Stripe Subscription Management
Overview
A complete subscription billing system that handles recurring payments, plan upgrades/downgrades, cancellations, and payment failures. Users can manage their subscriptions through a self-service portal, while the system automatically processes renewals and sends billing notifications.
User Stories
- As a user, I want to subscribe to a monthly or annual plan, so that I can access premium features
- As a subscriber, I want to upgrade or downgrade my plan, so that I can adjust based on my needs
- As a subscriber, I want to update my payment method, so that I can avoid service interruptions
- As a subscriber, I want to cancel my subscription anytime, so that I have control over my billing
- As a subscriber, I want to be notified before renewal, so that I'm not surprised by charges
Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Users can select from multiple subscription tiers (Basic, Pro, Enterprise)
- [ ] Checkout creates Stripe subscription with first payment
- [ ] Subscription status synced to user account (active, past_due, canceled)
- [ ] Users can upgrade plans with prorated billing
- [ ] Users can downgrade plans (effective at period end)
- [ ] Users can update payment method through customer portal
- [ ] Users can cancel subscription (access continues until period end)
- [ ] Email notifications sent for: renewal, payment failed, subscription canceled
Technical Requirements
- Create Stripe Products and Prices for each subscription tier
- Use Stripe Customer Portal for self-service management
- Implement webhooks for subscription lifecycle events
- Handle prorated charges for mid-cycle upgrades
- Store subscription ID and status in user database
- Restrict feature access based on subscription tier
- Implement dunning logic for failed payments (retry 3 times over 7 days)
- Generate invoice PDFs and send via email
Edge Cases
- Payment fails during renewal → Mark subscription as past_due, send payment update reminder, retry 3 times
- User changes plan multiple times in same period → Apply prorated credit from downgrade to upgrade
- User cancels then re-subscribes → Create new subscription, preserve customer data
- Subscription canceled but user still has access → Access valid until period_end date
- Annual subscriber requests refund mid-year → Process partial refund, cancel immediately
Out of Scope
- Usage-based billing (metered pricing)
- Free trials (can be added as separate task)
- Multiple subscriptions per user
- Team/group subscriptions
- Discount codes and coupons