Payment Update Alerts FAQs

How do payment update alerts or “grace nags” work?
When a subscriber's payment method fails and they enter a grace period, BLOX Audience+ can dynamically identify these users and prompt them with a payment update alert. This requires a new rule set up in Access Control with a link to the user dashboard. The user can close the message, but they will continue to receive the prompt until they update.

Can I customize the message subscribers see in the payment update alert?
Yes, the message shown to subscribers can be customized to fit your site's branding and tone. To customize the message, simply modify the text that was suggested for the Offer group.

What if a subscriber ignores the prompt?
If a subscriber ignores the payment update alert, it will continue to prompt them on each article view. Behind the scenes, BLOX Audience+ will continue to attempt to charge the existing card based on the retry schedule defined in the Grace settings. If Premium Credit Card Management is enabled, BLOX Audience+ proactively attempts to update the card information. BLOX also will send automated emails if enabled. If payment is not collected by the end of the Grace period, the subscription will be canceled.

How do I enable the Premium Credit Card Management upgrade?
To enable the Premium Credit Card Management upgrade, contact your BLOX sales representative or submit a support ticket. 

What is the difference between a "Renew" button and an "Update" button for subscribers in Grace?
Subscribers in Grace status will see a "Renew" button if the Premium Credit Card Management upgrade is not enabled. This requires them to re-subscribe manually. With the Premium Credit Card Management upgrade, subscribers will see an "Update" button, allowing them to simply update their payment information without needing to sign up again.

How does BLOX Audience+ identify subscribers in Grace status?
BLOX Audience+ uses data from Subscription to identify users whose payments have failed and who are within their Grace period. This enables the system to serve targeted payment update alerts to these users.

What are Grace Periods and why should I use them?
Give grace, gain revenue. Grace is an extension where a user continues to have access after a subscription expires, so that you can attempt to collect payment. When turned on, Grace is activated when auto-renewal fails due to an issue with the payment method.

How do I turn on Grace?
Grace is set at the Service level. In BLOX Subscription, open the gear at the top-right and click the Services panel. On the Configure tab, you’ll see a line for Grace Period, and a dropdown menu. Select the period you want, then click Save. Grace periods will begin to apply immediately. We recommend using the maximum of 1 month, because sites with longer grace periods and Premium Credit Card Management have the best/lowest churn.

What happens during Grace?
During Grace, the subscriber continues to have access to content. The user’s account will show a Grace status in the BLOX Subscription admin. BLOX will attempt to retry the credit card up to 14 times, depending on the length of Grace selected. If the card information is updated, either automatically or by adding a new card, payment will be accepted and the user will automatically move back to Active status. If payment cannot be collected, the user will be Canceled after Grace ends. 

What happens when a subscriber’s payment information is updated during Grace?
If the card information is updated, either automatically with credit card updater or by adding a new card, payment will be accepted and the user will automatically move back to Active status. The next renewal transaction should start where the last transaction ended, putting the subscriber back on track for the cadence that was originally set on the term. 

What happens when Grace ends?
If payment cannot be collected during Grace, the user will be Canceled (stopped) after Grace ends with Reason: Card declined.

How do I pull a report of subscribers in Grace/At Risk of canceling, or who have already Canceled?
The At-Risk Subscribers/In Grace report is an on-demand export in BLOX Subscription, intended to help you measure customer retention. On the upper-right, find the Reports button and click it. Choose Canceled Subscribers, the date range, then click Generate. The report will begin processing immediately but may take several seconds. Once processed, it will start to download automatically.