Overview
This document introduces Services in BLOX NXT: what a service is, which service type to use, the Services list, creating a service, and the permissions needed.
What Services is
Services defines what readers can access on your site: paid digital subscriptions, free registrations, access for print subscribers, access by email domain, app-store purchases, access shared from a linked site, and access synced from a circulation system. Every paywall decision traces back to a service: a reader has access when they hold an active subscription to one.
In BLOX NXT, Services is found under Community > Services. It's used by circulation and audience staff who create rates, run promotions, and monitor subscriber counts, and by site administrators who configure payment processing, sales tax, and notification emails.
Key terms for BLOX NXT Services
Services terms and definitions
| Term |
What it means |
| Service |
A named access product on one site. Each service has a Service ID, name, service type, flags, settings, and subscribers. |
| Service type |
How the service grants access: paid by card (Subscription), uploaded list (Delimited Verification), access rules (Domain, Free, Linked Site), app stores and platforms (In-App Purchase, Subscribe with Google), or a circulation-system integration (Brainworks, DSI, DTI, Falcon (Lee), Mediaspan, Newzware, Vision Data). |
| Purchase rate |
A price and term a reader buys. Only Subscription services have purchase rates. |
| Rate transition |
The rate a subscriber moves to after a set number of charges, such as $1 for three months, then $9.99 a month. |
| Save rate |
A purchase rate offered to readers who are trying to cancel, as a retention offer. |
| Subscriber |
A reader with an active subscription to a service. Readers in a grace period still count as active. |
| Grace period |
Time after a failed renewal payment when access continues and the card is retried. |
| Payment handler |
The payment processor a Subscription service charges through. |
| Custom properties |
Key-value pairs on a service that templates and integrations can read. |
| Offers and Journeys |
Paywall and checkout setup, managed in Journeys, that points readers to services and purchase rates. A new purchase rate must be added to an offer in Journeys before readers can buy it. |
Service flags
Every service shows flags on the Services list and at the top of its detail page.
Service flags
| Flag |
Setting that controls it |
What it means |
| Live (green) or Disabled (red) |
Service Disabled |
Disabled turns the service off so readers can no longer buy or renew it. |
| Hidden (yellow) |
Hide from Public |
The service stays active and protected content stays protected, but readers can't see or sign up for it on your site. |
| Test (blue) |
Testing Mode |
Transactions are marked as tests and run through the payment handler's test processor; no money is charged. |
Which BLOX NXT service type should I use?
Choose the service type by what you want readers to get and how they'll qualify.
Choosing a service type
| Goal |
Service type |
| Sell digital subscriptions on your site |
Subscription |
| Give print subscribers online access from a list you upload |
Delimited Verification |
| Give everyone at a school, company, or partner organization access by email domain |
Domain |
| Offer free access, such as a registration tier |
Free |
| Share access with a sister publication's subscribers |
Linked Site |
| Sell subscriptions inside your iOS or Android app |
In-App Purchase |
| Sell subscriptions through Google |
Subscribe with Google |
| Give access to subscribers managed in your circulation system |
The matching integration: Brainworks, DSI, DTI, Falcon (Lee), Mediaspan, Newzware, or Vision Data |
Subscription, Delimited Verification, Domain, Free, and Linked Site are always available. In-App Purchase, Subscribe with Google, and the circulation integrations appear only when they're set up for your site; contact BLOX Digital support to set one up.
The Services list shows one row per service on your site, with the result count at the top right. Search by service name, type, or Service ID; use the filter icon inside the search box to narrow by type, status, or date created. Click a column header to sort, and click a row to open the service's detail page.
Services list columns
| Column |
What it shows |
| Icon |
The service type at a glance (dollar sign for Subscription, door for Free, people for Domain, and so on) |
| Service Title |
The service name; grayed out when the service is disabled |
| Flags |
Live (green) or Disabled (red), plus Test (blue) and Hidden (yellow) when on |
| Service Type |
The type's system name, such as subscription, free, domain, or delimited (Delimited Verification) |
| Active Subscribers |
Readers with current access, including those in a grace period |
| New Subscribers |
New subscriptions in the last 30 days |
| Stopped Subscribers |
Subscriptions that stopped, were canceled, or were disabled in the last 30 days |
| Payment Handler |
The processor the service charges through; blank when none is set |
| Service ID |
The service's unique number, referenced in notification emails, the data/feeds FTP directory, offers, and support requests |
Services created with retired legacy types, such as csv, still appear in the list and keep working for existing readers, but new services of those types can't be created in BLOX NXT.
Creating a new service in BLOX NXT
In Community > Services, click New and choose a service type.
Fill in the required fields (table below). Other settings start with defaults.
Click Create Service.
The Purchase Rates panel (Subscription services) and the File Upload panel (Delimited Verification services) appear only after the service is created.
Service type availability and requirements
| Service type |
Available |
Required to create |
| Subscription |
Always |
Name |
| Free |
Always |
Name |
| Delimited Verification |
Always |
Name and column mapping |
| Domain |
Always |
Name and at least one domain |
| Linked Site |
Always |
Name and the linked site |
Brainworks, DSI, DTI,
Falcon (Lee), In-App Purchase,
Mediaspan, Newzware,
Subscribe with Google, Vision Data |
When set up for your site |
Name and the integration's connection details |
How BLOX NXT Services connects to other areas
How other areas rely on Services
| Connected area |
How it relies on Services |
| Journeys and offers |
Offers point readers to a service and its purchase rates. A new purchase rate must be added to an offer in Journeys before readers can buy it. |
| Paywall checkout |
Readers buy Subscription services through your site's checkout: new card, stored payment (wallet), and Apple Pay. |
| Payment processing and sales tax |
Each Subscription service uses a payment handler, an optional PayPal handler, and your tax provider settings. |
| Circulation systems |
Circulation integration services hold connection details for your circulation system and keep access in sync with it. |
| Email notifications |
Each service sends its own reader and administrator emails, such as purchase receipts, renewal reminders, and expiration notices. |
| Email Reach |
Services can share reader data with Email Reach using a mapping profile. |
Permissions for BLOX NXT Services
Only users with the Edit services ability, or Subscription Full access, can create or change services and purchase rates. Abilities are assigned to BLOX user groups under the Subscription module. Managing individual subscribers and managing services are separate abilities, so a customer service rep can handle subscribers without being able to change pricing.
Group abilities for Services and subscribers
| Group ability |
Services |
Individual subscribers |
| Subscription > Full access |
Create and edit services and purchase rates; upload Delimited Verification files |
Full management |
| Subscription > Edit services |
Create, edit, and delete services and purchase rates; upload and process Delimited Verification files |
No access |
| Subscription > Edit subscriptions |
View only; the New and Create Service buttons are disabled |
Create, update, change rate, cancel, update payment, refund |
| Subscription > Create subscriptions (a sub-option of Edit subscriptions) |
View only |
Same as Edit subscriptions |
Users without Edit services see the New and Create Service buttons disabled, with the tooltip "Requires edit services permission."