How to set a Minimum Term or Period on a Subscription

Written By bookthatin

Last updated 5 months ago

By default, your customers can cancel their subscriptions from their Book That In account. This removes any concerns your customers might have about signing up to a rolling subscription, and increases the number of people who sign up. It also automates another bit of your admin.

What if your terms and conditions require a minimum sign up period, however?

For example, you might have a monthly subscription, but customers are not allowed to cancel for the first 3 months.

In that case, you can use Book That In's Minimum Period setting to prevent customers from being able to cancel their subscription for fixed term.

As the business owner, you will still be able to cancel their subscription should you choose to do so.

This tutorial shows you how to set it up and how it works:

Step 1: Go to Subscriptions

  1. From the Business menu, select Subscriptions.

  2. Here you’ll see any subscriptions you already have.

  3. Click Create New Subscription Type.

Step 2: Enter Subscription Details

  1. Give your subscription a name (e.g. “Minimum Term”).

  2. Add a description if needed.

  3. Choose the address (or create a new one from the dropdown).

  4. Set the cost (e.g. £20 per month).

  5. Adjust optional settings such as:

    • One-time cost.

    • Free trial or delayed start date.

    • Capacity limit (to restrict the number of subscribers).

Step 3: Set a Minimum Period

  1. Tick the option Set a minimum period.

  2. Enter the minimum term (in months or weeks, depending on your subscription type).

    • Example: 2 months.

  3. This ensures that:

    • Customers will see their subscription as locked in their account.

    • They cannot cancel until the minimum period has ended.

Step 4: Save and Review

  1. Add a category if required.

  2. Click Next, then Save.

  3. Your new subscription will now appear in your list.

Step 5: Test the Subscription in the Booking Widget

  1. Go to your booking widget.

  2. Select the location where you set up the subscription.

  3. You should see the new subscription listed with its minimum term (e.g. “£20 per month, minimum subscription of 2 months”).

  4. Subscribe as normal to test the process.

Step 6: Manage Minimum Term Subscriptions as the Business Owner

  1. Go to Business → Subscriptions.

  2. Open the subscription type and click View Subscriptions.

  3. You’ll see your usual management icons (pause, transfer).

  4. Instead of a standard cancel button, you’ll see a padlock icon:

    • This indicates the subscriber is within their minimum term.

    • You can still cancel manually if necessary, but the system will warn you that they are in the locked period.

  5. Once the minimum period has passed, the normal cancel option will reappear for both you and your customer.

Conclusion

Setting a minimum term on subscriptions gives you greater control, ensuring customers commit for a set period before being able to cancel. While customers cannot cancel during this time, you as the business owner still retain the ability to do so if needed.

For further help, contact support@bookthatin.com