Contract length

Contract length gives a monthly billing option a minimum term: the subscriber commits for 3, 6 or 12 months (or another length, from 1 to 36) and pays month by month. Each charge only takes the monthly fee from the card limit, not the value of the whole contract.

#What it's for

It's loyalty: you give a better price in exchange for a commitment.

For people who'd rather pay the whole year at once, there's annual in installments. The two can live side by side on the same plan.

#How it works

#The contract

• It only applies to a Monthly option: "A contract duration is only available for monthly subscriptions".
• The term goes from 1 to 36 months: "Contract duration must be a whole number of months between 1 and 36".
• The contract's end date is set when the subscription starts: start + N months.
• A subscription created before the option had a contract stays without a contract.

#Canceling partway through the contract

When a subscriber cancels before the end, the cancellation is scheduled for the end of the contract, and the monthly charges continue until then. The screen warns before confirming:

"Your subscription has a contract until 03/15/2027. The cancellation is scheduled for that date, and monthly charges continue until then."

And, on confirming: "Cancellation scheduled for 03/15/2027, the end of your contract. Monthly charges continue until then."

#Ending it early

The owner and admin can end the contract right away (for example, in an agreement with the subscriber). The subscriber can't do it alone.

#End of the contract

At the end of the term, the contract renews on its own for another period of the same length, using the option's current term. Anyone who wants out cancels beforehand; the cancellation then takes effect at the end of the running contract.

#The free trial

The trial doesn't hold the cancellation: anyone who cancels during the trial leaves without being charged.

#What the subscriber sees

• On the pricing page: "R$ 790/month · 12-month contract", and the Monthly | Annual toggle compares the option with a contract against the one without, with the discount worked out.
• At payment: "12-month contract, billed monthly".
• On the Billing page: "Contract until 03/15/2027".

#When to use a contract

A contract works well when:

• the value you deliver grows over time: a 3-month mentoring program, a 6-month course, a one-year coworking residency;
• your cost per person is fixed: the coworking desk, the seat in the cohort;
• the member wants to pay less per month and is willing to stay.

And it works poorly when the member is still trying things out: for that, offer the no-contract option alongside it, or a free trial. The pricing page's Monthly | Annual toggle makes the comparison clear.

#How to make the contract clear to subscribers

A contract is a promise on both sides. To avoid surprises:

1. Put the term in the option's name: Resident · 12 months.
2. Repeat it in the description: "12-month contract, billed monthly. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the contract."
3. Show the savings: the pricing page works them out on its own, against the plan's no-contract option.
4. Mention the term in the plan's benefits, if contracts are the house rule.

The payment screen and the Billing page show the term at every step; the text above is for the person to decide beforehand.

#Everyday situations

#Step by step: end a contract early

Role: owner or admin.

Ending it right away is a staff action, for agreements with the subscriber. Today it's done through the API: POST /api/subscriptions/{id}/cancel with immediate: true. Access ends immediately and there are no new charges. The response confirms: "Subscription canceled immediately. Access has been revoked."

#Step by step: create an option with a contract

Role: owner or admin.

1. Monetization › Options › Create billing option.
2. Name: something that states the term, such as Resident · 12 months.
3. Under Payment & Pricing: Price (the amount for each month), Billing Interval = Monthly.
4. Under Contract length, choose 3 months, 6 months, 12 months or Other length (1 to 36). The screen confirms: "Billed monthly. Canceling before 12 months keeps billing until the contract ends."
5. Payment methods, who pays the fee, and save.
6. On the plan, tick the new option next to the no-contract option.

#Examples with numbers

Resident · 12 months, R$ 790/month, card. Twelve charges of R$ 790. Each month, the platform fee is R$ 55.22 + R$ 2.49 = R$ 57.71, and R$ 732.29 is left. Over the whole contract: R$ 9,480 in sales and R$ 8,787.48 for the community.

The same person cancels in month 4. The cancellation is set for the end of month 12. They keep paying and using it until then: all 12 months are charged.

Compared with the no-contract monthly option (R$ 890). On the pricing page, the option with a contract shows the savings: (890 − 790) / 890 ≈ 11%.

#Common errors and how to fix them

#Frequently asked questions

Does the contract lock in the add-on? No. The add-on can be removed at any time, even while the plan is under contract.

Can I change the term of an option that already has subscribers? Yes. Existing subscribers keep their subscription's contract; the renewal uses the new term.

What if the card declines partway through the contract? The subscription becomes past due, like any other. See Renewal.

Can I use a coupon on an option with a contract? Yes. A forever coupon gives the discount on every monthly payment of the contract; once, only on the first; repeating, on the first N months. See Coupons.

Can the subscriber see how long is left on the contract? They see the date: "Contract until…" on the Billing page. After canceling, they see "Ends on…".

Is there a penalty for leaving early? There's no penalty: what exists is the commitment to pay the monthly fees until the end. To release someone early, the staff ends the contract.

Contract or annual in installments?

#In the API

commitmentMonths (1 to 36, or null) on the SUBSCRIPTION product with billingInterval: "MONTHLY". The subscription carries commitmentEndsAt and, once canceled, cancelEffectiveAt. POST /api/subscriptions/{id}/cancel with immediate: true ends it right away, for the owner and admin only. See Subscriptions.

#Related

• Billing options
• Annual in installments
• Member billing