Subscriptions vs Packs
Subscriptions and packs allow your customers to book into classes or appointments using pre-paid credits.
Similarities
Both give your customers prepaid credits. These credits can be used on classes or appointments.
By default, both allow customers to use those credits on all classes you have scheduled or will schedule going forward -- unless you update the 'whats included section.'
Appointments will not be included by default, but can be if you update the 'what's included section'.
Differences
Subscriptions
The most common form of a subscription is to have an auto-renewing subscription.
For example, once a month, maybe once a fortnight, your customers on this subscription are automatically charged. This is done with 'Duration Settings: Absolute Interval: 1 month/fortnight; and the 'Auto-renewal' setting toggled on.
Unlimited vs Limited
Subscriptions can be unlimited, meaning the customer can book as many classes as they want. They can also be limited, where the customer gets, say, five classes per month. This is called a limited-use subscription.
Less manual work
In general auto-renewing subscriptions are less manual work over time for a business. They require little to no interaction with the customer after they've been initially sold.
Fixed Start Dates / End Dates
Subscriptions also allow you to create fixed start and end dates. One use case for this might be a seasonal thing (think New Years).
To create a sense of urgency among your customers you might offer a discounted limited time subscription that runs from January 1 - April 1. This can be achieved under 'Duration Settings' with 'fixed start dates and end dates'. By comparison, an auto-renewing subscription would require Durations Settings of, say, 1 month & and the 'Auto-renewal' setting turned on.
Packs
Packs are great for catering to those that like to go at their own pace.
Maybe you have a customer that makes it in a lot one month and then the following month can't really make it in due to work or something else. A class pack appeals to this customer because it allows them to use the pack's credits at their own pace. Packs can also be set to auto-fill when they run out of credits if your customers prefer this.
Whichever option you choose, make sure you've doublechecked its 'What's included' section to ensure it includes access to only the things it should.
Benefits / What's included
Choose what a subscription can be used for
When creating or editing a subscription you'll find a section dedicated to choosing what the subscription's credits can be used for. Ie. What classes, appointment services, etc can a customer register for using this subscription.
All classes are included by default. Appointment services are not and must be added if they need to be part of the benefits.
Link a subscription to another subscription or pack for added benefits
Give your customers added benefits, like more class credits or on-demand video access, by linking a subscription to another sub or pack.
To do this, click Memberships > Subscriptions/packs > then click the subscription you'll be adding benefits to > from the subscription's details page, scroll to 'What's included in this subscription' > click Subscriptions/Packs > Assign Memberships and include any you'd like a customer to also receive when they buy this subscription.
If there are existing customers on this subscription, they will immediately receive these benefits.
If you ever need to remove these benefits from the subscription in the future, customers that paid for the sub prior to the removal of the benefits will be grandfathered in, and continue to enjoy those benefits. New signups after the removal of the benefits will not see these benefits included.
Limit customers on subscriptions to one visit per day
You can do this by clicking Settings > General Setup > under Misc. account settings, toggle on 'Subscriptions can only be used on 1 class per day'. > Scroll down and Save.
Create a staff membership to give benefits, use a price rule to give discounts
Option 1 (Easiest): Add your staff to an existing customer membership for free
If your goal with a staff membership is just to give staff a free version of a customer membership, do the following:
navigate to the membership
scroll to the bottom and add your staff for free.
Use their staff email -- this will add them as a customer, using that email.
When they login, they'll be able to choose from a customer role to book. classes/appointments, or a staff role to teach).
Option 2: A separate staff membership that gives free classes or appointments + discounts on things you choose
If your goal is to give a combination of free classes or appointments AND discounts on certain items, follow these directions:
Create a separate membership (a membership only for staff)
Choose its benefits under 'what's included' (its "free" items).
If discounts will be given, tag the membership with a membership tag (ie. call this tag something like 'Staff membership').
Do not make this membership 'featured at checkout'. Keep it private (there are toggles on the membership index page for this).
Then create a Price Rule to choose which items to give discounts on. Associate this price rule with the tag above.
Option 3: A separate staff membership that only gives discounts
If you only want to give discounts (with nothing free)
Create the membership and, in the section titled 'what this subscription can be used for,' uncheck all its benefits.
Then, tag the membership and create a Price Rule to choose which items to give discounts on. Associate this price rule with the tag above.
Do not make this membership 'featured at checkout'. Keep it private (there are toggles on the membership index page for this).
How can staff use their new staff membership?
They should first sign out as a staff member, then back in using the same login. They'll see an option to use their customer account when signing in and can then view the schedule like your customers do.
Contracts / Custom Questions
Add a contract to a subscription
Edit a subscription and scroll to 'Contract agreement' > toggle on 'Attach contract agreement' > add the text you'd like customers to agree to.
If there's a lot to cover, there's a toggle called 'require detailed review of the contract before signing.' This means the customer will need to acknowledge every paragraph individually before they can sign.
What's the customer experience?
If a customer is self serving, they won't be able to purchase the subscription without agreeing to the contract.
In POS, if you're ringing a customer up, the subscription's contract will show as an option to open and have the customer agree/sign to. But it won't be a requirement to complete the sale.
The contract is also automatically emailed to the customer to sign.
Can I resend a contract?
Later, if you need to resend the contract by email or have the customer sign in person, navigate to their profile and under Active Subscriptions you'll see a link to the contract next to the subscription. It will show a red icon if they have not yet signed, and green if they have.
Duration Settings
Subscription duration settings allow you to choose between two styles:
Specific Interval
A duration setting with a fixed start date and fixed end date. These dates are the same for all customers. (Ex. a limited time offer that goes from Jan 1 - Feb 28); or
Absolute Interval
When using the Absolute Interval subscription, its common to make use of the Auto-Renew feature: A toggle that ensures the subscription auto-charges the customer every billing cycle on the same interval. (Ie. one month means monthly charges).
Activate on First Use
A setting that waits to start the membership until the customer first uses the subscription. So if they buy it today, but wait a couple months to use it, the renewal cycle (or expiration timeline) won't start until they actually use the membership.
Purchasable only once
This ensures it can't be bought again by the same customer. This is useful if its a promotion where you're taking a financial hit in pricing to expose more customers to your services.
Purchasable only as first subscription
This ensures the customer purchasing this subscription has not purchased this subscription before or any other subscriptions from your business in the past.
History
See classes a customer has booked using a subscription
Click on Customers > Customer list > open the customer's profile > click Activity > Subscriptions > click the arrow to the left of the subscription to see what its been used on.
This page will also display:
how many classes they have taken during that renewal period
how many credits customers have left
any future classes that have been booked
when the next renewal is scheduled (hover over the blue renewal symbol)
Troubleshooting
Sometimes customers are unable to use their memberships to book classes. Here are a couple causes to check on.
Check their membership status
First, check the status of their membership from their profile. Is it expired? Are there credits remaining? Has it been activated yet? Is it scheduled to be activated and, if so, when?
Check what's included
Then check to see if the class they're attempting to book is included in the membership. You can do this by clicking on the subscription and scrolling to 'what's included,' viewing the classes listed there.
These two paths often result in remedying the issue. However, if you're still wrestling with finding a solution, lean on our support team: click that question mark in the bottom right corner of your dashboard and we'll get you sorted.