Suggestions for subscription sales tools
I would like to get advice from the experts here on which method of selling subscription packages is effective for you? I look forward to sharing from the experts. (Here I am asking about payment gateways, tools to measure and install subscription packages)
I do not consider myself an expert. But I do work a lot with subscription based models.
So, I’ll give you two two insights that hope it helps you:
- If you have not started yet… wait until the release of FluentCart: it will be a game changer regarding reports that you may need to create by yourself if using other tools. And it’s super light. Also it will allow you to use the payment gateway system. So, migrations in the future may not be a nightmare like with other tools .
- Try, if possible, to stick to one payment gateway. Eg.: just stripe.
If you have a considerable volume, it not only helps management, disputes and more. But it will also allow you to reach to agreements with the platforms to reduce the % of commission (normally when it’s over 50k/month).
And… try to keep it as simple as possible! And on market ranges if your value proposition is not yet developed as one with differentiation value.
Jorge de los Reyes I agree try to use one gateway as each company has their own process. I can't wait for fluent cart. i would also say use a simple tier model with a few options .i.e basic, pro, enterprise... The more ties you give customers it makes it harder for them to make a decision and harder for you to keep a distinct value for each tier.
William Dickson totally agree!
Jorge de los Reyes mate how have you set up your subscriptions currently? If a user changes their subscription can your system auto manage this or do you have to do manually? Ive tried a few posts trying to get a better understanding of it but so far Ive got crickets....
Luke HubCo I took your advice you gave me last week. Unfortunately, I could not implement it and sought help on Fiverr. they are working on it now using Fluent and WPfusion. I will let you know if it works. We will have three tiers for the Moderator to sign up for. this is the initial ask I made: "So an organizer (Moderator) would sign up via fluent form/paymattic to become a moderator of a space. (this should be automatic). then each member of that club could signup and pay a monthly fee to be a member of that club. i need all of this to be done using webhooks. I dont want to add any new plugin that I would have to pay for. all the fluent software has been uploaded and configured." the programmer agreed that this is executable. I will let you know the results next week.
Jorge de los Reyes So fluent cart will integrate and have management function related to recurring subscription membership?
Nghiapt88 For what I’ve seen within the beta version, yes. There will be some kind of “customer portal” in which the users will be able to manage their subscription.
It looks really similar to other solutions. So I guess the function will be similar: downgrade, upgrade, etc.
Luke HubCo An excellent and often overlooked question.
Personally, I’d never handle subscription changes manually — unless we’re talking about a high-ticket offer aimed at a very small group, where white-glove treatment is part of the value.
For most cases though, automation isn’t just about convenience — it’s about reducing friction, minimizing human error, and creating a reliable user experience. Especially when you’re scaling or dealing with recurring payments, manual processes become a liability.
In that sense, your system should ideally include a customer-facing portal where users can manage their own subscription (upgrade, downgrade, cancel, etc.) without needing to contact support. FluentCart, SureCart, ThriveCart, Stripe’s native billing portal — all offer different flavours of this.
The key is alignment with your long-term vision:
- If speed to market is critical, use a solution that works now and adapt later.
- If you prefer a robust infrastructure before launching, prepare for delays — especially if you’re solo or in a lean team.
Personally, I recommend a hybrid approach: choose a tool that is stable, allows for migration, and does not trap you. Automate what works, but don’t automate what doesn’t convert.
I’m testing the FluentCart beta features now and happy to share some behind-the-scenes soon — at least what’s currently accessible — so you can see how the customer portal flows work.
Hope that helps bring some clarity!
- Note: a key thing with fluent cart will be migration processes. Most of us using or managing subscription businesses will probably stay with the “old tech stack” just because it works and because of the previous investment and amortization. This will only change if there is a reliable migration processes. Eg.: for EDD, it has already been confirmed. But not for other mayor tools. So take that into account if you want to stay with fluent. In this case, probably, waiting, will be worthy depending on your approach.
It looks pretty simple, fast, awesome reporting… but you will have to put the advantages and disadvantages one facing each other and make a decision depending on your goal. There will be cases, for sure, in which it will not be a wise take. Others in which it will just be an impossible one due to problems with migration, and some in which it will definitely be a wise move!
Jorge de los Reyes thats good news, how long until that plugin comes out, i am looking forward to it?
Jorge de los Reyes and one important question, can fluentcart optimize with payment gateway in my hometown via webhook?
Nghiapt88 Good question! There is no ETA, to my knowledge, on when this will be launched
Nghiapt88 It's said to be possible, yes. But you may need dev services. The dev docs are also still in Beta. And the gateways docs, for what I have seen, only develops on Stripe, PayPal and Cash on Delivery
Any way to be a fluent cart beta tester? So exciting 😃
Edit: found the waitlist but would love to test