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Recurring payments

For:Administrator

A subscription (or recurring payment) is an automatic commitment by a donor to contribute the same amount each month. Unisoft allows users to track their due dates and payments, with actions and notifications available depending on its platform.

The Recurring payments screen (/app/paiements/recurrent) is the control center for all subscriptions in your community.

What do you want to do?​

Understand a subscriptionThe concepts: parent subscription, child payments, automatic cycle.View my subscriptionsList, KPIs, status tabs, search, filter panel.View the details of a subscriptionSide panel: direct debit, billing, mandate, history.Create a subscriptionManually enter a subscription (card or direct debit).PauseTemporarily suspend automatic direct debits.Reactivate a subscriptionResume direct debits after a pause.Cancel permanentlyEnd a subscription (irreversible action).Manage an expired cardAutomatic detection, donor reminder, resumption.Send an update linkPersonalized link for the donor to change their card.Handle direct debit failuresFailure or dispute: verify the reason and prepare for resumption.Filter subscriptionsAdvanced filter panel (status, method, platform, amount).View generated paymentsHistory of direct debits attached to a subscription.Export subscriptionsExcel download for analysis, audit, accounting.Tax receiptsPer-debit receipt vs annual summary.Understand the statusesComplete reference of statuses (In progress, Manual intervention, etc.).Subscriptions and pledgesHonor a donation pledge with an automatic direct debit.Multi-reason subscriptionA single subscription split across several pledges.Bank feesUnderstand the fees auto-calculated by platform.Automatic notificationsTriggered emails (failure, expiration, interruption).

Before you start: the core idea​

A subscription has two sides:

SideDescriptionExample
The parent subscriptionThe initial commitment. Holds the monthly amount, the method (card or direct debit), the duration, the status."David Cohen, 50 €/month for 24 months, Visa card ****1234"
The child paymentsThe individual direct debits generated each month. Each has its own date, status, and possible tax receipt."50 € debited on May 15, 2026, success, tax receipt sent"

The Recurring payments screen displays the parent subscriptions. The Payments screen displays all one-off payments and child payments mixed together.

Module overview​

Subscriptions managed by Unisoft are processed automatically. Schedules handled by an external platform follow their own cycle. A transaction sent to the bank remains pending until it receives a response.

Check the dates and reasons on the record. The subscription concepts explain the difference between commitment, scheduled installment, and collection.

Overview of statuses​

StatusColorMeaningAction required
In progressGreenSubscription is activeMonitor deadlines and payments
Last paymentOrangeLast due date that needs to be checkedView the record
Payment failedRedAttempt failed; reason needs to be reviewedCheck the reason
Manual interventionRedManual action needed after failures or disputed direct debitContact the donor
Expired cardRedThe donor’s card has expiredSend an update link
PausedOrangeSuspended by an administrator (often after a refund)Reactivate when appropriate ]
CompletedVioletPlanned duration reached or subscription canceledRead-only; can be renewed

→ Full detail of each status

Supported payment methods​

For a subscription, only two methods are possible:

  • Bank card — via Stripe, PayGreen, PayPal, Cardcom, Authorize.net and several other platforms depending on your geographic area
  • Direct debit (SEPA, Bacs, ACH) — mostly via GoCardless

Other methods (check, cash, transfer, in kind) do not lend themselves to recurrence — they stay in the Payments module.

Typical cases to know​

SituationHow to respond
A donor wants to temporarily stop his/her withdrawalsPause it first, then reactivate it later
A donor wants to stop permanentlyCancel the subscription
His/her card has expiredSend an update link
His/her withdrawal has failed several timesStatus: Manual intervention: contact the donor
He/she changes banks (new IBAN)Cancel the old subscription and create a new one
You have refunded one of his/her withdrawalsUnisoft automatically suggests pausing it. See Refund a payment

Going further​