How to create and configure subscription plans and discount coupons?

Hotmart offers a range of tools to help you sell subscription-based products, allowing you to create plans with different pricing, billing cycles, and even free trial periods. These features are perfect for anyone looking to expand their offerings and boost sales.

In this article, we’ll cover what subscription plans are, how to set them up, what a trial period entails, and how to create discount coupons for your plans.

If you haven’t created your subscription product yet, we recommend checking out this article for a complete step-by-step guide.

How to create a subscription plan

Subscription plans let you set billing terms and the amount subscribers pay at regular intervals. By configuring multiple plans, you can cater to different audiences, tailoring pricing and billing frequencies—weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.

❯ To create a subscription plan, follow the steps below:

1. Access your Hotmart account at  https://app.hotmart.com/.
2. On the side menu, click on  Products and then My Products..
3. Click on I’m a creator and select the subscription product you want to set up.
4. On the product dashboard, click on the  Pricing tab on the left side menu.
5. On the pricing screen, click the blue button  + New plan and fill in the fields.
   
   a. Plan information: Add name, description, currency, amount of each recurring payment, and payment frequency.
   b. Base price: Define the amount to be charged, the currency for international sales, and whether payment will be in full or in installments (option available for cycles of two weeks or more). In addition, define the billing method: until the customer cancels (charges will be applied until the customer decides to cancel the subscription) or define a maximum number of charges (after this limit, the subscription will be automatically canceled).
   c. Subscription recovery (optional): for annual subscriptions, you can enable this feature that helps recover declined payments.
   d. Trial period: if you want to offer a trial period to your subscribers, choose one of the methods:
   
   → Free Trial: the customer does not pay for the trial period, and the first charge occurs at the end of the defined period. Subsequent charges will always be made on the day of the first payment (made after the free trial).
   → Test-drive: the first charge happens after the end of the trial period, but subsequent payments are based on the date the customer signed up rather than the date of the first payment.
   
6. After setting up, click Save.

The new plan will be available on the Pricing tab of your product.

How to create discount coupons for a subscription plan

Offering discount coupons is a great way to encourage more customers to subscribe to your product. Here's how to create a coupon for your subscription plans:

1. Access your Hotmart account at  https://app.hotmart.com/.
2. On the side menu, click on  Products and then My Products..
3. Click on I’m a creator and select the subscription product you want to set up.
4. On the product dashboard, click on Coupons on the left-side menu.
5. On the coupons screen, click New coupon.
6. In Coupon information, fill in the fields:
   
   a. Coupon code: the code that the customer will use to activate the discount on the payment page.
   b. Description on the checkout page: the description of the discount offered.
   c. Coupon eligibility: choose for which recurring payments the discount will apply (e.g., only on the first charge or the first three)
   
7. In Type of discount, choose between percentage or fixed amount, defining the currency and whether you want automatic conversion for international sales.
8. In Discount plans, ochoose to use the coupon for all plans or a specific one. Also, define whether you want the coupon to be valid for trial periods or installment plans, if these features have already been configured in the subscription plan.
9. After filling in all the information, click Save. Your coupon will be ready to use on the checkout page.

If you need to change a coupon, go to the Coupons tab, click on the three dots next to the coupon in the Actions column, and select Edit. Make the desired changes and click Save.

How to find links for each plan and coupon to share with your audience

Each plan and coupon created generates a unique payment link that you can promote in your marketing campaigns or share with affiliates. To find these links, follow the steps:

1. On the product dashboard, click on Coupons.
2. Find your coupon or plan and click on the three-dot menu in the Actions column.
3. Click on Coupon link, and a pop-up will open with the payment link and the widget, in case you want to embed the link in an external page.

You can also create more links for your affiliates to promote with an alternative payment page. Learn how in this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

❯ How does subscription billing work?

The billing date will always be the same as the date the buyer signs up, except for plans offered with a free trial (where subsequent charges will always align with the date of the first payment made after the trial).
For example, in a quarterly subscription without a free trial purchased on January 1st, the next charge will be on April 1st. However, the subscriber can also change the charge date if they wish. To understand how subscription plans work from a buyer's perspective, you can check out this article.
Important: after five consecutive missed payments, the subscription will be automatically canceled.
If you need more information, access the Subscriptions and Recurring Payments section in our Help Center.

❯ How to offer a promotional price for the first few recurring payments?

This can be done by creating special coupons for a limited number of recurring payments, such as the first three charges. After that, the subscriber pays full price.
Don't forget to share the coupon link on your sales channels. Once the subscriber makes a purchase through this link, they will receive a discount for the number of recurring payments you’ve defined.

❯ How to edit or delete plans in my subscription?

If you need to edit or remove plans, you can do so directly from the Product Dashboard:

1. Access your Hotmart account at https://app.hotmart.com/.
2. On the side menu, click on Products and then My Products.
3. Click on I’m a creator and select the subscription product you want to set up.
4. On the product dashboard, click on the Pricing tab on the left side menu.
5. On the pricing screen, find the list of plans you’ve created and click on the three-dot menu, below the Actions column.
6. When you click on the three dots, select the Edit or Delete options.

Changes to a plan do not affect subscribers who are already on that plan. The changes will only apply to new sign-ups.

❯ What is the difference between the trial periods (Free Trial and Test Drive)?

A trial period allows subscribers to experience your content before committing to a paid subscription. When setting up a trial period, you can choose between two types:

• Free Trial: The first subscription charge occurs after the trial period you set, allowing the buyer to access the content at no cost during the trial. Subsequent charges will always align with the date of the first payment made after the trial.
• Test Drive: The initial charge takes place after the trial period you specify. However, subsequent payments are based on the date the customer signed up rather than the date of the first payment.

If you want to offer payment via boleto (bank slip payment) during the trial period, you'll need to include the parameter "showTrialBillet=true" in the checkout page link. Applicable for sales in Brazil.

❯ Can I offer the possibility to switch plans to my subscribers?

Yes, in Hotmart you can create different plans and let your customers choose between them. Whether it's for a more complete (upgrade) or a simpler plan (downgrade), changing plans is possible. Check out this article for more information.