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Plans

How Plans work

A plan lets you define the business model (perpetual, subscription, term length, when it should be activated, or trials (short-term subscriptions), etc.).

Plans also define the activation rule that should be used for entitlements with that plan - such as 'Activate upon first use,' 'Activate upon creation,' and 'Activate Manually'.

You can define as many plans as you wish, subject to your subscription.

Sample plans may include a 1-year subscription, a perpetual (non-expiring) license, a 30-day trial, etc.

Using Plans

Adding a plan

The plans option is located under the "Product Catalog" > "Plans" on the left menu.

To add a plan, click the button in the top right of the plans section.

First, name the plan.

Then, pick a plan type from the dropdown list or leave it as it is if you don't wish to track plan types. The default is "none". In this case, we will pick a paid plan type.

Using a plan type will help track trials, or beta testing or to differentiate between paid and non-paid plans.

Then, choose the type of license: Subscription or Perpetual.

License type:

Subscription: A subscription license is a type of software license that grants the user the right to use the software for a limited period, usually for a fee that is paid on a recurring basis, such as monthly or annually. With a subscription license, the user does not own the software but instead pays for access to it for the duration of the subscription.
Under a subscription license, the user typically receives all software updates and technical support for the duration of the subscription. However, once the subscription period ends, the user will need to renew their subscription to continue using the software. If they choose not to renew, the software will no longer be accessible to them.
Subscription licenses are common for many types of software, including cloud-based applications, software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, and some enterprise software. They are often contrasted with perpetual licenses, which allow the user to own and use the software indefinitely after a one-time payment without any ongoing fees or subscriptions.
- Trial: Note that software trials are a form of subscription license - with the end-user typically gaining access to the software for a short fixed amount of time (typically 30 days) for no charge.
Perpetual: A perpetual license is a type of software license that grants the user the right to use the software indefinitely without any time limitations. With a perpetual license, the user typically pays a one-time fee upfront for the right to use the software for as long as they want, without any ongoing fees or subscriptions.
Under a perpetual license, the user is often entitled to technical support and software updates for a limited period, typically one year, after which they may need to purchase a new license or renew their support agreement to continue receiving updates and support. However, the user can continue to use the software without interruption even if they choose not to renew their support agreement. The license itself will often include the ‘maintenance expiration date’ so that it can be appropriately enforced or communicated.
Perpetual licenses are common for many types of software, including desktop applications, server software, and some enterprise software. They are often contrasted with subscription licenses, which require the user to pay a recurring fee to continue using the software.

Then, pick the license start options: Activation, Entitlement Creation, or Manual Activation.

This option sets the trigger for the plan start time. On activation is when an entitlement that's using this plan is activated. Or alternatively, it can be when an entitlement is created on this plan or, finally, when a manual activation takes place.

Finally, set the duration in days, weeks, months, or years. In this example, as it's quarterly, we set the duration to three months.

Click save.

Repeat until all your plans are set up.

Editing a plan

To edit a plan, pick one from the list.

Click on the row.

Edit the details.

Click save as required.

Deleting a plan

To delete a plan, pick one from the list.

Pick the 'three dots' icon on the top right.

Select 'Delete Plan.'

Confirm you wish to delete when prompted for confirmation.

As this plan has connected objects below it, you must confirm with the two radio boxes and a text input of the name to delete, complete those, and then select delete.

Any form of deletion CAN NOT BE UNDONE. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN DELETING.

Next, we move on to the final step in setting up your "price plans" by setting up all your different options or "offerings" (SKUs, etc.)

To learn what each of the values above means, refer to the Glossary here

Trial plans

To set up a short-term subscription - or trial (POC/Pilot/Beta test), you simply create a plan for that.

Trials are set up as short-term subscriptions (e.g., 14 days, 30 days, etc.) that meet your customers' needs. The subscription ends as set in the plan. Then, you can convert those trials into "full" customers by extending the existing entitlement period or switching them to a different offering.

If you have a range of trial-type subscriptions, you can add these all as plans and then construct specific product-based offerings as needed.

Once set up, you can enable trials in your product in various ways, most often by giving the customer an entitlement with the trial "activation code" attached or simply enabling the subscription on the customer's seat.