will be charged the pro-rata price not the full renewal price.
