How to create and manage recurring subscription plans in 4Geeks Payments

4Geeks Payments offers a robust recurring billing system designed to automate subscription lifecycles for SaaS, eCommerce, and membership-based businesses. By configuring recurring plans, you can automatically charge customers at set intervals (e.g., monthly or yearly) without manual intervention, reducing administrative overhead and improving cash flow. The platform also supports trial periods and smart dunning to recover failed payments, helping you minimize involuntary churn.

For more information on the platform's capabilities, visit 4Geeks Payments.

Prerequisites

• A 4Geeks Account: You must have an active account to access the Console.
• Payments Enabled: Ensure the 4Geeks Payments service is activated for your account.
• Admin Access: You need appropriate permissions to access the Sales module in the Console.

How to Create a Subscription Plan

Follow these steps to set up a new recurring plan directly from your dashboard.

1. Access the Plans Section

Navigate to the Sales category in the main left-hand navigation menu of the Console and click on Recurring plans. This section displays all your active and inactive subscription plans.

2. Define Plan Details

Click the Create Plan button in the top-right corner. You will need to configure the following required fields:

• Name: Enter a unique name for the plan (e.g., "Gold Membership"). Note: Two plans cannot share the same name.
• Description: Provide a brief summary of the services or features included.
• Amount: Specify the cost of the subscription (decimal format supported).
• Currency: Select the currency for the charge (e.g., USD, EUR, CRC).
• Interval: Choose the billing frequency, such as Monthly or Yearly.
• Trial Period (Optional): Enter the number of free days offered before the first charge occurs.

3. Activate the Plan

Once you have verified the details, confirm the creation. The plan will immediately become active and generate a unique URL that can be used to subscribe customers.

4. Subscribe Customers

There are three ways to add subscribers to your new plan:

• Manual (Share Link): Copy the secure subscription link from the plan details page and send it directly to your client via email, WhatsApp, or DM.
• Console Invitation: Click Add a Subscriber in the plan details, enter the customer's email, and the system will send an official invitation.
• API Integration: Use the Plans API to programmatically subscribe users from your own website or app.

Managing and Editing Plans

Once a plan is active, you have specific controls to manage its lifecycle:

• Editing: You generally cannot edit core billing details (like amount or interval) of an existing plan to prevent conflicts with current subscribers. You can, however, update metadata such as the description or image.
• Deleting: You can delete a plan by clicking the Delete plan button on its details page. Warning: This action cancels memberships for all active subscribers and sends them a cancellation notification.
• Unsubscribing Users: To remove a specific user, locate them in the subscriber list within the plan details and click Cancel.

Common Use Cases

• SaaS Tiered Pricing: A software company can create three distinct plans ("Starter," "Pro," "Enterprise") with different pricing and feature sets. Users can upgrade or downgrade by subscribing to a new plan URL, while the system handles the recurring monthly charges automatically.
• Gym or Club Memberships: A fitness center can set up a "Yearly Access" plan with a 7-day trial period. New members sign up via a payment link sent by staff, enjoy a free week, and are then automatically billed annually, reducing the need for manual invoicing.

Troubleshooting

• "Plan does not exist" Error: If you encounter this error via API, verify that you are using the correct plan key and that the plan belongs to your specific developer account.
• Unable to Edit Plan Name: If you cannot change a plan's name, remember that plan names must be unique across your account. You may need to create a new plan if the name is locked or conflicts with an archived one.
• Subscription Cancellation Failures: If deleting a plan fails, ensure you have confirmed the action in the dialog box. Remember that deleting a plan irreversibly cancels all associated subscriptions.

FAQs