Recurring subscriptions let you bill a customer (pet parent) automatically on a repeating schedule, for example every month, and give them a set number of daycare credits for each period, such as "2 days of daycare a week". The plan is created in your own Stripe account and Stripe charges the customer's saved card each time. Subscriptions are included on every KennelBooker plan, and need Stripe online payments to be connected.
What you need before you start with recurring subscriptions
Stripe connected and switched on in Settings > Online Payment Setup. See "Setting up Online Payments (Stripe)" in Related articles.
Save customer cards in Stripe switched on in the same page, because a subscription charges the card the customer has on file. Tick Enable card to be added by staff if your staff will add the cards.
Sell Daycare packages switched on in Settings > Packages & Credits (shown with your own name for daycare), because subscription credits are used for daycare. Without it, the daycare switch under What the credits can be used for doesn't appear.
Step 1: switch on recurring subscriptions
Go to Settings > Packages & Credits.
In Which services use credits, switch on Offer recurring subscriptions. This option only appears when Stripe is switched on.
Click Save. The Subscriptions section appears further down the page.
Step 2: create a subscription plan
In the Subscriptions section of Settings > Packages & Credits, enter the Package Name and the Price the customer pays each time they're billed.
Choose Billed every: Weekly (7 days), Bi-Weekly (14 days), Three Weeks (21 days), Four Weeks (28 days), Monthly (30 days), Bi-Monthly (60 days), Quarterly (90 days), 6 Months (183 days) or Yearly (365 days).
If your Stripe account has tax rates set up, choose the Stripe tax rate to add.
Under What the credits can be used for, switch on daycare (shown with your own name for daycare) and choose the Duration the credits cover, for example full day.
Choose Credits for each period (1 to 60) and Credits added: Weekly (Mon-Sun), Every 4 Weeks or Monthly (Calendar Month).
Click Create Subscription on Stripe and confirm "Create this subscription in Stripe? Once it exists its price cannot be changed - you would have to create a new one."
The plan is created in your Stripe account and listed in the Subscriptions section with its Type, Number Subscribed, Price, Payment Frequency and Credits.
Step 3: sign a customer up to a subscription
Subscriptions are started by your staff from the customer's profile. Customers can't sign themselves up in the online booking portal.
Make sure the customer has a card saved on their account.
Open the customer and go to the Subscriptions panel.
Choose the plan in Pick Package.
If you want to delay the first charge, enter the number of days in Trial Days. Leave it at 0 to charge straight away.
Click Subscribe. KennelBooker creates the subscription in your Stripe account. Stripe charges the card on file (after any trial days) and then bills it automatically every period.
The Subscriptions panel then lists the subscription with its Freq., Started date, Remaining days in the current period and Status.
How subscription credits are used
Each period the customer can use up to the Credits for each period you set. The period follows Credits added: Monday to Sunday, every four weeks, or the calendar month.
The daycare booking shows how many subscription credits are left for the current period (Daycare Subscriptions Remaining, using your name for daycare).
When you check in a daycare booking, the check-in popup shows "Customer has a Subscription". If there's a problem with the subscription in Stripe, it shows Attention needed with the reason (see Common problems below).
Credits that aren't used in a period don't carry over to the next one.
In the online booking portal, customers with an active daycare subscription aren't offered daycare packages.
Managing recurring subscriptions
See who is subscribed: in Settings > Packages & Credits, click View Active Subscriptions. The list shows each customer, the subscription, frequency, start date, period end, days remaining and status. Click Export to Excel to download it.
Pause a customer's subscription: in the customer's Subscriptions panel, choose a number of days in Pause For and click Pause. Stripe doesn't collect payment during the pause and resumes billing afterwards.
Stop one customer's subscription: in the customer's Subscriptions panel, click Delete. The subscription is cancelled in Stripe and the customer isn't billed again.
Stop a plan for everyone: in the Subscriptions section of Settings > Packages & Credits, click Cancel and Delete on the plan and confirm. Customers on it stop being billed and lose any credits it was topping up. This can't be undone.
See deleted plans: tick Show deleted subscriptions under the list.
What recurring subscriptions don't do
Recurring subscriptions only give credits for daycare. They don't cover boarding, grooming, walks or other services; use credit packages for those where they're available.
A subscription plan's price can't be changed once it's created in Stripe. Create a new plan and move customers onto it.
Customers can't start, pause or cancel a subscription themselves in the online booking portal. Your staff do this from the customer's profile.
Recurring subscriptions only work with Stripe. They aren't available with PayPal, Worldpay or Paystack.
KennelBooker doesn't email the customer when a subscription starts, renews, fails or is cancelled. Stripe's own customer emails handle that; you choose which ones Stripe sends in your Stripe dashboard's email settings.
Recurring subscriptions: frequently asked questions
How do I set up a monthly daycare membership?
Recurring subscriptions do this. In Settings > Packages & Credits, switch on Offer recurring subscriptions, then in the Subscriptions section enter a name and price, choose Billed every Monthly (30 days), switch on daycare, choose the credits for each period and click Create Subscription on Stripe. Then sign customers up from their profile.
How often can I bill customers with a subscription?
A KennelBooker recurring subscription can be billed weekly, every two, three or four weeks, monthly, every two months, quarterly, every six months or yearly. You choose this in Billed every when you create the plan.
Are recurring subscriptions included on my plan?
Yes. Recurring subscriptions (and credit packages) are included on every KennelBooker plan. You need Stripe online payments connected to use them.
Can a customer sign up to a subscription online?
No. Recurring subscriptions are started by your staff from the customer's profile, in the Subscriptions panel: choose the plan in Pick Package and click Subscribe. The customer needs a saved card first.
Can I give a free trial before the first charge?
Yes. When you subscribe the customer, enter the number of days in Trial Days. Stripe waits that many days before the first charge.
Can I change the price of a subscription?
No. A recurring subscription's price can't be changed once the plan exists in Stripe. Create a new plan with the new price, then delete the customer's old subscription and subscribe them to the new one.
Do unused subscription credits roll over?
No. Each period the customer can use up to the number of credits in the plan. Credits left at the end of the week, four weeks or month (whichever the plan uses) don't carry into the next period.
Can I pause a customer's subscription while they're on holiday?
Yes. Open the customer, go to the Subscriptions panel, choose the number of days in Pause For and click Pause. Stripe doesn't collect payment during the pause.
Do customers get an email when their subscription renews or a payment fails?
Not from KennelBooker. KennelBooker doesn't send customers any email when a recurring subscription starts, renews, fails or is cancelled. Stripe's own customer emails take care of this, such as receipts for successful payments and messages about failed payments. Switch on the emails you want in your Stripe dashboard's email settings.
Where does the subscription money go?
Recurring subscription payments are taken by Stripe and paid into your own Stripe account, then on to your bank on Stripe's payout schedule, like your other online payments.
Can subscription credits be used for walks or grooming?
No. Recurring subscription credits can only be used for daycare. For other services, sell credit packages instead; see "Daycare/Walk/Training Credits" in Related articles.
Recurring subscriptions: common problems
I can't see Offer recurring subscriptions
Offer recurring subscriptions only appears in Settings > Packages & Credits when Stripe is switched on in Settings > Online Payment Setup. Connect Stripe first.
"No Cards on File - please add a card to the customers account first"
A subscription charges the customer's saved card, so the customer needs a card on their account before you click Subscribe. Add a card to the customer's account, then try again.
"You must enable the Save Customer Cards on the following page"
Saving cards is switched off for your account. Go to Settings > Online Payment Setup, switch on Save customer cards in Stripe, click Update Settings, add a card to the customer's account and subscribe them again.
Nothing happens when I click Create Subscription on Stripe
The plan is only created when Stripe is connected and the Price is more than zero. Check both and try again.
The check-in popup says "Attention needed"
The customer's subscription isn't active in Stripe. The popup gives the reason: "Subscription Payment Issue" or "Subscription Payment Past Due" (the last charge didn't go through), "Subscription Unpaid", "Subscription Paused", or "Subscription marked as Canceled in Stripe". Ask the customer to update their card, or check the subscription in your Stripe dashboard. The subscription credits aren't used while the subscription isn't active.
"Stripe Exception" when I click Subscribe
Stripe refused the request, for example because the card was declined. The message after "Stripe Exception" is Stripe's reason. Fix the card or try another one, then click Subscribe again. If it keeps happening, contact support with the customer's name and a screenshot of the message.
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