How to Use Subscriptions in UniLink (Create Recurring Revenue With Membership Plans)
How to Use UniLink Subscriptions (Manage Recurring Members and Billing)
A step-by-step guide to managing your active recurring subscribers in UniLink — view billing status, pause or cancel memberships, handle failed payments, and keep your member base healthy.
- Subscriptions shows every active recurring billing relationship — members who pay monthly or yearly for your Membership tiers, with their status, next billing date, and payment method.
- You can pause, cancel, or change a member's tier directly from the Subscriptions tab without touching your Membership block setup.
- When a payment fails, UniLink retries automatically 3 times over 7 days and emails the member to update their card — but past-due accounts that don't recover still need your attention.
- Critical gotcha: cancelling a subscription revokes access immediately by default — use "cancel at period end" if you want the member to keep access through the date they already paid for.
Recurring revenue is only as reliable as the billing infrastructure managing it. Setting up a Membership tier gets your members enrolled — but Subscriptions is where you handle everything that happens after that first charge: the renewals, the failed cards, the upgrades, the people who want to pause for a month. If you've been ignoring the Subscriptions tab and only checking your Membership block, you're probably missing past-due accounts that will quietly lapse without ever notifying you. This guide covers what's there and how to use it.
What Subscriptions does
Subscriptions is the live ledger of every recurring billing relationship your account has. Each row represents one member on one plan: their name, email, which tier they're on, the billing amount, the billing interval (monthly or yearly), the next charge date, their join date, and the current status of that relationship. Status values are Active (billing normally), Paused (suspended by you or the member), Cancelled (no longer billing), and Past-due (a recent charge failed and recovery attempts are in progress).
The data in Subscriptions is read from your payment processor — UniLink doesn't store billing data itself, it reflects the state of what Stripe has on file for each subscriber. This means the information is accurate to the minute: a member who just updated their card will show as Active within seconds. It also means you can't manually override billing dates or amounts in the Subscriptions tab — those changes happen at the Stripe level, which UniLink does for you when you use the upgrade/downgrade or pause controls.
Subscriptions also surfaces the recovery status for failed payments. When a charge fails, UniLink starts a dunning sequence: it retries the card three times over seven days and sends the subscriber reminder emails asking them to update their payment method. You can see where each past-due account is in that process — how many retries have occurred and when the final retry is scheduled. After the third failed retry, the subscription transitions to Cancelled automatically unless you intervene.
Getting started
- Open Subscriptions: In your UniLink Dashboard, click Subscriptions in the left sidebar. You'll see a list of all your current recurring billing relationships.
- Filter by status: Use the status filter at the top of the list to isolate Active, Paused, Past-due, or Cancelled subscriptions. Start by checking Past-due — those are the accounts at risk of churning.
- Review past-due accounts: Click any past-due subscription to see how many retry attempts have occurred and when the next one is scheduled. If the retry window is about to close, reach out to the member directly to prompt them to update their card.
- Sort by next billing date: Sort the list by the Next Billing Date column to see who is renewing soon. This helps you anticipate upcoming revenue and flag any accounts where you expect issues.
How to manage individual subscriptions
- Open a subscription record: Click any row in the Subscriptions list to open the detail view. You'll see the full billing history for that member and all available actions.
- Pause a subscription: Click Pause to suspend billing and optionally revoke content access until the subscription is unpaused. Use this when a member asks for a temporary break — it's cleaner than cancelling and re-enrolling them later.
- Cancel a subscription: Click Cancel. You'll be prompted to choose between Cancel Immediately (stops billing and revokes access right now) or Cancel at Period End (stops renewal but lets the member keep access through the end of their current paid period). Default behavior is immediate — always confirm which option you're choosing before confirming.
- Upgrade or downgrade tier: Click Change Plan and select a different Membership tier. UniLink calculates prorated billing automatically — if a member upgrades mid-cycle, they're charged only the difference for the remaining days. If they downgrade, the credit is applied to the next billing cycle.
- Send a manual invoice: Use the Send Invoice action to email the member a PDF invoice for their current or most recent billing period. Useful for members who expense their subscription and need documentation.
- View payment history: The subscription detail page shows every charge, retry attempt, refund, and status change for that member in chronological order.
Key features and settings
| Feature / Setting | What it does | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription status | Shows the current state of billing: Active, Paused, Past-due, or Cancelled | Check Past-due weekly — accounts in the retry window can still recover, but only if the member updates their card; a direct email from you dramatically increases recovery rates |
| Cancel immediately vs. cancel at period end | Immediate cancellation revokes access now; period-end cancellation keeps access until the date already paid for | Default to cancel at period end unless the member has violated terms — it's more respectful of what they've paid and reduces chargeback requests |
| Pause subscription | Suspends billing and optionally suspends content access until you or the member resumes | Offer pausing as an alternative when a member requests cancellation — it preserves the relationship and reduces churn; many members who pause come back |
| Change plan (upgrade/downgrade) | Moves the member to a different tier with prorated billing applied automatically | Confirm the new tier and proration amount in the confirmation dialog before committing — downgrades credit to the next cycle, not immediately |
| Dunning (failed payment recovery) | Automatically retries failed charges 3 times over 7 days and sends subscriber email reminders to update their card | Don't rely on the automated emails alone for high-value members — a personal message from you explaining the situation recovers significantly more subscriptions than the automated sequence |
| Manual invoice | Sends a PDF invoice for a billing period to the subscriber's email on demand | Send invoices proactively for annual subscriptions at the time of renewal — members are less surprised by the charge and less likely to dispute it |
| Payment history | Full log of every charge, retry, refund, and status change for that subscriber | Check this before taking any action on a past-due account — the history tells you how many retries have already occurred and whether the member has historically had payment issues |
How to get the most from Subscriptions
Treat the Subscriptions tab as a health dashboard, not just a record-keeping tool. The Past-due count is the single most actionable number on that page. An account sitting in past-due status is a subscriber who hasn't actively cancelled — they still want the membership, but something went wrong with their payment. That's a very different situation from a cancellation, and it deserves a different response. Every past-due account you personally follow up with is revenue you're actively choosing not to lose.
Build a simple offboarding conversation for members who request cancellation. The default response to a cancellation request is to process it immediately — but a brief exchange often reveals something fixable. Cost concerns are addressable with a pause or a downgrade. Life got busy is addressable with a pause. I'm not using it enough is addressable with a direct offer to book an onboarding call or point them to specific content they might not have found. Cancel at period end instead of immediately gives you the time to have that conversation without the member losing access mid-discussion.
Use the payment history view before contacting any member about a billing issue. It takes 10 seconds and tells you whether this is a one-time card expiry or a pattern of failed payments. If the history shows two failed payment cycles in the past six months, a different approach is warranted than if this is the first issue in two years of on-time payments. Context makes your outreach more effective and less tone-deaf.
For annual subscribers specifically, send a heads-up email 7–10 days before their renewal date every year. Annual renewals are the most common source of chargebacks on subscription platforms — members forget they signed up, see an unexpected charge, and dispute it rather than reaching out. A simple "your annual membership renews on [date] for [amount], here's your invoice and a link if you'd like to make changes" eliminates most of those disputes before they happen.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Member says they can't access content after paying | Subscription shows Active but content block hasn't refreshed, or subscription was recently paused or cancelled by mistake | Check the subscription status in the detail view; if it's Active, ask the member to log out and back in; if it's Paused or Cancelled by error, resume or reinstate and confirm access |
| Cancelled a subscription and member lost access immediately — they want the rest of the period | Used "Cancel Immediately" instead of "Cancel at Period End" | You cannot undo an immediate cancellation, but you can manually re-enroll the member and set a new billing date aligned to what they originally paid for; or issue a partial refund for the unused period via the Orders/Billing tab |
| Past-due subscription not recovering after member says they updated their card | The card was updated in the payment processor but the next retry hasn't run yet | Manually trigger a retry from the subscription detail page using the "Retry Payment" action; if that fails, check whether the new card details were saved correctly in the member's payment method view |
| Subscription shows Active but member isn't being charged | Free trial period still running, or billing was manually paused at the payment processor level outside of UniLink | Check the subscription detail for a trial end date; if no trial, check payment history for the last successful charge and contact UniLink support if billing looks halted without a status change |
| Upgrade applied the wrong proration amount | Proration is calculated at the moment of the plan change — if the member was close to their renewal date, the prorated amount will be small | Review the proration calculation shown in the Change Plan confirmation dialog before confirming; if the charge has already processed incorrectly, issue a manual refund for the difference via the payment history view |
| Member not receiving dunning reminder emails | Reminder emails going to spam, or member's email address has a typo | Check the email address on the subscriber's contact record in Audience; correct any typos; ask the member to check their spam folder; use the Send Invoice action to send a manual billing notification |
When Subscriptions covers your needs
- You run one or more Membership tiers with monthly or yearly billing and need a single view of who is active, paused, or at risk
- You want automatic failed-payment recovery without setting up a separate dunning tool or Stripe webhook configuration
- You need to make individual billing adjustments (pause, tier change, manual invoice) without touching your page's block configuration
- Your member base is in the tens to low hundreds and can be managed with a direct, hands-on approach
- You want proration handled automatically when members upgrade or downgrade mid-cycle
When you'll need more than Subscriptions
- You need granular dunning customization — custom retry schedules, multiple email sequences, SMS reminders — those require a dedicated tool like Stripe Billing's advanced dunning or a third-party service
- You run an enterprise membership with hundreds of seats, invoicing in multiple currencies, or volume discount tiers
- You need GDPR-compliant billing data portability or right-to-erasure workflows beyond what UniLink's built-in GDPR deletion covers
- You need real-time webhooks or external CRM sync triggered by subscription status changes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between pausing and cancelling a subscription?
Pausing suspends billing temporarily while keeping the subscriber's record and (optionally) their access intact. When you or the member unpauses, billing resumes from the next cycle. Cancelling ends the billing relationship — the subscriber record moves to Cancelled status and restarting requires the member to enroll again as a new subscriber. Pause is reversible; cancellation is permanent unless you manually re-enroll them.
How many times does UniLink retry a failed payment before cancelling?
UniLink retries a failed payment 3 times over a 7-day window. If all three retries fail, the subscription automatically transitions to Cancelled. At each retry attempt, an automated email is sent to the subscriber asking them to update their payment method. You can also manually trigger a retry at any point from the subscription detail page if the member tells you they've already updated their card.
Can I give a member access to a higher tier without charging them more?
Yes. Open the subscription and use Change Plan to move them to a higher tier. During the change flow, you'll see the proration amount that would normally be charged — if you want to waive it, contact UniLink support or apply a discount code at the point of plan change if your plan supports manual billing adjustments. Alternatively, apply a Stripe coupon to the subscription from your Stripe dashboard directly.
Does cancelling a subscription also delete the member from my Audience?
No. Cancelling a subscription ends the billing relationship but leaves the contact record in your Audience list. The contact's status in Audience will update to reflect that they are no longer an active subscriber, but their email address, order history, and any other data remain. This is intentional — a lapsed member is still a warm lead worth re-engaging.
Can a member manage or cancel their own subscription without contacting me?
Yes, if you have the member portal enabled. Active subscribers can log into their UniLink member portal to view their billing status, update their payment method, and request a pause or cancellation. If the self-service portal is turned off, members need to contact you directly for those actions. You can enable or disable the member portal under Settings → Memberships.
- Subscriptions is the live billing ledger — check Past-due status weekly, as those accounts are still recoverable if you act before the 7-day retry window closes.
- Always use "Cancel at Period End" instead of "Cancel Immediately" unless there's a specific reason — it honors what the member has paid for and reduces chargebacks.
- Pause is a powerful retention tool — offer it before processing a cancellation, as many members who want a break will return if given the option.
- UniLink handles dunning automatically (3 retries over 7 days), but a personal email from you during the retry window recovers significantly more at-risk subscriptions.
- Cancelling a subscription does not delete the member from Audience — their contact record stays for re-engagement.
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