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Subscriptions are the core of FlexPortal. Each subscription represents a customer using a specific asset under contract. Subscriptions generate recurring payments and track cost recovery over time.

Subscription Overview

A subscription includes:
  • Customer information
  • Physical asset (identified by serial number)
  • Product and variant details
  • Contract terms (length, monthly payment)
  • Payment schedule and history
  • Cost recovery tracking

Viewing Subscriptions

Navigate to Subscriptions in the left sidebar to see all subscriptions. The list shows:
  • Customer name
  • Product and variant
  • Status (Active, Cancelled, etc.)
  • Monthly payment amount
  • Contract end date
  • Cost recovery percentage
Click any subscription to view full details.

Subscription Statuses

Subscriptions progress through different statuses based on their lifecycle:

Active Statuses

StatusDescription
ActiveSubscription is running, payments being generated

Ended Statuses

StatusDisplay LabelDescription
ended_completedCompletedContract finished, customer returned asset
ended_buyoutBought OutCustomer purchased the asset
ended_upgradeUpgradedCustomer upgraded to a different product
ended_early_returnEarly ReturnCustomer returned asset before contract ended
cancelledCancelledSubscription terminated by admin
Ended subscriptions remain in the system for record keeping. They show complete payment history and final cost recovery.

Filtering Subscriptions

Use filters to find specific subscriptions:

Filter by Status

  • Active
  • Completed
  • Bought Out
  • Upgraded
  • Early Return
  • Cancelled

Filter by Date

  • Contract start date
  • Contract end date
  • Created date
Search by:
  • Customer name or email
  • Product name
  • Serial number
  • Subscription ID

Subscription Actions

Active subscriptions have several actions available to handle the lifecycle from start to finish.

Extend

Add months to the existing subscription. Same asset, same monthly rate.
  1. Open an active subscription
  2. Click Extend in the top right
  3. Enter:
    • Additional months - How many months to add (e.g., 6, 12)
    • New monthly rate - Keep current rate or update
  4. Click Extend Subscription
The contract end date extends by the additional months. New payments are generated for the extension period.
Use Extend when customers want to continue using the same asset. This is simpler than creating a new subscription.

Upgrade

Move customer to a different product. Creates a new subscription and ends the current one.
  1. Open an active subscription
  2. Click Upgrade in the top right
  3. Select:
    • New product - The product to upgrade to
    • New variant - Specific variant
    • Contract length - Duration for new subscription
    • Start date - When new subscription begins
  4. Enter:
    • New serial number - Asset for the new subscription
    • Buyout amount - Price for old asset (optional)
  5. Click Create Upgrade
The current subscription ends with status “Upgraded”. A new subscription is created for the new product.
The old asset must be returned or bought out. Set the buyout amount if the customer is purchasing the old asset.

Replace Device

Swap the current asset for a different unit of the same product while the subscription continues unchanged.
  1. Open an active subscription
  2. Click Replace Device in the top right
  3. Enter:
    • New serial number - The replacement asset
    • Reason - Why device is being replaced (damage, defect, etc.)
  4. Click Replace
The subscription continues with the new asset. Monthly payments remain the same. Use this when:
  • Asset is damaged and needs replacement
  • Customer prefers different color/configuration
  • Asset has defects

Buyout

Customer purchases the asset, ending the subscription and transferring ownership.
  1. Open an active subscription
  2. Click Buyout in the top right
  3. Enter:
    • Buyout price - Amount customer pays to own the asset
    • Payment date - When buyout payment is received
  4. Click Process Buyout
Subscription status changes to “Bought Out”. The asset status changes to “Sold”. No more payments are generated.
Buyout price is typically the remaining asset value minus income already collected. Set your own buyout pricing policy.

Early Return

Customer returns the asset before the contract ends.
  1. Open an active subscription
  2. Click Early Return in the top right
  3. Enter:
    • Return date - When asset is returned
    • Condition - Asset condition (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, Damaged)
    • Early return fee - Fee charged for early termination (optional)
  4. Click Process Return
Subscription status changes to “Early Return”. Asset status changes to “Returned” and becomes available for new subscriptions.
Set early return fees to discourage early termination or cover remaining cost recovery. This is configurable per subscription.

Cancel Subscription

Admin-initiated cancellation. Use sparingly.
  1. Open an active subscription
  2. Click Cancel in the top right
  3. Enter:
    • Cancellation reason - Why subscription is being cancelled
    • Effective date - When cancellation takes effect
  4. Confirm cancellation
Subscription status changes to “Cancelled”. Future payments are not generated. The asset should be returned.
Cancellation is permanent. Use Early Return instead if the customer is returning the asset voluntarily.

Payment History

View all payments for a subscription:
  1. Open the subscription
  2. Scroll to the Payments section
Payment history shows:
  • Payment date
  • Amount
  • Status (Pending, Paid, Failed, Cancelled)
  • Payment method
  • Invoice link
Click any payment to view details or mark as paid. Learn more in Payment Management.

Cost Recovery Tracking

Cost recovery shows what percentage of the asset’s acquisition cost has been recovered through subscription income.

How Cost Recovery Works

Cost Recovery = (Total Income Collected / Asset Acquisition Cost) × 100%
Example:
  • Asset cost: $1,200
  • Monthly payment: $89
  • After 6 months: $534 collected
  • Cost recovery: 44.5%
After 14 months: $1,246 collected = 103.8% cost recovery
Cost recovery above 100% means the asset is generating profit. Below 100% means you haven’t recovered the full asset cost yet.

Viewing Cost Recovery

The subscription detail page shows:
  • Current cost recovery percentage
  • Total income collected
  • Remaining to 100% (if under 100%)
Track this to understand asset profitability over time.

Contract End Dates

Every subscription has a contract end date based on the start date and contract length (6, 12, 24, or 36 months). The end date appears prominently on the subscription detail page.

What Happens When Contracts End

When a contract ends, customers typically have these options:
  • Return the asset (subscription ends as “Completed”)
  • Buy out the asset (subscription ends as “Bought Out”)
  • Extend for additional months (subscription continues as “Active”)
  • Upgrade to a new product (subscription ends as “Upgraded”)
Set reminders to contact customers 30 days before contract ends to discuss their options.

Subscription Timeline

The subscription timeline shows all lifecycle events:
  • Subscription created
  • Payments generated
  • Payments received
  • Actions taken (extensions, replacements)
  • Status changes
  • Contract end
This provides a complete audit trail for the subscription.

Viewing Subscription Details

The subscription detail page includes:

Customer Information

  • Name and email
  • Customer type (Individual or Business)
  • Contact details

Asset Information

  • Serial number
  • Product and variant
  • Asset status
  • Asset location

Contract Terms

  • Start date
  • Contract length
  • End date
  • Monthly payment
  • Total contract value

Financial Summary

  • Total income collected
  • Cost recovery percentage
  • Next payment date
  • Outstanding balance

Payment Schedule

  • All scheduled payments
  • Payment status for each period
  • Total expected income over contract

Common Scenarios

Customer Wants to Keep Asset Longer

Use Extend:
  1. Discuss additional months with customer
  2. Click Extend
  3. Add 6 or 12 months
  4. Confirm new monthly rate
  5. Save extension

Customer Wants to Upgrade

Use Upgrade:
  1. Customer selects new product
  2. Click Upgrade
  3. Choose new product and contract length
  4. Assign new serial number
  5. Process upgrade
  6. Arrange return or buyout of old asset

Asset Needs Replacement

Use Replace Device:
  1. Identify replacement asset
  2. Click Replace Device
  3. Enter new serial number
  4. Document reason for replacement
  5. Arrange logistics for device swap

Customer Wants to Own the Device

Use Buyout:
  1. Calculate buyout price
  2. Click Buyout
  3. Enter buyout amount
  4. Confirm payment received
  5. Process buyout
  6. Transfer ownership to customer

Customer Returns Early

Use Early Return:
  1. Customer requests early return
  2. Calculate early return fee (if applicable)
  3. Click Early Return
  4. Enter return date and condition
  5. Process return
  6. Receive asset back

Payment Issues

If payments are failing:
  1. Review payment history
  2. Contact customer about failed payment
  3. Update payment method
  4. Manually mark payment as paid once resolved
See Payment Management for details.

Best Practices

Contract Management

  • Monitor upcoming contract end dates
  • Contact customers 30 days before end
  • Offer extension or upgrade options
  • Process returns promptly

Asset Tracking

  • Verify serial numbers before assignment
  • Update asset condition after returns
  • Track asset location
  • Document any damage or issues

Communication

  • Send reminders before payments are due
  • Notify customers of contract milestones
  • Confirm receipt of returns
  • Provide clear buyout pricing

Financial Management

  • Track cost recovery for each asset
  • Review early return fees
  • Set buyout prices strategically
  • Monitor payment failure rates

Data Quality

  • Keep customer information up to date
  • Document all subscription changes
  • Record reasons for cancellations
  • Maintain complete payment records