Can I change a subscription amount once I’ve already set up a subscription?

As you may have gathered by how much we’ve been talking about GDPR recently, data security is more important now than it ever has been. Alongside safeguarding athletes and allowing instant access to their details, data security is a huge priority here at Coacha. Our aim is to help you keep your members’ details safe and secure. And while being able to update an existing subscription doesn’t sound much like a data security concern, that’s ultimately what it comes down to.

Recently we were asked ‘can I change a subscription amount once I’ve already set it up?’. We completely understand the convenience being able to do this would bring, both to you as a club owner and your members/parents…

You’ve already completed the task of setting up your subscriptions. But one of your members is quickly progressing and ready to move to the next class. Along with this change in class, comes a change in subscription fee. And you’d like to be able to log into Coacha and change the subscription fee without having to bother members/parents.

Unfortunately, for security reasons, this isn’t doable. Once a member signs up to a subscription plan, they’re committing to pay a specific amount which has been agreed through their bank. As we’re sure you’ll agree, only the card holder should be able to authorise payments through their account.

And while it is possible to switch members’ subscription plans directly through Stripe itself, we would strongly advise against doing this. The first reason would be to protect the integrity and perceived security of your club; how would you like it if you were billed for a payment you didn’t authorise? Secondly, Stripe will not relay changes back to Coacha, which could cause confusion in your money dashboard. Changes need to be made in Coacha and this will then follow in Stripe. It does not work the other way around.

We understand that asking members/parents to fill in subscription requests again is a hassle and can take longer than you’d like, but it is completely necessary. The best way to go ahead with the change, is to remove the member from the old plan and then send a subscription request for the new one. If you’ve not agreed the change in person, accompany the new request with a broadcast. You could even enforce a deadline date for the setup, possibly with a consequence (for example, missing a practice) if it’s not completed in time.

If members or parents question why they need to fill in another request, explain what we’ve outlined above; that you wouldn’t want to make changes to their plan, or bill them extra, without first gaining their permission. Make sure they understand the new plan is for a different amount than originally set up. We wouldn’t like to think this, but some individuals may fiddle with the subscription amount without the member/parent realising. You could make a joke of it. Although it may take a few minutes out of their day, I’m sure they will appreciate your honest and upfront approach.