Configure renewal notifications

Overview

Renewal e-mail notifications are used extensively as one of the main mechanisms to notify users of upcoming or pending subscription charges, thus ensuring higher recurring revenue rates. You can set your own custom notification schedule for sending out renewal notification emails, within the boundaries of a 90 day limit around the renewal date.

Benefits

• Custom renewal notifications increase recurring payments conversion – conversion for subscription renewals can benefit from a boost with extended custom schedules +/-90 days renewal date.
• Closer matching between subscription renewal notifications and grace period - notify shoppers in a more relevant manner of upcoming recurring charges, during their grace periods (closer matching of grace period expiration timelines).
• Added flexibility – set your own notifications schedule in a more personalized manner, run more extensive A/B tests on notifications campaigns and decide to apply optimal schedules which bring highest results for your target customers.

Workflow

1. Go to the Global renewal settings page.
2. Click the Add notification button in the renewal emails section.
3. Choose when to send renewal emails:
   
   • on subscription expiration date
   • before subscription expiration date
     
     • Enter the desired number of days before expiration when you want notifications to be sent. The value cannot be larger than 90 days.
   • after subscription expiration date
     
     • Enter the desired number of days before after when you want notifications to be sent. The value cannot be larger than 90 days.
4. Choose the type of renewal you want the notifications to be sent for:
   
   • Manual renewal
   • Automatic renewal
5. Click Add notification.
6. Click Save.

Best practices for renewal notifications

You decide what is the best setup and how often you should engage your customers regarding their renewals. The success of each renewal notice schedule varies depending on: product type, sales process and customer location. While there isn’t sufficient data to offer a definitive optimal schedule, we do recommend:

• Setting the products with grace period > 7 days, to enable shoppers to renew the subscriptions also after the expiration;
• Defining different messages for the renewal notifications based on the moment when it is sent (for example - create a sense of urgency in the one sent very close to the expiration date)
• Setting up an additional notification (45 or 60 days prior to expiration) for companies selling B2B (business-to-business) as B2B renewals can be a complex process, requiring approvals and budgeting decisions, so starting the renewal process earlier could improve your on-time renewal rates and customer satisfaction;
• Adapting your notification schedule according to your customers’ preferences:
  
  • Track your renewal data: Which renewal notification has the highest success? Do most of your customers renew right after the first notification? If so, we’d say the timing is working. Do you have many customers renewing during their grace period? If so, you might want to start the renewal notifications earlier;
  • If customers have manual renewal enabled, try and win them over with discounts for early renewals or incentive them to opt for automatic renewal.

Here's two examples of setup that we recommend, depending on the renewal configuration of your product: 6 months and 12 months billing cycles.