Let’s start this article on a serious note; a nightmare of a situation.

Imagine you’ve spent a ton of precious moolah on setting up your online store, marketing efforts to get customers to your store, offers and promotions to have them stay back, and they still left. So you decided to shift gears and get on the subscription train. It worked for a while, but slowly you’re seeing customers slip away into oblivion. It starts small, but it’s noticeable enough for you to start getting worried.

We don’t know about you, but if this was us in your shoes, we could be getting quite frustrated.

Subscriptions were supposed to be the answer to all your problems, right?

Revenue increasing, retention maxing out, and churn reducing?

Before you abandon ship and give up on subscriptions entirely, let’s break down why subscriptions might not be working for you the way you envisioned and what you can do to stop those cancellations from trickling in.

Already sold on moving to Recurpay Subscriptions? 

Reach out to us at marketing@recurpay.com or book a demo today.

1. Understand Why Customers Cancel

Don’t jump to fixing an issue before understanding why. A challenge has come up. Customers always have a reason for canceling their subscriptions, but it needs a bit of a deep dive into understanding the reasons, which can vary from person to person, such as:

  • Pricing challenges: Customers don’t feel they’re getting enough value for the cost.
  • Lack of engagement: Customers forget about the subscription or don’t use it often.
  • Complicated processes: Hard-to-navigate account management or billing issues.
  • Better alternatives: Customers find something more appealing elsewhere.

So what can you do to manage this?

Simple, make an effort to understand and truly figure out what makes your customers tick. Use exit surveys or quick feedback forms at the time of cancellation to discover those difficult to analyze patterns and address them proactively.

Check out the unique features you will have access to with Recurpay Subscriptions!

2. Offer Flexible Subscription Plans

Very few merchants opt to provide subscriptions but forget that personalization is the name of the game. Customers are looking for an offer that’s going to lock them. Flexibility will take your online store a long way in making your customers think twice before canceling their subscriptions. 

What can you do to mitigate this?

  • Skip subscriptions: Allow your customers to skip their subscription. Often when a customer either pauses or cancels a subscription, they forget to resume it, leading them to purchase from other stores. Skipping gives them the freedom to choose their subscription months while the store retains its customers.  
  • Upgrade or downgrade: Offer different pricing tiers so customers can switch instead of quitting.
  • Customizable plans: Let customers adjust their plans based on the basis of their usage or needs.

Check out other features that can help boost your e-commerce store with Recurpay!

3. Provide a Smooth Customer Experience

If you make customers jump through hoops, you can rest assured those hoops will see no action. A frustrating experience is an instant turn-off and instead of marveling at the wonders of your store, they will leave. A customer’s journey has to be as easy as breathing, and the more they need to think things through to make a purchase, the harder it will be to retain them. Think of it this way, subconsciously they’re thinking that just signing up for subscriptions is so difficult, imagine wanting to cancel it or change it. So you’ve lost the battle before it even began.

What can you do to solve this?

  • Easy cancellation & modification: While cancellations are unwanted, making them intentionally difficult will only frustrate users and damage your brand reputation.
  • Transparent pricing: Avoid hidden charges or unexpected fees.
  • Smooth onboarding: A good experience increases early engagement, thereby reducing the chances of churn.

Check out the 5-star reviews on our app!

4. Keep Subscribers Engaged & Excited

So you’ve got a loyal customer base but there’s nothing new you’re providing your customers. No new experience, nothing to keep them excited. Sooner or later, the loyalty will shift to a provider who will give them the excitement they crave while shopping online. Loss of interest is a direct attack on your subscriptions. 

Ways to solve this?

  • Personalized experiences: Use customer data to offer personalized product recommendations or exclusive discounts.
  • Exclusive content or perks: Provide members-only content, early access to new products, or surprise gifts.
  • Loyalty rewards: Give long-term subscribers incentives like discounts, free add-ons, or access to a VIP community.

Already sold on moving to Recurpay Subscriptions? 

Reach out to us at marketing@recurpay.com or book a demo today.

5. Talk to Your Customers & Build Relationships

Every brand has customers but very few have a community. A group of people who will be your advocates because they believe in you and your mission to help them with their requirements. Just providing quality products or services will only get you so far. If you’re out of touch with actually talking and understanding your customers, you’re in a soup already. 

Want to change this?

  • Regular check-ins: Send friendly emails or app notifications reminding customers of upcoming shipments or new features.
  • Proactive customer support: Be available via chat, email, or phone to resolve issues quickly.
  • Ask for feedback and act on it: If customers see you making changes based on their input, they’ll feel more valued.

Let’s make it happen! Book a Recurpay demo today. 

6. Improve the Payment experience with Smart Billing 

Imagine a customer is so vested in your products that they’ve followed the entire process of setting up subscriptions only to reach the payment page and have the payment fail. There’s nothing worse than this kind of disappointment when you’re really looking to purchase, right? Or imagine they’ve already set up their subscription and are eagerly waiting for their next delivery only to find that the payment has failed. Online shopping is a subconscious buy. You’ve lost them when they thought they needed the product, now for how long will you wait for them to come back? 

Let’s solve this!

  • Automated reminders: Notify users before their payment is due.
  • Multiple payment options: Offer flexibility with different payment methods.
  • Smart retry mechanisms: If a payment fails, retry automatically at a later date before canceling the subscription.

Check out the subscription plans we’ve got waiting for you!

7. Show Your Customers the Value of Their Subscription

Talking about being on a subscription plan vs actually understanding the benefits are two very different things. Sometimes, customers cancel subscriptions because they don’t fully understand the benefits they’re getting. Talking about your products is necessary, but so is educating your audience on just how powerful subscriptions can be for them. Add value to their journey, make them feel like they’re getting the most out of the deal, and watch them never leave.

How can you do this?

  • Sending regular usage reports: Show how much they’ve used the service and what they’ve gained.
  • Highlighting customer success stories: Share testimonials and case studies to inspire continued engagement.
  • Creating how-to content: Guide customers on how to maximize their subscriptions.

Thinking of migrating to Recurpay? We’ve got you covered!

8. Win Back the Cancelations with Strong Retention Offers

The ball is in their court but you’ve not lost yet. When a customer is about to cancel, you still have an ace up your sleeve by which you can still retain them.

What might that be?

  • Offer a limited-time discount or bonus if they stay.
  • Provide a discount option instead of full cancellation.
  • Ask for direct feedback and see if you can address their concerns.

Check out the 5-star reviews on our app!

Let’s be clear on one thing, Cancellations happen. They will continue to take place; however, educating your audience and maintaining transparency are the only ways to convince customers you’re on their side. 

You’re not tricking them into spending their hard-earned money on your products or services, but in fact helping them understand the real value behind using them and boosting that newly built trust with a tool as powerful as subscriptions. 

That’s where Recurpay Subscriptions can come to your rescue!

Recurpay is a complete ecosystem built to help e-commerce businesses scale with ease. Our platform offers seamless integrations, powerful automation, and advanced analytics, enabling brands to optimize their subscription models effortlessly. 

From reducing churn with smart dunning management to boosting revenue through personalized subscriber insights, Recurpay empowers businesses to take full control of their recurring revenue. 

So, now that we’re on the same page, which of these strategies are you going to try first?

Sold on moving to Recurpay Subscriptions? 

Reach out to us at marketing@recurpay.com or book a demo today.

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