Editorial Team

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! While economic pressures largely dictate consumer decisions and behaviors, subscription brands continue reinventing their offerings and increasing their value to accommodate their needs. In this edition, we review the latest strategies from leading companies as they seek to boost retention and how Walmart is set...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this edition, we review Apple’s iPad Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro launch and the Twitter Blue, Disney+, and Warner Bros Discovery earning reports from last quarter. Additionally, we dive deeper into the retention struggle that the food and subscription industry beverage industry suffers. ...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly–your one-stop newsletter for industry news! This one is all about the future of payments and how they can become a growth strategy for subscription businesses. We also review Mastercard’s plans to incorporate generative AI, TIME’s removal of its paywall, Finix’s launch as a payment processor,...

A new Subscriptions Weekly issue is here! This one is all about the importance of payments and personalization in customer retention strategies and how brands can increase their offered value to ensure growth in challenging economic times.  Understanding the importance of subscriptions for modern retailing Personalization, convenience, and cost-effectiveness have...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this edition, we review how subscription brands can avoid becoming non-essential–and share 35 tips from marketing experts. We dive deeper into the U.S. consumer habits for video streaming, share news from Netflix and Snapchat’s quarterly earnings, and check on Apple’s new feature for in-app...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this issue, we review why subscription companies must pivot to retention strategies for the rest of 2023 and how they can turn payments into strategic assets. We also dive deeper into Max’s new branding and YouTube and Twitter Blue benefits to subscribers. As the...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this edition, we review how subscription business models help prepare DTC brands for a recession. We check Harvard Business Review’s latest survey on social media subscription sentiment, Twitter Blue’s recent feature release, and Kobo’s new subscription plan in the U.S. How subscription models help...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this edition, we review credit card spending from 2022 and how flexible payment options–like digital wallets and Buy Now, Pay Later features– contribute to its rise. We check on the new Apple Pay Later solution, the upcoming changes in the Twitter Blue subscription, and...

Welcome back to the best monthly newsletter for subscription content in Europe. In this issue, we discover the total cost Brits spend on subscription services and dive deeper into Findmypast’s digital transformation with Recurly.  We ask ourselves, how far can AI go in the music industry or fighting payment fraud?...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this issue, we review millennial consumer preferences and how subscription businesses can find growth opportunities in payments. We check the FTC’s new proposal for easy subscription cancelations and The New York Times’ successful retention strategy. Lastly, we share updates from Meta, Subway, and Paramount+....

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly–a recap of the most relevant industry content. This time, we review the importance of finance solutions and fraud management for subscription businesses and how you can find growth opportunities in payments. Additionally, we check on GPT-4 updates and new products with Duolingo and Quora.  Tough...

Grab a coffee and take a moment to read what’s going on in the fascinating world of subscriptions. In this edition, we dive deeper into the acquisition and retention challenges companies face in the minds of recession–and how to face them. Additionally, we check on the record-breaking BJ’s Wholesale Club...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! Insights, news, and great content from the subscription industry–all in one place.  In this issue, we review the payment and growth strategies subscription businesses must follow to scale in 2023. We check on the Q4 2022 earnings from Amazon Prime and Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix’s...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Monthly in Europe! For the February issue, we’ll recap our latest event, How to accelerate subscriber growth & revenue in 2023, and the CFO considerations when migrating to a subscription model. Additionally, we’ll check on news from Schibsted and Movs’ subscriptions, and Amazon’s new cashier-less...

Welcome to Subscriptions Weekly. This time, we talk about how businesses around the world are adopting subscriptions–and how companies and consumers benefit from them. We also check on Canva’s new plan for higher education institutions and FuboTV’s Q4 2022 earnings report.  How global companies are adopting subscriptions It’s no surprise...

Start the long weekend with your weekly dose of subscription news. In this issue, we dive deeper into why subscriptions are key to driving and maintaining loyalty amid challenging economic times. Additionally, we review the steady projected growth of online grocery and the new pricing for the Paramount+ with Showtime...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly. In this edition, we dive deeper into Q4 2022 earnings for major streaming brands and where they stand. We’ll review OpenAI’s new ChatGPT subscription and Twitter Blue’s updates on global expansion, verification checkmarks, and 4000-character limit tweets. Disney+ streaming boom comes to an end Last...

Happy Friday, welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this edition, we review why subscription brands are making it easier for consumers to cancel, the decrease of video streaming subscribers and increase of audio streaming users, how brands will approach customer loyalty in 2023, and what questions CFOs should ask when...

You’re reading the latest edition of Subscriptions Weekly; you’ve started the weekend on the right foot.  In this issue, we’ll learn more about scaling subscriptions and what makes digital payments the future of subscriptions. We’ll review Amazon’s new prescriptions subscription, Peacock’s Q4 2022 results, Twitter Blue’s upcoming ad-free...

Led by Recurly’s CEO Dan Burkhart, CMO Theresa McEndree, and Director of Business Intelligence Brian Grier, the 2023 State of Subscriptions webinar unveils the biggest, most impactful findings in the subscription industry from the past year. With these discoveries, our in-house subscription experts have predicted the year to come:...

Happy Subscriptions Weekly day! In this edition, we dive deeper into the strategies for managing subscriptions this year and how real-time payments will bring businesses a competitive advantage. We review the latest updates from HBO Max, Netflix, and Amazon, and Hinge’s test for a premium subscription.  7 strategies for managing...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! Where all Fridays feel like a lucky day. Start the day with the latest subscription industry news. In this edition, we review Amazon’s Buy with Prime benefits for customers, HBO Max’s new prices for its ad-free plan in the U.S., and the Twitter blue launch...

We’re back from the holidays, ready to give you the latest updates in the subscription industry!  The first Subscriptions Weekly of the year dives deeper into strategy and trends for 2023: the evolution of app monetization, the effect of subscriptions in holiday gifting, how streaming giants are fighting the cost-of-living...

Welcome to the last Subscriptions Weekly of 2022. We’re closing the year with news from the streaming, SaaS, and subscription apps industry.  Continue reading to get insights on ad-backed tiers for subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), the consumption-based pricing proposal for software platforms, alternative app stores for iPhone, and updates on Apple’s...

It’s Friday; we’re back! This Subscriptions Weekly edition reviews Twitter Blue’s relaunch and how streaming brands can combat churn with long-running shows. We dive deeper into Amazon’s new in-app feature for social commerce, Verizon’s subscription aggregator, and App Store’s pricing structure updates.  Twitter Blue is back with a new verification...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly–your favorite newsletter for industry news! In this edition, we look back at the Cyber Weekend impact, how streamers compare in subscribers and revenue, and how brands can build loyalty through subscriptions. We share a quick dive into Netflix’s ad play and Apple Music’s new karaoke...

The holidays brought exciting subscription news–especially for Discord users. In this Subscriptions Weekly, we dive deeper into Discord’s new server subscription program, Netflix’s Preview Club expansion, new subscription plans from Kyte and Almond, The Washington Post’s recent interactive feature, and the convenience of digital wallets. Discord now lets more users...

Start the holidays with the latest industry news–Subscriptions Weekly arrived early this week! In this edition, we review Paramount+’s sign-ups record, why gift cards are the stars of the holiday season, and Daylight’s, Frontier Airlines’, and Mercedes-Benz’s new subscription plans.  Tulsa King gets Paramount+ new sign-ups record Paramount+ has announced...

We’re back with another Subscriptions Weekly issue! This time, we review the decline in sales for electronic gadgets and why Twitter paused its paid verification service. We dive deeper into Apple TV’s new MLS Season Pass, Netflix’s recent feature launch for managing account access, and Denny’s new breakfast subscription. Predicted...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! We’re preparing for the holidays with price changes, benefits, and promotions. In this edition, Disney+ gets a price hike, Walmart+ builds up pre-Black Friday shopping fever, and Amazon Prime adds more perks for users. Twitter hints at adding payments within its platform, and Spotify starts...

Are you a subscription enthusiast? You’re not alone! Welcome to Subscriptions Weekly. In this edition, we review the latest earning reports from global brands, discuss Twitter Blue’s updates, and share how subscription companies can prepare for the end-of-2022-start-of-2023 season.  The Q3 aftermath: the winners, the losers, and the surprises Subscription...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly–your one-stop newsletter for industry news! In this edition, we dive deeper into ad spend forecasts and how marketers for global brands are fighting uncertainty. Check out new pricing for Apple’s subscription offerings, Spotify’s Q3 growth report, Lyft’s monthly plan relaunch, and Amazon’s partnership with Venmo....

One thing’s for sure with subscriptions: something is always happening. This week, we talk about the subscription billing management growth projection. Netflix’s bounce back from subscription and revenue loss and new features from Snapchat+, Discord, Verizon, and Walmart. The new Amazon insurance store and Uber Eat offerings in the UK,...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this edition, we dive deeper into subscriber preferences and digital payments.  Americans put streaming over groceries on spending, will they flock to Netflix’s new ad-supported tier? Morgan Stanley has valued Walmart+ membership at $45 billion–savings on fuel contribute to this. FTX, Visa, Coinbase, and...

This Subscription Weekly edition covers the new Amazon Access discount hub, Telegram pricing discount in India, and YouTube’s attempt to push its premium tier to watch 4K videos. A new WEX launches a digital wallet for small and medium-sized businesses. Mastercard partners with Inswitch to offer payment solutions in Latin...

Fall has arrived, and so have the retail holiday sales! This Subscriptions Weekly edition is all about Amazon, Target, Sephora, and P.F. Chang’s new offers in the U.S., plus Taiwan’s first iPhone subscription plan. And we dive deeper into the complexities of digital payments and how they’re shaping the future...

Subscriptions never stop, especially in the Digital Media and Entertainment industry. This week, Twitch has unveiled its new standard revenue share agreement, and Prime Video breaks a new prime-time audience record with Thursday Night Football. The New York Times continues to scale in subscription revenue, and Apple struggles to create...

This week, a lot is going on in the Digital Media and Entertainment subscription space. Warner Brothers, Spotify, and MoviePass have news to share about their subscriber growth and new offerings. Twitter is also rolling out some new features, and Amazon Prime raises prices in the UK for the first...

Welcome back to your favorite newsletter, Subscriptions Weekly. This week has been interesting for Disney+, which delighted its subscribers with promotions, discounts, and a presumed upcoming loyalty program.  In the world of payments, Android app developers in more countries can now opt to offer third-party payments on Google Play. Lastly,...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! It’s been busy days for subscription businesses, especially in streaming: Paramount+ and Showtime are bundling in-app, Netflix hints at its ad-supported plan price, and Apple Podcast reveals a 300% growth in subscribers.  At the same time, Twitter is set to enable an edit button on...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly–your one-stop newsletter for industry news. This edition covers Walmart’s new perks for subscribers, MoviePass beta relaunch, Subway’s footlong subscription, and PayPal’s new service for charity organizations.  Walmart+ adds new benefits to boost non-grocery shopping We’ve seen Walmart revamp its subscription service with extra perks for...

As another week passes, a new Subscriptions Weekly edition comes! This issue dives into TV viewership in the United States, how Walmart expands to streaming with Paramount+, and Uber’s reward program changes. On the payments side, Mastercard faces retailer pushback over Installment Payments Service.  Streaming viewership surpasses cable in the...

Scentbird is a U.S.-based subscription service for perfumes and colognes. This niche box-of-the-month offers subscribers eight different scents of their choice every month, and as Andrei Rebrov, CTO of Scentbird, puts it: “Everything is very simple, but the devil is in the details. What are the special payment-related features of...

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This edition is all about streaming services – the leaders, their offerings, and retention strategies.  Disney+ increases prices, continues to grow subscribers  Disney+ sets on the lead with subscribers, adding 14.4 million users during Q2. To capitalize on growth, the streaming service will raise its...

This week, the U.S. Congress introduced a bill for credit card legislation, and streaming brands face the reality of inflation. The soon-to-be-launched Paramount+ channel on Roku has sports fans excited, and Xbox’s testing tier has the same effect on gamers. Lastly, Japanese drivers could enjoy a new Nissan electric car...

This Subscription Weekly covers trends in subscription models and digital payments, the new NFL and Tesla subscription services, and Amazon price changes in Europe. Subscriber growth by Spotify and T-Mobile, Visa’s Q3 revenue increase, and an overview of the UK’s adspend recovery.  Coming up: Micro-subscriptions Recurring revenue companies are shaking...

Customers canceling subscriptions are among the lesser desired situations for any subscription business. Contrary to what it may sound, providing an excellent cancellation experience fuels strong subscriber retention outcomes.  This article covers why cancellation journeys are crucial in subscription models, along with some best practices for a stellar cancellation...

Consumer re-prioritization is making both brands and customers reimagine the value of subscriptions. This Subscriptions Weekly edition covers everything from new offerings and alliances to how inflation and content drive subscription spending in the U.S. Netflix: lost subscribers, ad-backed tiers & shared accounts It’s been a hectic week for the...

Recurring payments form the lifeblood of subscription commerce. Therefore, subscription renewals are critical to driving stable revenue growth and profitability. Any friction during renewals trickles down to the bottom line, making these journeys crucial. This article discusses some of the best practices to incorporate for a seamless subscription renewal...

New subscription offerings are here and on their way: Netflix is working on an ad-supported plan with Microsoft, BMW launches a new heated seat subscription feature, Zygg e-bike service takes over Metro Vancouver, and Instagram continues to enhance its subscription beta testing. Despite unexpected June inflation, Amazon Prime Day boosts...

This is an exciting week for the retail subscription industry with Walmart+ introducing a new InHome add-on and Prime users get to enjoy a free Grubhub membership. Amazon makes it easy for EU members to cancel their subscriptions, Nintendo launches a brand new Switch repair subscription plan, and Apple enables...

This week Snapchat, Fairphone, and TelevisaUnivision announce new subscription plans, Apple refreshes its subscription management interface for a better experience, and The World Bank reveals its latest insights about digital payment use globally.  Snap officially introduces Snapchat+ The wait is over–Snapchat+ is here. Snapchatters can now enjoy a collection of...

As subscription commerce thrives on the recurring revenue model, ensuring the continuity and growth of subscribers forms the heartbeat of successful businesses in this industry. Acquiring new customers is always attractive, but retaining existing customers costs less and is a solid business objective to pursue.   Statistically, companies across the...

This week, Netflix confirms its new ad-backed tier while Zoom launches a new packaging offering, and Alo Yoga enables cryptocurrency payments. Netflix confirms new ad-supported service Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, has confirmed that the company is working to include a new, cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier to their catalog by the...

Consumer demands change constantly, and you need to be one step ahead. Built with your revenue goals in mind and the most innovative subscription management and billing technology, Recurly makes scalability possible with a lightweight API that emphasizes ease of integration and a faster time-to-value.  What exactly can you do...

A big week for the subscription industry: PipeCandy and Rodeo forecast that 75% of DTC brands may offer subscriptions by 2023. Telegram and Snapchat are working on paid subscription plans, while Instacart and PlayStation delight their customers with innovative services. 75% of DTC brands may offer subscriptions by next year...

If you bill on a recurring basis, you likely already know the importance of tracking Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). Recurly calculates this all-important subscription metric for your business as part of our Analytics offerings. While the MRR Analytics Report is the most viewed report in our product, it’s also...

Each year, the end of November marks the beginning of a slew of deals as consumers gear up to shop for the holiday season. Cyber Monday is particularly notable and has become the dominant day for eCommerce purchases and activity. Shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on 2020’s Cyber Monday,...

Recurly sees no end in sight for pay-as-you-go subscription models. See our press release below. Recurly to Exceed $10 Billion in Transaction Payment Volume as Pay-As-You-Go Subscription Models Accelerate Consumer and Business Behavioral Shifts Unlock New Revenue Streams for Subscription Companies; Recurly Now Cash-Flow Positive SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2021 -- 

Last week, we discussed how a well-thought-out payments strategy can fuel growth for subscription business. Today, we're thrilled to announce some major advancements for the Recurly platform that will help merchants put together an even more comprehensive payments strategy. Our press release is below. Recurly launches Wallet in a...

Involuntary churn strikes fear in the hearts of subscription businesses everywhere, and for good reason: over half of all churn is involuntary. And considering the fact that acquiring new customers costs 5 times more than retaining an existing one, nipping involuntary churn in the bud is critical for subscription businesses. ...

Subscription merchants remain well-positioned for pandemic lockdown living, and 2020 subscription rates are a testament to that fact. As we head into 2021, subscription businesses now face the task of retaining COVID-era subscribers as people separate needs from wants in the aftermath. In PYMNTS’ Subscription Commerce Tracker®, done in...

Userlike, based in Cologne, Germany, offers professional live chat software to help its customers raise conversion rates, promote customer loyalty, reduce churn, and pinpoint areas for improvement.  Userlike wanted to maintain its lean business model, but at the same time, recognized the importance of partnering with a reliable subscription...

While our love for wine goes back thousands of years, today’s wineries and their clients need modern solutions. WineDirect is the grapevine connecting winemakers and consumers. The company provides an end-to-end solution for over 1,800 wineries worldwide, big and small, to sell wine directly to end consumers. This DTC business...

Spoiling man’s best friend just got a lot easier, all thanks to BARK’s decision to partner with Recurly. BARK, the dog enthusiasts responsible for BarkBox, are leading the pack in subscription business. And they’re doing so by opting for the best technology to optimize their recurring payments and plans...

In 2020, we’ve seen a remarkable period of transition. According to some estimates, the COVID-19 pandemic will mean “most major economies will lose at least 2.4% of the value of their gross domestic product) throughout 2020.” In the U.S. alone, that equates to some $3.5 trillion dollars lost—just like that....

If you’re wondering if recurring payments and subscription billing are right for your business, consider this: How often do you think of your business as a one-off sale?  Hopefully never. Sustainable business owners can recognize the difference between making a sale and building ongoing relationships with customers. What’s the difference? ...

At Recurly, we're always working behind the scenes to provide a better user experience for our merchants. Sometimes that comes in the form of a new product or feature release and other times, it comes in the form of a bug fix or an improvement to an existing product or feature....

The disruptive force of the COVID-19 pandemic generated 17 million U.S. unemployment claims by mid-April, with the unemployment rate hovering near 15 percent — the highest since WWII. Record-setting workforce displacement and sluggish government response has left tens of millions of people virtually without funds and having to decide between...

Freemium has become a massively popular business model in SaaS in the last few years. While it can look like the secret ingredient to success for many businesses, it doesn’t work for everyone.  In this post, we’ll share how the team at Qwilr tried freemium, what happened, and what they...

We’re excited to announce that as of today our API v3 PHP Client is now LIVE! Our API v3 went GA in October of 2019 and was immediately embraced by our user base. Now, significant chunks of our overall API traffic is migrating over to the new API v3, as currently...

The subscription model has proven to be ideal for our digital, customer-centric economy, offering sustainable recurring revenue, improved customer loyalty, plus a wealth of data to enable data-driven insights. But, as consumer preferences and buying behaviors continue to shift, subscription businesses must evolve to remain competitive or risk losing significant...

In addition to being highly successful, innovative subscription businesses, what is another thing that BarkBox, FabFitFun, and Speedo all have in common? Answer: they all combine subscriptions with one-time offerings. This is called “hybrid commerce,” and it refers to businesses that have both a recurring line-of-business and sell one-time items. Regardless of whether...

UPDATE 3/2/20: Zendesk Relate Miami Cancelled Recurly is headed to sunny Miami Beach, Florida to attend Zendesk Relate. If you haven’t heard of it, Zendesk Relate is Zendesk’s global user conference, but it’s not just a conference—it’s a three-day journey that explores the entire customer experience that runs from March...

In a previous blog post, we’ve described the ground-breaking data science work spearheaded by Recurly’s data science team. Since that previous post, we’ve conducted various cutting-edge research projects to address our customers’ needs for data insights. One interesting project uses time series forecasting to predict future subscription volume and MRR...

We are excited to head to eTail West February 24 -27, 2020. eTail is a well-known eCommerce and omnichannel retail conference.  Join us in sunny Palm Springs to learn how Recurly powers recurring billing for leading brands like FabFitFun, BarkBox, Twitch, and Sling. There are multiple ways to interact with us during...

The realm of payments encompasses a wide range of topics, from fraud and cross-border payments to artificial intelligence, mobile wallets, and compliance. Savvy subscription businesses realize that the payment process is a key element in maximizing their revenue. In fact, how well a business is able to optimize payments can be...

Software as a Service—also known as the SaaS model—was one of the earliest adopters of the subscription model concept. There are, of course, a multitude of compelling, strategic reasons to adopt a subscription model based on access rather than ownership: more predictable recurring revenue streams (and compounding revenue); improved subscriber...

Output is an LA-based company that develops innovative software products for musicians, composers, producers, and sound designers. The company’s focus is simple: groundbreaking concepts, new sounds, and new sources of inspiration. Output’s customers access different software products either via a monthly subscription or by purchasing a perpetual license. But, with...

One of the significant benefits of subscription commerce is the amount of data and related insights this model generates compared to one-time purchases. New data related to marketing, payments, and customer lifecycle events is generated regularly, at each new billing cycle. This data is invaluable for gaining insights and making...

One of the key benefits of Recurly is the ability to collect and tokenize a subscriber’s payment information. Hosted Fields, included with Recurly.js, have historically been the primary mechanisms used to accomplish this as they provide a secure way to capture payment information without ever exposing it to our customers’ systems,...

Recurly now supports a React interface for Recurly.js. React has enabled teams to build dynamic UIs quickly and effectively, and has proven itself time and time again in demanding systems. We are excited to provide official support for React, enabling you to fit it into your customer experiences seamlessly. With Recurly.js and 

For some time now, Recurly has supported Subscription Pricing, a feature of Recurly.js designed to make it quick and easy for our merchants to display detailed subscription pricing information to their subscribers. This feature provides the ability to include any of your subscription plans, as well as a coupon code, add-ons,...

The new year is a time of new beginnings, and subscription businesses should take this opportunity to reexamine their strategies for combating CNP fraud.  Whether accepting orders that are fraudulent (which often results in chargebacks) or denying legitimate orders on the mistaken belief that they may be fraudulent, merchants stand...

As we approach the end of the year and look forward to the next, Recurly would like to take this opportunity to send our customers, partners, and friends our best wishes for a happy, healthy, and productive 2020. Recurly had another busy year, launching several new, innovative features, including gateway...

We all know that the holidays are a time of gift-giving—with Black Friday and Cyber Monday being two of the busiest days of the year for both brick-and-mortar and online sales. But there’s another kind of giving that’s promoted during the holidays, one that doesn’t have anything to do with shopping....

Many key business processes today are run on a suite of SaaS business applications. From marketing automation to inventory management to accounting, best-in-breed applications have permeated even the stodgiest of industries. While these applications have created tremendous efficiencies, it’s critical to ensure that each application is using comprehensive, up-to-date data....

Recently, we wrote about the trends expected this holiday shopping season. We discussed tips and best practices related to gift subscriptions, coupons, and free trials which can be very effective tactics that subscription businesses can use to acquire new subscribers during this most wonderful time of the year.  But what...

Most CFOs would agree, there's a lot to like about subscriptions - from predictable, compounding revenue to deep, long-term customer relationships. However, nothing jeopardizes subscription profits faster than involuntary churn due to failed payments. In this webcast, you’ll learn how leading finance executives are leveraging the latest in machine...

Last week, Recurly was a sponsor at the first annual SUBSCRIPTION SHOW, hosted by Subscription Insider and held in the beautiful if chilly downtown Boston. The show featured presentations and panels from some of the top in the industry including Worldpay, JPMorgan Chase, the NBA, A+E Networks, Sirius, Marvel, and Intuit, along...

That time of year is approaching, when sleigh bells are rung, dreidels spun—and retailers look forward to making their revenue numbers for the year.  For retailers and shoppers alike, the holiday season officially kicks off on Black Friday followed by Cyber Monday, an even more popular shopping day. Last year, 67...

Recurly is pleased to announce a new partnership with GoCardless, the leading global fintech for recurring payments, which will allow our customers to provide additional payment options to their subscribers and prospects. These new bank debit options include SEPA (Eurozone) and Bacs (UK), along with ACH (USA). More than 30%...

Hello fellow subscription billing enthusiasts! It is my pleasure to share with you fantastic news of Recurly's API v3. The API is now available to everyone! Read on for a brief history of the API, its newest features, and links to our new Developer Portal and client libraries! Recurly API...

Recurly is heading to Chicago in a few weeks to attend Recur, powered by the Subscription Trade Association. In its second year, Recur is a leading direct-to-consumer conference dedicated to subscription commerce. The conference is a great opportunity for subscription box, eCommerce, membership, media, digital, and SaaS subscription businesses to learn from...

According to McKinsey, subscription e-commerce has grown 100% a year over the last five years. Savvy e-commerce companies are taking full advantage of the subscription model—predictable revenue and deep customer relationships—to gain a competitive advantage and accelerate growth. You too can capitalize on this incredible growth by adding subscriptions as a...

At Recurly, Christmas is arriving early this year and the winds of change are in the air.  Specifically, we are pleased to announce the imminent launch of Recurly API version 3, a next-generation API built upon Open API 3, and featuring JSON as the first class transfer format. Additionally, we...

Subscription businesses, like any other business, need to continually attract new customers—and of course, keep their existing customers happy. When businesses exceed all expectations, they may find themselves lauded in the trade press over these results, as AMC Theaters and Spotify were recently. AMC’s Stubs A-List movie ticket subscription service reported...

Updated November 2020 with new enforcement dates Is your business ready for PSD2? December 31, 2020 (September 14, 2021 in the UK only), the answer to this question will determine your ability to accept online payments in the European Economic Area (EEA). The new PSD2 regulation is an effort to...

Much of our previous content, such as our most recent PSD2 blog and our SCA Integration Guide, has focused on Customer Initiated Transactions (CITs), which occur when the customer is “in-session” or otherwise present during the transaction flow. In the subscription commerce world, CIT comes into play when someone first signs...

In a previous blog post, we outlined how Recurly uses machine learning in our Revenue Optimization Engine to predict transaction success and maximize your revenue. This unique Recurly technology is an example of how machine learning, if handled correctly, can be a powerful tool for preventing involuntary churn.  At Recurly,...

Updated November 2020 with new enforcement dates In this blog post, we’ll dive more deeply into the mechanics of 3-D Secure (3DS2) and Strong Customer Authorization (SCA), the two main—and related—requirements of the new PSD2 regulation. We’ll discuss the various parties and their interactions in order to provide higher-level context into...

SubSummit 2019 in New Orleans has just wrapped up, and the attendees from Recurly had a blast meeting with industry partners and prospective clients. Chief of Staff Emma Clark led a discussion on “Subscription Benchmarks,” and the team even found a little time to explore the Big Easy. Over the...

Did you know that 15% of online shoppers have signed up for one or more subscription services? Or that the subscription e-commerce market has grown by more than 100% every year over the past five years? In fact, this market generated more than $2.6 billion in sales recently, and 2019...

Please note: This blog has been updated to reflect that Recurly’s API v2.6 will sunset rather than reach end of life. The text below has been updated to reflect this change.  In March, we discussed how Recurly approaches the maintenance of our API, including changes, updates, performance improvements and other essentials...

Updated November 2020 with new enforcement dates and link to 3DS 2.0 Integration Guide As discussed in a previous blog on this topic, the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) is a new European Economic Area (EEA) regulation which will go into effect on December 31, 2020 (enforcement by the...

Boulder Startup Week (BSW) is in its 10th year. This free, five-day event celebrates the unique startup community in Boulder, Colorado. It’s also a celebration of entrepreneurship and a way to support a common goal: to imagine and bring to life exciting, valuable, and successful companies. This year’s event will...

On Wednesday evening of last week, Silicon Valley Bank hosted a lively meetup with Recurly at the Bank’s San Francisco office. The event was attended by a highly-engaged group of subscription commerce companies gathered to discuss best practices and the growth of the hybrid model.

We’ve all been there: waiting in line at the grocery store with one item behind someone with twenty. It’s frustrating. The checkout process in e-commerce can be frustrating too, and subscription businesses should do all they can to optimize and streamline this process for their subscribers. Why? Because eliminating friction...

Although the Ruby on Rails framework has been around since the mid 2000’s, it’s never ceased to evolve, develop, and mature. Recurly’s use of this technology is no different. Since 2010 and Rails 2.3.2 we've made great use of David Heinemeier Hansson's baby by putting it through its paces. Planet...

Subscription commerce is booming. Savvy companies are reaping the rewards: high rates of predictable, recurring revenue combined with a competitive and sustainable business model. Join Recurly and our partner Silicon Valley Bank for a discussion on the latest evolution in subscriptions: hybrid commerce. Discover innovative ways to test and deliver new...

Tailor Brands was founded on the belief that powerful branding should be accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level, background in design, or budget size. The company describes its platform as the world’s first automated branding agency—providing AI-software that creates unique brand identities and elements on the spot. Based in...

In today’s fast-moving world, software platforms are in a constant state of evolution, and their associated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) must move along in lock step. Changes and updates often include the launch of new features, in addition to squashed bugs, performance improvements, and security enhancements. As such, it is...

Every business competing in the market today seeks a competitive edge, and one way that subscription businesses gain this edge is by offering multiple payment options. Letting subscribers use their preferred payment method can increase conversions. And preferences differ. In the US and Canada, credit cards dominate ecommerce, but purchasers...

The competition is coming. By 2020, eighty percent of SaaS players will move to a subscription-based model, which means your success strategies have to evolve—and that includes the all-important fundamental: how your subscriptions are structured. Your subscription pricing and plan structure have a profound impact on subscriber acquisition and retention. Do you...

Last week, 12,500+ SaaS executives, founders, and venture capitalists came together for the SaaStr Annual 2019 event, the largest non-vendor SaaS conference on the planet. This year, we had a crew of Recurlians who attended, including myself. There were many noteworthy moments during the event. From a Technical Sales Engineer perspective, it...

Recently, Recurly’s Product, Engineering, and Design teams got together to take a fresh look at the Recurly app and consider what changes might delight our customers. Because we know that human beings enjoy having options, we now offer our customers the option to change the sidebar color of their Recurly...

Subscription businesses in the B2B realm may have subscribers which are organized into different business entities—for example, a business with multiple locations, an enterprise with multiple business units, or a conglomerate with multiple subsidiaries. In order to bill these subscribers efficiently and accurately, they need to be able to define...

Updated November 2020 with new enforcement dates This blog will help Recurly customers understand the new PSD2 regulation, how it impacts them, and what they need to do to prepare. What does PSD2 require and when does it go into effect? PSD2 stands for Payment Services Directive 2 and is...

In today’s ever-evolving subscription commerce landscape, businesses must meet their subscribers’ present needs while also planning for how they will respond to future changes in the marketplace. The most successful businesses are those that have the flexibility to innovate, with solutions that are efficient and scalable. Another advantage is to...

Today’s businesses have access to a wealth of data that can help inform their decision-making. At the same time, to be useful, this abundance of data must be both accurate and accessible across disparate, disconnected systems. To address this need, Recurly offers custom data fields which can connect data across...

Industry analysts have predicted that by 2020, all new software businesses and 80% of historical vendors will offer a subscription option. “What began as a trickle a few years ago has become a stampede of vendors wanting to make a move to a subscription business model,” remarks their analyst.   The...

We are excited to announce that Recurly’s Colorado team has moved to a new location in downtown Boulder, just three blocks from well-known Pearl Street. We spent the previous three years in a building right across the way from our new location. Our old office served us well, and we...

Industry experts predict that by 2020, all new entrants and 80% of historical vendors will offer subscription-based business models. Savvy companies are reaping the rewards of subscriptions: high recurring revenue that’s predictable, combined with a competitive and sustainable business model. For CFOs charged with adding the subscription model to an...

If you’re an e-commerce business, two of the most dreaded words you’ll hear are “card declined.” When a credit (or debit) card is declined, the sale can’t go through and you don’t earn that revenue. If you’re a subscription business processing a recurring payment, a declined card can also result...

The best things in life are free, or so the saying goes. In subscription commerce, free trial subscriptions are a proven customer acquisition tool. By letting prospective subscribers sample your product or service, they can experience your offering before deciding whether or not to subscribe. Offering free trials is particularly...

To be successful, subscription businesses need to retain subscribers and continually attract new ones. This is true for both the smallest startup and the largest enterprise. Recurly provides a number of tools to support our customers’ efforts to gain new subscribers. Use coupons to increase your subscriber base Everyone loves...

The subscription model is booming. Subscription commerce grew more than 100 percent each year between 2011 and 2016, and the growth continues. Savvy companies are reaping the rewards: high recurring revenue that’s predictable paired with a competitive and sustainable business model. The potential ROI for global expansion is wide open,...

The subscription box segment was an early winner in subscription commerce. Whether based on a carefully curated selection of goods or the regular receipt of necessary consumables, subscription boxes have become an enduring success story. But what you put inside your box is only one piece of the puzzle. To...

Increasingly, subscription businesses seeking to expand are pursuing a global strategy. But to do this effectively, these businesses need to make sure they have the right subscription management platform.   Capabilities to improve conversion at checkout such as support for multiple international currencies and payment options are vital. Your business will...

Subscription businesses benefit from having the flexibility to create different plans and pricing structures to meet market needs. Subscription businesses also need the flexibility to offer billing intervals that may differ from the plan length.   For example, perhaps your business offers both monthly and annual plans, and the latter...

Recurly is excited to announce that our subscription management platform is now fully integrated with Vertex, a leading provider of tax technology and services. Vertex provides comprehensive, up-to-date global tax rates, calculating and adding the correct tax to global e-commerce transactions through their Vertex O Series solution. With Vertex, Recurly customers...

The popularity of subscription boxes has been a boon to subscription commerce. But this popularity can be a double-edged sword. While recipients may love their different boxes filled with delightfully curated products or regularly needed essentials, sometimes this becomes too much of a good thing. Subscription box fatigue can happen...

Subscription commerce continues to expand rapidly across different industries, and card networks naturally want to stay ahead of market trends to provide the best experience. As a result, card networks like Visa and Mastercard periodically update their rules and regulations and release new requirements. One of the announcements came from...

Recurly recently presented a webinar entitled “Scaling Subscription Billing: A Guide to Streamlining Financial Operations” which received a terrific response from the attendees. This response prompted us to publish this recap along with a link to the recorded webinar for those who missed the live webinar last week. This webinar,...

These days, any e-commerce offering has international potential: if customers from other nations are able to complete their purchase, the business is operating “globally.” But there’s much more that a subscription business can and should do to foster and grow its international market. Supporting international currencies and payment methods, and...

On the surface, subscription billing may appear straightforward: just bill the same amount each billing cycle. The reality is that the subscriber lifecycle can involve a number of complex billing scenarios such as upgrades, downgrades, adding or removing additional products, changing quantities, or any combination of these billing events—each of...

The European Union has released a new compliance standard titled the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which will go into effect on May 25, 2018. It imposes new rules and regulations regarding data privacy that impact all subscription businesses using Recurly which operate in the EU, along with US-based merchants with...

In either fixed or indefinite pause scenarios, you have the option to resume subscriptions  manually before the end of the pause term, at the subscriber’s request. Streamlined billing When subscribers request to pause their subscription, the subscription remains active until they reach the end of their current billing period, at which...

The best way to learn about subscription billing best practices are from some of the people who helped establish them. SUBCOM provides that opportunity. I had the great fortune to hear about various subscription challenges and their clever solutions from folks who work at Rent the Runway, Pandora, ZipCar, Adobe, Match.com,...

Churn is a key metric in subscription commerce, tracked closely by the most specialized Box of the Month businesses to multi-million-dollar enterprise SaaS companies. This is because even slight differences in churn rates can have a significant impact on revenue growth. Understanding how to minimize churn and increase subscriber retention...

A few months ago, we laid out Recurly’s approach to optimizing subscription billing using machine learning. Today, we have a follow-up with more details about our approach, answers to common questions, and discussion about the improvements we’re gaining for our customers. When we set out to improve our invoice...

Subscription businesses can lose the happiest of subscribers because of involuntary churn. Even slight variations in churn can have a significant impact on revenue, so it’s critical to address involuntary churn—and now machine learning can help. Join our latest webinar and you’ll learn: The power of dynamic retry logic, to boost...

Subscription success demands a laser focus on providing subscribers with consistent value which leads to predictable recurring revenue. We recently explored the topic of subscriber acquisition. Now, in our newest e-book, we outline techniques, tactics, and best practices that subscription businesses can use to increase subscriber retention. One way to...

In February, couples around the world plan for how to celebrate Valentine’s Day. While flowers and chocolate are time-tested testaments of affection, gift cards have become a popular choice in our more modern, e-commerce-driven times. For B2C subscription businesses, gift subscriptions (whether gift plans or gift cards) provide an excellent...

Design and User Experience has always been a critical component at Recurly, and for the Product Design Team, 2017 was all about making the way we work more effective. From new tools and improved processes to collaborating with non-designers and learning more about user needs, we spent the year improving...

Subscription businesses that want to expand globally know they need to offer the payment methods that their prospects in different countries prefer. They need a gateway that can accept international currencies along with a wide variety of payment methods global customers tend to use. For example, in Germany customers want...

In today’s blog, we’re continuing our discussion about dunning. As a reminder, dunning is the process of communicating with customers (usually by email) to try to collect payments due. In effect, discussions about dunning are really discussions about these customer communications. In our last blog, we described how the dunning...

To meet the demands of a high-performing subscription business, the right billing platform is critical for rapid and sustained growth. Join us as we share the definitive checklist for subscription billing growth and success in this live, one-hour webinar.   Featured speaker: Robert Oswald, Evangelist Date & Time:  Wednesday, December 13,...

Subscription commerce is ever evolving. A few years ago, who would have expected Porsche to launch a subscription service? Or that monthly boxes of beauty samples or shaving supplies and OTT services would propel the subscription model to new heights? And how will these trends shape the subscription space going forward—and drive...

The success of the subscription model has altered the e-commerce landscape. Numerous new and innovative businesses in a variety of industries are launching every week, focusing on the subscription model to provide a better customer experience and build loyalty. As well, a number of notable, ‘traditional’ businesses have transitioned, in...

As a data scientist at Recurly, my job is to use the vast amount of data that we have collected to build products that make subscription businesses more successful. One way to think about data science at Recurly is as an extended R&D department for our customers. We use a...

Increasingly, CFOs and other business leaders are recognizing the many benefits of the subscription model—from predictable, compounding revenue to deep, long-term customer relationships. However, nothing jeopardizes subscription revenue faster than churn. Imagine if you could automatically repair a major factor in churn, involuntary churn due to failed payments?In this webinar,...

Subscriber acquisition is both an art and a science—and it can be a complex undertaking. A business needs to know who its best customers are likely to be, have a thorough understanding of what it is they want and what the business can provide (their pain points and how best...

The subscription model is ideal for today’s customer-centric, digital economy. However, to drive momentum and sustain growth, subscription businesses need to eliminate points of friction that can limit conversion from potential subscribers or cause existing subscribers to downgrade or churn. Join us as we share key insights into creating a...

For consumers, one of the most popular subscription type is the subscription box—that curated collection of goodies that subscribers receive on a regular basis (often monthly, but not always) which the box purveyor hopes will delight and surprise its recipient. Beauty boxes such as Birchbox were an early success story, along...

“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”  -- Chinese Proverb In many parts of world, the month of August means the end of the school break. Students go back to school, parents’ lives become calmer, and businesses start to ramp up their various activities as employees return...

Recently, we wrote a blog that involved a London pub’s innovation in beer drinking that enabled a friction-free experience for its customers during the busy holiday season. The goal of course of frictionless commerce is to make it easier for your customers to shop, pay, and receive their purchases, and in...

Most business decisions are driven by data. With a wide range of customers in multiple industries using Recurly, we have enviable visibility into comprehensive subscription data within our platform which gives us a unique perspective. Using this data—which we’ve aggregated and anonymized—we’ve compiled a variety of reports which provide meaningful,...

According to CardNotPresent: “Merchants will lose more than $70 billion globally to card-not-present fraud in the next five years, but many still think fraud prevention is too costly, according to a new report. U.K.-based consultancy Juniper Research found that the ongoing migration to EMV technology in the U.S., a slower-than-expected...

Here in the Bay Area, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. Numerous events are taking place, and nearly all involve music. Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead covers are particularly popular. This music harkens back to a time when the music industry and its partner, FM radio,...

BarkBox is an early success story in the tumultuous, competitive, and ever-changing realm of subscription boxes. Now a company with $100 million in annual revenue, the story of their founding is decidedly unique and charming. Not only did the company’s founder seize upon an idea that turned out to have...

Millennials are a unique demographic. Generally defined as being born between the early 1980’s and the late 1990’s, there's no lack of commentary around this generation, which is the largest in U.S. history (they’re essentially the children of the Baby Boomers—the ‘Me Generation’). Time Magazine memorably dubbed them the ‘Me Me Me...

What do you think caused 5.5 million people in Britain to cancel their credit cards last year? If you guessed fraud, you’d be right. Those 5.5 million people comprise a full 12% of the population—one million higher than last year and evidence that cybercrime has gotten worse in that country and...

Subscription commerce continues to evolve. Long ago, subscriptions centered on newspapers, magazines, and for teenagers, the Columbia Record Club. With the dawning of the internet age, subscriptions took over new realms such cloud software, digital entertainment, and boxes of the month. As the subscription model continues to prove its appeal...

The modern world is increasingly connected and mobile. Our devices are ‘always on’ and give us 24/7 access to all things digital for work and play. Whether you want to watch movies or TV on your iPhone on the bus, or stream your favorite playlist, or listen to the latest...

In many communities, finding a babysitter or nanny is hard. Sittercity realized the challenges parents and others faced and launched a website to solve the problem, providing parents with a better, more effective way to find childcare. Founded in 2001, the service—which is accessed via a monthly subscription fee—has connected...

If you had a crystal ball that could tell you where the next major market for e-commerce will emerge, what would you do? Would you seize the opportunity to expand your business into this burgeoning market? The next boom in e-commerce may well be upon us, in Southeast Asia. This,...

The Internet of Things is transforming how we live, work, and play. Beyond the familiar ‘smart’ devices in our homes, such as thermostats and fitness trackers, the Internet of Things (IoT) has applications in a wide-ranging realm. There are devices that can find our lost phones and luggage, monitor our...

In e-commerce, transactions can fail for any number of reasons, and every time a transaction is declined, the business loses revenue. With subscription businesses, the problem is compounded by the fact that subscription revenue is recurring revenue. This makes effective management of billing and payments especially critical: any time a...

The subscription model is one of the fastest-growing categories in e-commerce—which should come as no surprise given the many benefits that a recurring revenue business offers. While the model provides benefits, it also has inherent complexity. Businesses seeking to start a subscription business or add a subscription component to their...

A new version of Recurly’s API has been released! Version 2.5 comes with many improvements such as new endpoints, new request attributes, and new response attributes as well. Let’s dive in and take a look at what’s changed! First, we have a new endpoint for attempting a collection on an...

Credit cards are an extremely convenient way to pay for online purchases. However, subscription businesses can face challenges in successfully completing recurring payments via credit cards. This is because after the initial payment at signup, various factors can cause the recurring payments to fail. The most effective way to repair...

“If you wish to converse with me, define your terms.”  ~ Voltaire Next week, we’ll be launching the first of several blog posts about data—specifically about how our customers can use their data in Recurly to improve and optimize their business. Our first post focuses on churn, which is always...

Returnloads.net is an online freight exchange in the UK. They connect haulage companies who have empty vehicles with businesses that need goods moved—helping to reduce costs along with the number of empty trucks traveling throughout the U.K. ReturnLoads is also a Recurly customer and one that’s so happy with the...

As any subscription business knows, recurring billing is complex and presents many challenges that billing for a one-time purchase does not. Different billing models, mid-month upgrades and downgrades, add-on charges, etc. all add to the complexity. From an accounting and finance standpoint, accurate reporting each month is complicated by these...

The Internet and the digital world have brought immeasurable benefits to the world at large and transformed nearly every aspect of how we live and work. Unfortunately, in tandem with this evolution unscrupulous elements have emerged, intent on hacking into systems and stealing data for any number of nefarious ends....

Fans of British TV now have a new reason to rejoice! A new streaming service showcasing the best of British TV is coming soon to our shores. It’s called BritBox and it’s chock full of good stuff for Anglophiles who need their weekly fix of EastEnders, Holby City, and others—streaming those shows...

Smartphones have revolutionized many aspects of how we live our lives. From the convenience of text messaging to keep in touch, map apps which keep us from getting lost, immediate access to our favorite social apps to stay engaged, and always having a camera to document what we see and...

Every business competing on the market today seeks a competitive edge. One way to gain an advantage is to stay up to date with the latest technology and trends. For subscription businesses, adopting new payment technology—such as Apple Pay—can give them the edge they seek. Recurly is pleased to announce...

Recently, CardNotPresent published findings from a study that show that global, cross-border e-commerce will triple from $300 billion in 2015 to $900 billion in 2020, accounting for about 22% of all e-commerce sales. The study, conducted by international shipper DHL, also reported that targeting international audiences can increase an online retailer's...

In a recent study, what kind of customer did 59% of U.S. retailers say were more profitable than others? If you answered “omnichannel customers” then you’d be correct! The popularity among consumers of the omnichannel experience (with online and offline shopping options that are largely consistent) is likely due to consumers’...

In December, Recurly published research on holiday shopping that showed that subscription commerce continues to grow at an impressive pace. This mirrors the overall growth in holiday e-commerce, which industry research indicates grew by 16% over the previous year. Unfortunately, while Santa was bringing more gifts to more people, the Grinch...

Various statistics from the 2016 holiday season show that retailers’ holidays were bright, with strong sales both in-store and online. For example, a recent article from eMarketer highlighted data from Retail Metrics which showed overall holiday spending likely rose 4%. Similarly, retail consulting firm Conlumino’s data showed total holiday sales rose...

Recurly is pleased to announce two updates to our Hosted Payment Pages, coming on January 26th. Gift Cards Functionality for Hosted Pages To further support our gift card feature, Recurly has created a new hosted payment page that now allows your customers to easily purchase gift cards. Many of our...

For subscription businesses, customer acquisition cost (CAC) is a key metric, the flip side to monthly recurring revenue. This is because it tells you how much each new customer, who generates that monthly revenue, cost to obtain. While essential, this metric and how you calculate it can be complicated. Get...

In the world of subscription commerce, one key to success is providing a frictionless signup experience. Once prospects decide they’re ready to subscribe, you want to make sure that the process is as easy as it can be for them. Removing steps that aren’t necessary and ensuring that your signup...

Recurly is excited to announce a new dunning webhook notification. In subscription businesses, when a customer’s renewal payment fails, the customer enters the dunning process. Businesses using Recurly can use this webhook to receive information on customers in dunning, letting them manage, monitor and optimize their subscribers’ journeys through the...

When it comes to digital entertainment—video streaming and OTT—there are number of different ways to look at the market. There’s platforms and technology, advertising vs. subscription revenue, content (what it is and who’s producing it), trends, regulations, demographics…. The list goes on. One frequent narrative pits old-school cable and TV...

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.”  ~ Mother Teresa Last year, on December 1st, PayPal broke a Guinness World Record for the most money raised online for charity in 24 hours. On that day—known as ‘Giving Tuesday’—PayPal users around the world gave more than $45.8 million...

The New Zealand economy is one of the fastest growing in the world and is notable in a couple of ways. For example, according to the Ease of Doing Business Index for 2016, New Zealand ranks second overall out of 185 countries. The country has sizeable manufacturing and service sectors, and...

All the research indicates that fraud attacks are on the rise and that fraudsters’ strategies and tactics are becoming ever more sophisticated as fraudsters become more brazen in their attempts to steal from businesses and consumers. Fraudsters also have a new favorite target: digital goods. As a result of fraud,...

For any business, setting a price for what they sell is a key piece of the revenue and profit puzzle. Subscription businesses have the added task of determining not just price points but the billing model they will use. For example, many subscription businesses have a fixed recurring model (same...

We recently came across a great blog from Profitwell which discusses how to turn a cancellation into an opportunity for you to take action and understand better why some customers choose to leave. While it’s written with software as a service (SaaS) in mind, the concepts are applicable to nearly...

There can be no doubt that Dollar Shave Club’s phenomenal success can be attributed to many factors—its irreverent and hilarious viral ads, its exemplary customer service, efficient manufacturing and distribution, and its incredible ability to scale, and (perhaps most importantly) its business model. Yes, there were many things that led...

There’s no doubt that the internet has brought myriad and far-reaching benefits to people and organizations worldwide. Unfortunately, it’s also brought hackers, fraudsters, and other criminal elements intent on stealing our personal and financial information. They are relentless, exceedingly inventive, and always looking for the next exploitable vulnerability. Because of...

These days, software as a service, or SaaS, is the most common way of selling software to both businesses and consumers. It’s easier than shipping physical packages, more cost-effective, and provides a variety of other benefits. Salesforce—one of the most highly valued cloud computing companies in the world, with a...

Japan: a country steeped in tradition but exceedingly modern, with a storied history and a thriving economy (the world’s third-largest!). Most of us also associate Japan with its unique pop culture, epitomized by the global icon that is Hello Kitty (along with the lesser-known Mumitan); anime and cosplay; novelty cafes;...

The streaming media waters have been growing increasingly crowded as of late, and in order to keep their customers happy and fend off the competition, two well-known names in the space, Hulu and Spotify, are making some big changes to their current slate of offerings. Appealing to cord-cutters and cord-nevers,...

GatherContent was developed specifically to meet the content creation and workflow needs of today’s businesses. The platform helps companies create and manage content that’s both structured and portable—and then publish it to any CMS or platform. They launched in London in September 2012 and now have thousands of customers in...

By now, most of us are likely familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT), that network of “smart” devices, embedded with sensors and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data. Our Fitbit is an IoT device, as is our Nest home thermostat. And Amazon Prime users...

Have you heard of “eSports”? If you haven’t, it’s probably because you’re not a gamer. But get ready, because while it might be a niche industry at the moment, soon it won’t be. Current estimates indicate that a billion people will be familiar with eSports by the end of 2016....

Admit it. You or your business have been thinking about launching a box of the month. And why not? It’s one of the most successful subscription models for consumer-facing businesses! Some of the most popular box categories are fashion, beauty samples, organic food, eco products, and kids’ crafts and activities....

Jeff Bezos recently opened his company’s annual shareholder meeting with the news that Amazon had reached an impressive milestone: $100 billion in annual sales. What’s more, they reached this number faster than any other company in history. Along with this impressive stat, Bezos reported on their Amazon Prime offering—their annual...

As noted in our previous blogs in this series (available here, here and here), choosing a payment gateway can be a daunting, but important, task. In this blog series, we’ve outlined many of the things a merchant should consider in assessing different payment gateways. A careful review of a gateway’s reliability,...

Just as a carpenter would certainly choose a hammer to drive a nail, not the blunt end of a screwdriver, so too should a merchant use the correct tool to extract data from Recurly. Today, a merchant has three different options for extracting data. Listen for events in Recurly (via...

As subscription based-businesses continue to evolve, they’re seeking greater control and flexibility in terms of the plans they are able to offer their subscribers and how they’re priced. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works in any business, and subscription businesses are no exception. Customers want to know they’re getting value, and...

In 1965, American families began clipping coupons en masse and marketers realized how coupons convert prospects, upsell customers, and encourage brand loyalty. In 1990, the internet begat the era of online coupons, making it easier than ever for subscription-based and other businesses to reach an online audiences with their promotions....

In our last post about luxury subscription offerings, we discussed two subscription businesses that provide subscribers a chance to own temporarily that which they cannot (or choose not to) buy permanently. These businesses and others like them use the subscription model to fulfill four-carat desires on half-carat budgets. But there are...

We're excited to announce that Recurly.js will soon support PayPal, giving your customers the flexibility to choose between preferred payment methods – all within your same branded payment form. We are currently beta-testing PayPal with a select group of merchants and will be ready to make this available through an...

There’s a rule of thumb when it comes to marketing: know your audience. This is a great rule in general, and it’s an essential rule for merchants designing a discount campaign to promote their subscription business. Know your audience. Merchants need to know how their customers interact with their product...

In another sign of the growth of the subscription model, Autodesk, one of the latest big-name companies to transition from selling single software licenses to selling via a cloud-based subscription model. On January 31 of this year, Autodesk stopped selling perpetual (non-subscription) licenses of most of its individual products. Although already, before...

Examples abound of businesses large and small moving to a subscription model. From airlines and law firms to business models like OTT and IoT, the subscription business is decidedly booming. In addition to an agile, scalable, and reliable recurring billing solution, new subscription businesses also need a payment gateway to...

Whether you’re building a new subscription business or transforming an existing business to accept subscriptions, Peter Figueredo offers some important tips. Read more about how to build a subscription business in his article targeted to entrepreneurs seeking investments in their business.

Attention all billing and payment engineers and enthusiasts! Recurly will be hosting the February meeting of the Bay Area Billing and Payment Engineers Meetup Group, and we’d like to extend an invitation to anyone interested in attending. Membership in Meetup or this group is not required. More information about this group is available 

Fitbit fitness tracker. Nest home thermostat. Philips Sonicare toothbrush. LIFX light bulbs. Caterpillar tractors. The Port of Hamburg. What do all these have in common? They’re all part of the Internet of Things, or IoT, where “smart” devices collect and transmit data, which can then be used by either the...

Subscriptions are not only changing how retailers do business and how consumers buy, but the model’s popularity is also a key factor in fueling the continued growth of e-commerce. These days, there’s an abundance of subscription products and services from which to choose, meeting nearly every need and every niche...

The subscription business model, being as flexible as it is, supports a wide range of businesses—from SaaS companies, to box-of-the-month clubs, to myriad service and product offerings aimed at consumers as well as businesses. But a subscription model alone doesn’t guarantee success. Here’s an article from Subscription Insider which provides...

Smart businesses aspire for transparency in their interactions with their customers and employees. In practice, complete transparency can sometimes be difficult to achieve. Unfortunately, not doing so can have significant negative repercussions. Recently, a lack of transparency in the terms and conditions of renewals in some subscription-based businesses is resulting...

Over-the-Top (OTT) content is here to stay. Streamed over the Internet, OTT content is overtaking traditional distribution models. Companies like Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, Pandora and Spotify are leaders in the category, but a number of new companies have jumped on the over-the-top bandwagon as the model continues to prove...

South Africa. Land of untold riches, abundant natural resources, breathtaking nature and a dynamic culture. Are you already serving customers in this vibrant nation? Now, Recurly merchants doing business in South Africa will be able to process their transactions in the South African Rand (ZAR) using Cybersource or Worldpay. Read...

Today, Recurly is happy to announce a new partnership with Worldpay—an additional payment gateway that you may use to process payments in the U.S. and internationally. The addition of this gateway gives Recurly merchants greater choice in how they process payments for international transactions. Merchants new to subscription billing can...

Are you planning to expand your subscription business internationally in 2016? The international business environment presents many challenges, from changing regional regulations and compliance standards to scaling recurring billing.  Join Recurly and the business tax experts at Avalara to discover the common challenges subscription businesses face and the proven strategies...

In 2011, Marc Andreessen, technology pioneer and currently General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, declared that “software is eating the world.” What was true then is now even more so with the incredible growth of the subscription model. Indeed, Emir Alaguizy—Zynga CTO, Y Combinator alum and founder and CEO of Cratejoy—did...

There are certain metrics that a subscription business lives and dies by. For example…   Monthly Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)Monthly Subscriber Churn Percent (or simply “churn”)Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC); also known as CPA or SACSubscriber Lifetime Value (LTV); also known as CTV or TLVGrowth Margin Percent …and a handful...

E-commerce seems like it’s been around almost as long as personal computers have. Shopping is, after all, a national pastime, and online shopping is so much more convenient—we can do it at home, in our pajamas! So, it should come as no surprise that recent research, reported by eMarketer, indicates...

EMV is the new credit card technology finally coming to the US after many years of use in Europe. With an embedded microchip and associated security features, these new EMV cards are more resistant to fraud, in particular at Point of Sale (POS). Unfortunately, this means that nefarious types may...

Thanks to all the fantastic feedback we’ve received from customers, we’re putting the final touches on the new Recurly UI design! Your comments have been instrumental in guiding our efforts towards making our interface more intuitive and efficient, and based on your feedback, we’ve made all kinds of improvements. If...

All summer, there’s been plenty of buzz around streaming services and the impact these have had on the music industry.  Sure enough, people have streamed more than 1 trillion songs just in the first half of this year.  Whether you’re a digital content provider or running a subscription-based business, the changes...

The world of streaming video content has grown significantly as consumers look to complement with and in many cases transition away from traditional cable television. By now, we’re familiar with mainstream players that serve a broad audience including Dish’s Sling TV, HBO, and Showtime to name a few.  However, as...

For those of you not living under your rotary phone (pics please!), you have probably noticed that more and more consumers are now conducting more transactions directly from their mobile devices. In fact, the latest data from Adyen notes that mobile now accounts for 28.7% of all online payments.  Another report...

What do you people enjoy watching more than basketball and baseball? Would you believe it’s watching other people playing video games?  Seriously.  Dubbed e-sports, competitive gameplay in video games has gone from niche to near-mainstream sport in just a decade. According to gaming research group SuperData, the worldwide e-sports market...

If you were the typical kid growing up, you probably loved comic books as much as I did.  Of course, tastes and interests changed over time, and comic book sales have had a tough time for the past two decades - until now.  Recently, comic book and graphic novel sales...

Consumer expectations are changing the way merchants run their business, and there’s no better example than Dish Network.  Dish CIO John Swieringa’s recent comments on how the company’s IT group “tries to be a source of innovation for the company, not just an IT shop”, highlights innovations occurring around the...

A new study by Millward Brown Digital highlights yet another reason why Recurly’s Pay with Amazon can significantly boost sales: customer conversions. Most notably among Prime members, Amazon’s conversion rate is a whopping 74%.  And for non-Prime members, the conversion rate is still at 13% - that’s four times the average conversion...

If you're using one of Recurly's client libraries to interface with our API, you're probably concerned with keeping up to date with the latest and greatest functionality Recurly has to offer. Currently, Recurly supports clients for PHP, Ruby, Python, and .Net, all of which are hosted on GitHub. Let's take...

A few months ago, we discussed the methodology behind the revenue that Recurly recovers for you each month.  We heard from many of you who enthusiastically wanted to learn more about this valuable behind-the-scenes feature. Starting today, you'll now see your Recovered Revenue right in your monthly invoice to see just...

It’s never too early to begin planning for the busiest holiday shopping season of the year!  More important than ever, you need to ensure that your online retail website offers the best experience possible for your customers. Providing your customers with a trusted and convenient payment option is essential to...

Image courtesy Infosecurity magazine Recurly is working hard to help educate subscription billing companies about the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard - PCI DSS. We issued a white paper about PCI DSS V3.0, a recent, comprehensive update to the standard. Now, right on its heels, PCI DSS...

According to PricewaterhouseCooper, security incidents have grown an average of 66% per year for the last five years running. While breaches at retailers and entertainment companies make headlines, all kinds of organizations are affected. So a new report from Verizon Enterprise should soon be found in the briefcases and backpacks of...

Recurly’s customers rely on our search functionality to find accounts, transactions, and other information so they can solve their customers' problems. By March of 2014, however, Recurly’s search functionality had become an example of tech debt: it worked well enough to ignore, until it didn’t. We’d been planning on rebuilding...

In our previous post, we described churn as an all-too-neutral term for what it really describes - losing customers, often quite quickly. Now, we take a look at what churn can do to your business.   Your customers are your most important brand ambassadors. Think for a minute about the...

“Customer retention rates ultimately determine whether your business is growing profitably or not.” - Dan Burkhart, Recurly CEO, November 2011 Here at Recurly, we do all we can to combat churn among your customers. After all, the typical Recurly customer saves more by recovering revenue - which contributes strongly...

At Recurly we constantly monitor mailing lists, forums, IRC channels and many other places for vulnerabilities that may cause software we use as part of our platform to be insecure. We update software every day, usually within minutes of vulnerabilities being discovered. Today was no exception. We had our production systems...

The joy of taxes! Not only do you have to levy them, you have to report them.  Merchants will be required to register for VAT in all EU countries where they sell a digital service. With VAT, you’ll thankfully have registration filing options, but you may want to review your...

We’ve talked about the new EU VAT rate changes for digital services, which will now be based on the purchasing customer’s country.  Where things become more complex for merchants is in the area of compliance. Two Main Points of Consideration for Merchants Merchants will need to maintain, have access, and...

Recurly's revenue recovery functionality has always provided merchants with peace of mind in reducing credit card declines, expired cards and other issues related to collecting recurring invoices.  Even so, merchants frequently ask, "What has Recurly recovered for me lately?"  Now, merchants can have that information right at their fingertips. Today,...

All cash flow begins with the invoice, and today Recurly is making it easier to get paid by providing merchants with the ability to include custom notes in customer invoices.   Whether it’s terms and conditions or customer notes, you have new flexibility to better communicate with customers. You can...

As many of our merchants know, Recurly’s hosted pages allow you to get up and running quickly with little to no development work. Our hosted pages include subscription signup pages and a customer subscription management portal called “Hosted Account Management”. Next week, we’re rolling out new features for Recurly’s Hosted Account...

Over the past 5 years, Recurly has built a company centered around the success of our customers. We believe that providing a flexible and nimble billing service to our customers allows them to achieve extraordinary outcomes.  We elevate billing from a simple back-office function to a genuine competitive advantage. We...

Today a new vulnerability was announced in SSLv3. The vulnerability allows attackers who might be in a position to execute a MITM (Man In The Middle) attack against a client to decrypt SSLv3 traffic. Luckily, SSLv3 hasn't been used by clients (web browsers) for a number of years now, replaced by TLS. At Recurly we...

So you want to implement the latest and greatest in recurring billing functionality and ease into your app, but you're not sure where to start. Today we're going to create a quick and easy implementation using Recurly.js and our API! We'll create an account with billing info, and a subscription, for...

We’re excited to announce that we’ve just released our direct Avalara AvaTax integration for sales tax. This new integration provides merchants with advanced tax reporting that will make self-filing easier, plus offers additional logic for tax codes and exempt options. Avalara customers can...

We all know that good talent is hard to find. Is good talent in the San Francisco/Bay Area impossible to find? Never. Here are 5 common myths of recruiting in this competitive marketplace and the truths about them: “San Francisco employees are high maintenance! All...

Channel Development is a key component of any effective revenue growth strategy. For solutions like Recurly that are highly self-service and strive to be developer friendly, the community of consultants and creative agencies that work with our platform are a growing source of new business. As the technology experts serving...

We’re extremely excited to announce the general availability of one of Recurly’s top requested features, the Account Updater. This service automatically updates customer credit card information when it changes, without you having to take any action, and is offered as a free service through Recurly! Why is this important? Over...

At Recurly we use Redis to power website caching, queuing and some application data storage. Just like all the systems we use internally, it has to be stable, have automatic failover incase of failure, and be easily scalable should we need to add more capacity. What is redis? Redis is...

Introducing Starsky, an opinionated, high-level NodeJS module for building services with RabbitMQ. This post is full of nerdy stuff involving programming, message queues and why we decided to build our own RabbitMQ module. If you want to cut to the chase, go checkout out the project and get started now! Why did we...

Recurly’s Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) report is a helpful tool that gives you a best effort approximation of your monthly recurring revenue at any given time. Using the MRR report in your admin console, you can drag your cursor along the graph to find your MRR on any given day,...

We are often asked whether or not merchants need SSL, given the the fact that Recurly is already PCI compliant. The short answer is Yes. Any website handling credit card information should always use SSL in conjunction with Recurly’s PCI compliant checkout forms to best ensure customer data is encrypted...

When creating a subscription, Recurly will default to starting that subscription immediately. Sometimes you want to have the option to give a particular customer a different trial length, a future start date, or charge them a prorated fee for the remainder of the period and have them renew on a...

By default, when a new subscription is submitted through the Recurly.js buildSubscriptionForm, the e-mail address will be used as the account_code for the newly created account. Many merchants would prefer to use their own account_code, perhaps matching their own internal code for that customer. That way when using the API...

Though my coworkers at Recurly have probably begun to tire of hearing me say it, my mantra of late is “Everything is UX.” It’s a simple phrase, but it encompasses a great deal. Simply put, it’s important to remember that every interaction someone has with your product or brand is...

As you’ve seen from our recent press and newsletters, Recurly is going through a significant growth period, both in terms of customers and internal employees. The product team is 5x this year what it was last year, which has allowed us to dive deep on some of the features we...

Having had experience in both traditional and alternative payments, I completely understand the sentiments around payment eco-systems being complex. In its basic parts, it comes down to a network of participants who communicate financial information across one another. The problem is that they don't all speak the same language and...

Article contributed by Mary Rosberg, Recurly's new Sr. Customer Success Manager. “The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful. And being generous. Everything else is crap!” While Ashton Kucher isn't my favorite actor, I do love the above quote, delivered at high intensity to...

We’re pleased to share that merchants can now email customers both subscription renewal and trial ending reminders. Just set it up and let Recurly automatically remind your customers. Turn on reminder emails Both renewal and trial ending email reminders can be activated on a per-subscription plan basis. Simply check the...

It was a confluence of sorts. After spending two years in Tokyo as an exchange student, Bemmu Sepponen fell in love with the unique culture of Japan, which is both fashionable and eccentric. And he had always been intrigued by subscription-based services and their continuous revenue streams. Somehow, he wanted...

If you’ve been reading the Recurly blog lately, you know we’ve been rolling out some updates. Thanks, in part, to the growing design team at Recurly, we’ve updated the marketing website design as well as refreshed the subscription creation process flow. Most recently, with the introduction of manual payments, we rolled out...

Recurly is excited to power even more of your daily billing activities. Introducing our invoicing feature. Until now, Recurly has focused on collecting payments primarily through credit card and PayPal transactions. Today we are excited to offer you tools to send traditional invoices to your customers, empowering you to customize...

We’ve heard from a number of our merchants that they’d like more visibility not only into what we have been working on at Recurly, but into what features have recently rolled out. We’ll use our blog to regularly update you on the larger features that become available to our merchants....

Guest blog post brought you by Bizness Apps, a Recurly customer providing a fast & easy way for small businesses to make Mobile Apps. Every customer payment we take in over at Bizness Apps is paid using Recurly, so it’s safe to say that Recurly...

Drupal integration for Recurly's subscription billing platform delivers a compelling solution for membership-based sites Welcome to our guest blogger series - this post is brought you by Lullabot, an interactive strategy, design, and development company. Drupal is one of the most popular content management systems in the world. With tens...

Are you looking for a way to improve the usability of your form design, reduce user errors, and increase the speed at which people can fill out a form? One of the most reliable UX techniques is to employ progressive disclosure to mask complexity. While it introduces more clicks, it can actually speed...

I'm happy to announce the latest addition to Recurly's API, immediate one-time transactions. Our API has supported additional one-time charges for a while, but those charges are not actually transmitted to the payment gateway until the next batch of transactions is processed. This new addition to the API allows you...

Recurly was born from the changing needs of web services. With the industry's movement away from ad-based revenue models to Freemium and SaaS subscription models, the need for subscription billing has exploded. We've had experience with some of the larger swiss-army-knife billing systems as well as building systems from scratch....

When entrepreneurs come up with an idea- revenue plans are rarely the first thing that come to mind. After all, asking "how do we solve this incredibly painful business issue" can be a lot more exciting then "how are we going to monetize this". Since the first dot-com-boom, several models...