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Automatic cancellation of unpaid subscriptions

The automatic cancellation feature allows you to automatically cancel subscriptions whose payments have failed for several consecutive cycles. It includes a notification system for customers and merchants, as well as a simplified reactivation mechanism.

On the 15th of each month at 10:00 PM, the system analyzes all active subscriptions whose expiration date (end_date) has been exceeded for a configurable number of payment cycles.

The system takes into account the subscription’s billing interval:

  • Monthly subscription: 1 cycle = 30 days
  • Bimonthly subscription: 1 cycle = 60 days
  • Quarterly subscription: 1 cycle = 90 days
  • Annual subscription: 1 cycle = 365 days
  • Weekly subscription: 1 cycle = 7 days

If the subscription doesn’t have a directly defined interval, the system uses the interval from the associated plan.

For a monthly subscription with a threshold of 3 cycles:

  • The subscription must have been expired for at least 90 days (3 × 30 days) to be automatically cancelled.

The feature is configured for each site in Settings > Sites: open the site record, Advanced tab.

OptionDescriptionDefault Value
Enable Auto-CancellationEnables or disables the feature for this siteDisabled
Cycles Before CancellationNumber of missed payment cycles before cancellation (1-12)3
Notify CustomerSends an email to the customer upon cancellationEnabled
Send Report to MerchantSends an Excel report to the merchant with the list of cancellationsEnabled

When a subscription is cancelled, the customer receives an email containing:

  • The name of the affected subscription
  • The number of unpaid cycles
  • The cancellation date
  • A secure link (signed URL, valid for 7 days) to reactivate their subscription

Email template: “Résiliation automatique” (type SubscriptionAutoCanceled), in Content > Email Templates.

The template is disabled by default. The merchant must review it and manually enable it in Content > Email Templates.

Available variables:

  • {*shop*}: Store name
  • {*logo*}: Store logo
  • {*domain*}: Store domain
  • {*first_name*}: Customer’s first name
  • {*last_name*}: Customer’s last name
  • {*email*}: Customer’s email
  • {*subscription_name*}: Subscription/plan name
  • {*end_date*}: Subscription expiration date
  • {*cancellation_date*}: Cancellation date (current date)
  • {*cycles_unpaid*}: Number of unpaid cycles
  • {*update_payment_link*}: Secure reactivation link

The merchant receives an email with an attached Excel file containing:

  • Subscription UUID
  • Customer email
  • Customer first and last name
  • Plan
  • Expiration date
  • Number of unpaid cycles
  • Cancellation date
  1. The customer receives the notification email with a reactivation link

  2. By clicking the link (signed URL), they are automatically logged into their account

  3. A page displays the details of their cancelled subscription

  4. They are prompted to update their payment information in “My Information”

  5. They can confirm reactivation via the dedicated button

  • The reactivation URL is cryptographically signed
  • Valid for 7 days after cancellation
  • Secure automatic customer login
  1. Email template activation: The customer template is disabled by default. Remember to enable it after reviewing its content.

  2. Billing interval: The system prioritizes the subscription’s interval, then uses the plan interval if not defined. If you are a Box customer, the plan value will be used.

  3. Monthly execution: The command runs once per month. Subscriptions that expire between executions will be processed during the next run.