How to modify paypal subscription?

[dhiraj]

I'm trying to get the new modify paypal subscription feature to work, but just cannot figure out how a customer user will actually modify their subscription?

 

Let me explain what I've done so far:

 

1. I've activated Paypal gateway, and the Modify Subscriptions checkbox is turned on.

2. I've created a product with recurring payments, and added a configurable option for "number of users", each charged at $10/month.

3. A test customer can buy the product, choose the number of users they want and they are sent to Paypal with the correct subscription amount and term when they click the "Subscribe" button on the Invoice.

 

So now, after this point, how does a customer modify their subscription? Like suppose they want to change from 10 users to 20?

 

What / where does the UI to allow the customer to modify their subscription appear? In the invoices section, as soon as it is paid, the payment buttons stop appearing.

In the My Services screen in the Client Area, the customer can only view the details, there's no edit or modify buttons for the configurable option.

 

Thanks,

Dhiraj.

[ChrisGooding]

As far as I am aware, on the newer versions of WHMCS (4.x upwards), it is done automatically by WHMCS.

 

On the older version, it couldn't be done, well not directly anyway.

 

What version are you using?

[dhiraj]

On a hunch, I thought that maybe the modify subscription buttons will only appear for products that have different subscription terms (monthly/quarterly/annually) but even this does not work.

 

As customer, I order the modified product for the monthly subscription, and I see no way to change the subscription term to quarterly or annual after the subscription has started.

 

Anyone have any ideas on how or even if this can be done at all?

 

Thanks,

Dhiraj.

[ChrisGooding]

Ahhh, sorry my bad. I thought you were talking about modifying the subscription amount.

 

With regards to the billing term, I am unsure. However, I know it can be done from the admin side quite simply. But not sure whether that would solve your issue.

 

I would be interested to hear if this is possible, and if so how it's done.

[dhiraj]

As far as I am aware, on the newer versions of WHMCS (4.x upwards), it is done automatically by WHMCS.

 

On the older version, it couldn't be done, well not directly anyway.

 

What version are you using?

 

I'm using the latest 4.1.2 for testing this out.

 

I don't understand what you mean, when you say "done automatically by WHMCS". You mean that WHMCS will "automatically" adjust the billing accounts when Paypal notifies on IPN about the changes in subscription? I'm not looking for having the functionality this way.

 

What I was expecting is that in the My Services list view, the customer will be given a separate button next to the view details button, to "edit" the subscription values, such that they can change the payment schedule, or the quantities in the configurable options. On changing of the values, WHMCS would raise an invoice for the differences, and provide a "modify subscription" button on the Invoice, instead of the subscribe or the checkout buttons that appear currently.

 

If this functionality is "automatic" in the above way, then it's much less convenient, yes? I will have to create a separate screen/template myself, where I will have to create the modify button to send the customer's browser to Paypal with the new values, just so that WHMCS can update itself with the modified subscription when Paypal callbacks with IPN. This will get incrementally difficult for me, because I'm thinking there'll be a lot of code to be written here, using the WHMCS API, even if this is possible at all !

 

I'm not really interested in changing the payment schedule right now, but this will also become a requirement for me in a different product that I will also be selling through WHMCS. If I can get my head around the modify subscription functionality at all, of course!

 

The Wiki page on Paypal (http://wiki.whmcs.com/PayPal) is quite non-ambiguous about the modify subscription functionality : "By enabling Modify Subscriptions, customers will be given the option to create a new agreement or modify an existing one when going through the subscribe process."

 

What I want to do is to "modify an existing one". Any ideas?

The only other possible case where this Modify Subscription option will be given to the customer user, that I can think of is at the end of the payment schedule period of a month. I see no way to set up a daily subscription, and I am unwilling to wait a month just to see if any buttons start appearing!

 

Thanks for responding, ChrisGooding, I really, really hope that solving this problem is possible. WHMCS is pretty much the only software that is even close to achieving this for me, and the other functionality is stellar as well.

 

I really need to get this modify subscription thing working, though.

 

-Dhiraj.

[dhiraj]

Hmm... I've made some progress! The missing thing was turning on the checkbox for Upgradable Configuration Options in the Upgrade tab of the Product edit screen.

 

Will try to update more when I've completed testing my use-case.

[WHMCS John]

When the client upgrades/downgrades their service and is taken to the PayPal site to pay the invoice, they will be presented with an optino to modify an existing subscription or create a new one.

[bestsurfer]

Paypal does not allow modification to the amount of a subscription. So, if the user downgrades or upgrades and that has an affect on the price, you cannot modify the amount for future payments. The only way out is to cancel the existing subscription and create a new one.

[HostOrca]

Paypal does not allow modification to the amount of a subscription. So, if the user downgrades or upgrades and that has an affect on the price, you cannot modify the amount for future payments. The only way out is to cancel the existing subscription and create a new one.

 

Not any more. Paypal now allow the client to modify paypal subscriptions, hence why whmcs has this feature.