Create, Update, and Schedule Subscriptions

Use the Stripe Dashboard or API to create or update a subscription. It can start immediately or at a later scheduled date.

Creating subscriptions in the Dashboard

To start immediately:

  1. Log in to your Stripe Dashboard and navigate to the Subscriptions dashboard.
  2. Click the + New button.
  3. Complete information for the following fields:
    - Customer
    - Product (with Tax rate or Coupon if needed)
    - Payment method
    - Memo (optional)

Scheduled to start in the future

To schedule a subscription that starts in the future select a future date as the start date under Duration. Then click Schedule subscription.

Backdated

A backdated subscription starts in the past, usually for migrations to Stripe or record keeping purposes.

Select a start date in the past that you want the billing cycle to start on under Duration. Select the date that you want to start the billing cycle on. Then click the + Create subscription button. The subscription will start on the date you selected.

Updating existing subscriptions

Update existing subscriptions at any time through the Dashboard or Stripe API. Subscription schedules can automate changes to subscriptions over time.

The start date of an existing subscription can't be updated. Certain changes to a subscription can trigger prorations.

Update existing subscriptions immediately in the Dashboard:

  1. In the Stripe Dashboard select the desired subscription
  2. Click + Action and select Update subscription
  3. Make desired changes, for example, adding a new product or changing the subscription’s end date or billing cycle
  4. Click Update subscription to submit your changes

Scheduling update to existing subscriptions in the Dashboard:

Follow the same process as above, but in the final step select, click Schedule update and select when your changes will apply (end of current period or on a custom date).

To automate multiple changes over time, you can add phases to subscriptions that define when changes occur and what properties of the subscription to change. Phases must be sequential, meaning only one phase can be active at a given time. A subscription can have up to 10 phases.

Using the Stripe API