What happens when I change frequency of payments for memberships?

[Divinum Fiat]

For those of you who have experience with this, before making this important switch and potentially tick off some members, I thought I would double check the following.

Right now members are paying a monthly fee. Rather than making it monthly for NEW members I would like to offer them a 6-month and 12-month pay and get rid of the monthly pay option. HOWEVER, the current clients who are on monthly pay need to remain on the monthly pay.

Does anyone know if I can just change the amount and frequency of pay to 6 months by overriding the monthly option? And does it keep the old monthly members in tact?

Or should I eliminate the monthly option and just create a new option (but won't that get rid of the monthly members)?

 

[Jake Bunce]

Does anyone know if I can just change the amount and frequency of pay to 6 months by overriding the monthly option? And does it keep the old monthly members in tact?

Yes, the change should work, and old subscriptions should continue to function under the old price/duration.

To keep things simple why not just create a new upgrade that is separate from the old one?

 

[Divinum Fiat]

I was thinking of doing that but then new members still see the "old option" of paying monthly and I want to avoid that. So I need to know FOR SURE that the current monthly users will remain on a monthly schedule and I need to know EXACTLY how to do that (do I disable or cancel the monthly option or do I just edit the currently monthly option to a 6 month term?). I can't go by "should" as otherwise I have angry members if they suddenly get charged for 6 months. :-(

 

[Jake Bunce]

I have confirmed it in the code. User upgrade records record the price paid and the duration, and that information is used when validating payments. So existing recurring payments should continue to function under the old price / duration even if you change the price / duration of the upgrade for new users. I have not set this up in a real test though.

 

[Divinum Fiat]

Just to understand the "hook" - is it with Paypal or within the code? In other words, once a recurring payment is set up with Paypal, won't it remain set up that either way, until the client actually cancels the recurring payment from within payment? I actually have not had a member cancel their subscription - how is that done? I.e. from within their Paypal account?

 

[Jake Bunce]

In other words, once a recurring payment is set up with Paypal, won't it remain set up that either way, until the client actually cancels the recurring payment from within payment?

They cancel from within Paypal, yes.

I actually have not had a member cancel their subscription - how is that done? I.e. from within their Paypal account?

Yes.