Product Options

A product option is a configuration of how Subscord will manage the subscription to a product.

What are Product Options?

Product Options are different ways a user can purchase or subscribe to the same underlying product (i.e., the same Discord role or group of roles). Think of them as different purchasing plans or tiers for a single product.

Why Use Product Options?

The primary purpose of Product Options is to provide flexibility in how you sell access to your Discord roles. They allow you to offer various purchasing arrangements for the same core product. Here are some common use cases:

Varied Durations and Pricing

You can create multiple options with different subscription lengths and corresponding prices. For example, for a product where you want recurring payments, you could offer:

• A monthly option.
• A 6-month option (potentially at a discounted rate per month).
• A yearly option (often with the best value).

You can also create a non-recurring (lifetime) access option by simply disabling the "Recurring" switch within a specific product option.

Recurring vs. One-Time Payments

Each Product Option includes a "Recurring" switch. This toggle determines the payment structure:

• Recurring (Enabled): This sets up the option as a subscription. Subscord monitors the subscription's status. If a user's subscription expires (e.g., due to a missed payment or cancellation), Subscord will automatically remove the associated Discord role(s).
• One-Time (Disabled): Disabling the "Recurring" switch makes the option a single, non-repeating purchase. This is often used to sell "lifetime access" to a product, where the user pays once for permanent access to the associated role(s).

Free Trials

Product Options allow you to offer free trials for your products. Within a product option's settings, you'll find a "Free Trial" switch.

• Enabling the Switch: When you enable the "Free Trial" switch for a specific option:
  • The price is automatically set to $0.00.
  • You must define the duration of the trial using the standard Duration (Days) field for that option (e.g., enter 7 for a 7-day trial).
• Trial Limitations: Subscord keeps track of which users have utilized a free trial for each specific product. A user can only claim the free trial for a particular product once. If they attempt to claim it again, they will be prevented from doing so.

Require Card for Trial (Stripe)

For Stripe-enabled stores, you have additional control over how free trials work:

• Require Card on Trial: This option is only available when you have Stripe configured as your payment processor. When enabled:
  • Users must provide a valid payment method (credit/debit card) to start their free trial.
  • You must select a paid product option that the user will automatically subscribe to once the trial period ends.
  • This creates a seamless transition from trial to paid subscription, reducing friction for converting trial users to paying customers.

This feature helps reduce trial abuse while ensuring genuine users can easily convert to paid subscriptions without additional steps once their trial expires.

The "Active" Switch: Grandfathering Prices

Each Product Option has an "Active" switch, which is enabled by default.

• Active (Enabled): The product option is visible and available for purchase by anyone visiting your store page.
• Inactive (Disabled): The product option is hidden from new customers. Only users currently subscribed to this specific inactive option can renew their subscription at this price/duration.

This is a powerful feature for managing price changes while rewarding existing subscribers. If you need to increase the price of a subscription:

1. Create a new Product Option with the updated price and details.
2. Set the old Product Option's "Active" switch to disabled.

This way, existing subscribers continue renewing at their original rate (grandfathered price), while new subscribers will only see and be able to purchase the new, higher-priced option.

The "Hide" Switch: Direct Link Only Access

Each Product Option also includes a "Hide" switch, which is disabled by default.

• Hide (Disabled): The product option is visible on your store page alongside other active product options, allowing customers to discover and purchase it through normal browsing.
• Hide (Enabled): The product option is hidden from your public store page but remains fully functional. Customers can still purchase this option, but only through a direct checkout link.

This feature is useful for several scenarios: