WooCommerce Subscriptions: How to Find and Manage On-Hold Subscribers
So, you’re running a WooCommerce store with subscriptions? Fantastic! Recurring revenue is the dream. But sometimes, things get a bit…sticky. Like when a subscription goes “on hold.” Understanding why this happens and how to find these subscribers is crucial for keeping your business healthy. Don’t worry, this guide is designed to make it easy, even if you’re new to the world of WooCommerce subscriptions.
What Does “On Hold” Mean for a Subscription?
When a WooCommerce subscription is “on hold,” it essentially means it’s paused. The customer won’t be charged, and you won’t be shipping any products (or providing any services) related to that subscription. This can happen for a few reasons, usually involving payment issues.
Real-life Example: Imagine you sell monthly coffee subscriptions. A customer’s credit card expires. WooCommerce, upon attempting the next scheduled payment, will likely put the subscription on hold because the payment failed.
Why Are Subscriptions Put On Hold?
Here are the most common culprits:
- Payment Failure: This is the number one reason. Expired credit cards, insufficient funds, or incorrect payment details are frequent offenders.
- Manual Hold: You, as the store owner, might manually put a subscription on hold. Perhaps the customer requested a temporary pause due to travel or other circumstances.
- Subscription Management Issues: In rare cases, errors with payment gateway integrations or WooCommerce itself can cause subscriptions to incorrectly go on hold.
- Subscription Status: Confirm that it says “On Hold.”
- Last Order Date: When was the last successful order? This gives you a timeframe for when the issue arose.
- Next Payment Date: When *should* the next payment have been attempted? This helps pinpoint when the payment failed.
- Related Orders: Scroll down to the “Related Orders” section. Look for any orders with a status of “Failed” or “Pending Payment.” These orders are almost certainly the reason the subscription is on hold.
How to See Which Subscriptions Are On Hold (The Easy Way!)
WooCommerce doesn’t always make it glaringly obvious who’s on hold. Here’s how to find them:
1. Log into your WordPress Admin Dashboard. This is the back-end of your website where you manage everything.
2. Navigate to WooCommerce > Subscriptions. You’ll see a list of all your subscriptions.
3. Use the Filter! Look for the dropdown menu at the top, usually labeled “Status.” Click on it and select “On Hold.”
4. Click the “Filter” button. This will now display *only* the subscriptions that are currently on hold.
Pro Tip: Pay close attention to the “Order Date” column. The older the “on hold” status, the more urgent it is to investigate!
Understanding the “On Hold” Subscription Details
Once you’ve identified the on-hold subscriptions, click on one to view its details. Here’s what to look for:
What to Do Once You’ve Found On-Hold Subscribers
Now comes the important part: resolving the issue and getting those subscriptions back on track!
1. Communicate with the Customer: This is essential! Don’t just assume they know what’s happening. Send a polite and informative email explaining that their subscription is on hold due to a payment issue. Provide clear instructions on how to update their payment information.
Example Email:
Subject: Important Update: Your [Your Store Name] Subscription is On Hold
Hi [Customer Name],
We wanted to let you know that your subscription for [Product/Service Name] is currently on hold because we were unable to process your most recent payment. This could be due to an expired credit card, insufficient funds, or an incorrect billing address.
To reactivate your subscription, please update your payment information by clicking here: [Link to customer’s “My Account” page]
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [Your Email Address] or [Your Phone Number].
Thanks for your understanding!
Sincerely,
The [Your Store Name] Team
2. Help the Customer Update Their Payment Information: Make it as easy as possible for them! Provide a direct link to their “My Account” page where they can manage their payment methods.
3. Manually Retry the Payment (If Applicable): Some payment gateways allow you to manually retry a failed payment. Check your payment gateway’s documentation for instructions.
4. Monitor the Situation: After the customer updates their information (or you retry the payment), keep an eye on the subscription. Did it automatically reactivate? If not, you might need to manually reactivate it yourself.
5. Consider Automation: WooCommerce has extensions that can automatically send reminder emails to customers when their subscriptions are about to expire or when a payment fails. These can save you a *lot* of time.
Advanced: Using Code Snippets to Identify On-Hold Subscriptions (For Developers)
If you’re comfortable with PHP, you can use code snippets to programmatically retrieve a list of on-hold subscriptions. This is useful for creating custom reports or integrating with other systems.
'on-hold', 'limit' => -1, // Get all subscriptions, no limit ) );
if ( ! empty( $subscriptions ) ) {
echo “
On Hold Subscriptions:
“;
echo “
- “;
- Subscription ID: ” . $subscription_id . ” – Customer: ” . $customer_name . “
foreach ( $subscriptions as $subscription ) {
$customer_id = $subscription->get_customer_id();
$customer = get_userdata( $customer_id );
$customer_name = $customer->first_name . ‘ ‘ . $customer->last_name;
$subscription_id = $subscription->get_id();
echo “
“;
}
echo “
“;
} else {
echo “
No subscriptions are currently on hold.
“;
}
?>
Important Notes About the Code:
- This code snippet retrieves all subscriptions with the status “on-hold.”
- `wcs_get_subscriptions()` is the WooCommerce Subscriptions function for retrieving subscriptions.
- The `limit` parameter set to `-1` retrieves *all* subscriptions matching the criteria. Be careful with this on very large stores, as it could impact performance. You might want to add pagination or a limit.
- Replace the `echo` statements with your desired logic for displaying or processing the data. For example, you could save the data to a CSV file or send email notifications.
- Where to put this code: You should add this code to your child theme’s `functions.php` file or using a code snippets plugin. Never edit the core WooCommerce plugin files directly!
Key Takeaways
- Finding and managing “on hold” subscriptions is vital for your recurring revenue.
- Payment failures are the primary cause, so focus on clear communication and easy payment updates.
- WooCommerce provides built-in filters for identifying on-hold subscriptions.
- Consider using automation to proactively manage subscription issues.
- Don’t be afraid to reach out to customers! A little support can go a long way.
By following these steps, you can confidently identify and address on-hold subscriptions, minimize revenue loss, and keep your customers happy! Good luck!
