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Understand a subscription

Pour :Administrateur
Preview: Understand a subscription

Before using the module daily, it is useful to settle the vocabulary and mechanisms. This page explains the anatomy of a Unisoft subscription and the automatic cycle that drives it.

The core idea: parent and children​

A Unisoft subscription is made of two distinct but linked entities:

The parent subscription​

This is the donor's initial commitment. It carries all the stable information:

  • The donor (contact)
  • The monthly amount (in euros)
  • The payment method (bank card or direct debit)
  • The technical platform (Stripe, GoCardless, PayGreen…)
  • The reason (main cash register, donation pledge, campaign, fund, booklet, form)
  • The planned number of direct debits (0 = unlimited)
  • The possible cap (total amount not to be exceeded)
  • The creation date
  • The current status (In progress, Paused, Interrupted, Expired card, Completed)

The parent subscription no longer moves: its parameters are frozen at creation time (except the status, which evolves).

The child payments​

Each month, the parent subscription generates a child payment: it is the individual direct debit. Each child payment has:

  • Its date (day of the direct debit)
  • Its status (validated, in progress, refunded…)
  • Its net amount actually collected after fees
  • Its possible tax receipt

All child payments appear in the standard Payments module. They inherit the donor, reason and method from the parent.

Concrete example​

David Cohen subscribes to a 50 €/month subscription for a 600 € donation pledge:

The parent subscription holds the contract. The 12 child payments materialize each direct debit and each triggers its own tax receipt.

Frequency: monthly only in V1​

All Unisoft subscriptions operate at monthly frequency. If a donor wishes to pay quarterly or annually, two solutions:

Donor's wishUnisoft solution
Quarterly recurring donationMonthly subscription divided by 3 (e.g. 30 €/month instead of 90 €/quarter)
Annual recurring donationOne-off payment repeated each year (entered manually or via form)
Monthly payment on a pledgeMonthly subscription attached to the pledge

The automatic cycle (nightly task)​

Every night at midnight, Unisoft examines all In progress subscriptions and triggers the due direct debits. It is fully automatic: you have nothing to schedule.

The only cases that require your intervention:

  • The status switches to Expired card → the donor must update their card
  • The status switches to Interrupted → contact the donor to understand

Payment method: card or direct debit​

Only two methods are possible for a subscription:

Bank card​

The donor registers their card once, Unisoft charges it each month automatically. Typical platforms:

PlatformGeographic area
StripeInternational
PayGreenFrance
PayPalInternational (via PayPal subscription)
CardcomIsrael
Authorize.netUnited States, Canada
AxeptaGermany, Europe
Payme, HYPIsrael

Advantage: immediate setup, the donor pays on your site in a few seconds. Drawback: the card expires and has to be renewed every 3-4 years on average.

Direct debit (SEPA, Bacs, ACH)​

The donor signs a mandate authorizing direct debit on their bank account. Typical platforms:

PlatformGeographic area
GoCardlessEurope (SEPA), United Kingdom (Bacs)
Stripe SEPAEurope

Advantage: the mandate stays valid as long as the donor does not revoke it (no expiration). Ideal for long-term commitments. Drawback: longer setup (mandate verification within 2-5 days).

The rest: what is NOT a subscription​

To avoid any confusion, here is what is not managed as a subscription:

  • ❌ A monthly check brought every month by a donor → it is a series of manual one-off payments
  • ❌ A standing order set up on the donor's bank → same, one-off payments at the time of receipt
  • ❌ A recurring in-kind donation → not automatable
  • ❌ A payment in installments triggered on Stripe (2x, 3x, 4x) → it is not a subscription, it is an immediate split

For these cases, use the standard Payments module.

Going further​