Feature of the week: Upgrades to prepaid plans

Welcome to the second edition of our feature of the week series. 😎

We are excited to share that you can now upgrade customers to prepaid plans using our special plan switch flow.

Let's dive deeper into what this means for you and your business.

What’s new? 👀

It's now easier for your customers to switch to prepaid plans with our new, streamlined upgrade feature. Instead of dealing with complicated steps, your customers can simply make a one-time payment to upgrade to a prepaid plan, which will kick in right away.

What are the benefits? 🤔

• Improved customer loyalty: Offering the option to upgrade to prepaid plans can strengthen customer happiness and loyalty by giving them access to discounted rates.
• Increased cash flow: With upfront payments for prepaid plans, you'll see more immediate cash flow, giving you the funds needed to invest in your business’s growth and operations.
• Simplified upgrade process: Our plan switch flow makes it easy for customers to upgrade their plans, providing a smooth and hassle-free experience for everyone involved.

How it works 🛠️

To offer prepaid upgrades, you’ll guide your customers through the process using your app or website. Once they choose the prepaid option, they make a one-time payment, and their plan is instantly upgraded. The plan's currency must match the customer's current plan, and the new plan requires an initial payment.

What is the setup process? 🔧

1. Set up prepaid plans: Create or select the prepaid plans you want to offer in Firmhouse. These plans must require an initial payment and have the same currency as the customer’s current plan.
2. Promote the upgrade: Integrate a user interface in your website, app, or My Account section to display the upgrade options. Include details such as one-time payment prices and discounts.
3. Initiate the upgrade: Use the Firmhouse API to create a plan switch offer. Redirect your customer to a payment page where they can complete the transaction.
4. Payment and confirmation: Once payment is made, the customer’s subscription will immediately switch to the new prepaid plan. The next billing date remains unchanged, and the prepaid amount will be applied to future cycles.
5. Post-upgrade actions: Customize confirmation screens, configure email notifications, and take advantage of webhooks to monitor the upgrade process.

Things to keep in mind 🧠

• Initial payment: You can only offer upgrades to plans that require an initial payment. So, the plan being upgraded must have an initial amount set.
• Currency: The plan's currency must match the customer's currency. We do not allow upgrades to plans with a different currency than the one the customer is currently using.
• IDs: Make note of the IDs of the plans you want to offer as upgrades. You will use the plan ID later in the API call to initiate a plan switch flow for the customer.

Want to learn more about the customer flow and what you need to know as a merchant? Check out our Help article.

If you are looking for a detailed guide on implementing prepaid plan upgrades, read our Developer Docs article.

You can also stay updated on other product features and improvements by visiting our Changelog. If you have any questions or need assistance, our support team is ready to help.

See you next week!