Cancel subscriptions/shortcode best practices

I have a buddypress online classroom site, where users register for classes, which they then get access to for 6 months. These classes are one time things – at the end of the class session, I close the class, and a new term starts with new classes and new custom capabilities. In addition, I have a couple of ‘alumni’ groups, which ARE recurring – the student signs up and chooses a monthly, quarterly, or yearly payment plan.

My question is twofold:
1) How can I set this up so that students can cancel or modify their membership in an alumni group (leave, upgrade, etc.)
2) Is there a better ‘best practices’ way to set up this system with respect to the shortcodes, ‘buy now’ vs. recurring, etc.?

Below is a shortcode for a WORKING spot in a class (each class comes with it’s own custom capabilities).

[s2Member-Pro-PayPal-Form level="1" ccaps="clearmind_working_winter2013" desc="Clear Mind Working Spot $200 USD / One Time ( for 6 month access, non-recurring )" ps="onlineclassroom" lc="" cc="USD" dg="0" ns="1" custom="classroom.mysite.com" ta="0" tp="0" tt="D" ra="200" rp="6" rt="M" rr="0" rrt="" rra="2" accept="paypal,visa,mastercard,amex,discover,maestro,solo" accept_via_paypal="paypal" coupon="" accept_coupons="1" default_country_code="" captcha="0" /]

Below is a shortcode for an AUDITING spot in that same class:

[s2Member-Pro-PayPal-Form level="2" ccaps="clearmind_auditing_winter2013" desc="Clear Mind Auditing Spot $100 USD / One Time ( for 6 month access, non-recurring )" ps="onlineclassroom" lc="" cc="USD" dg="0" ns="1" custom="classroom.mysite.com" ta="0" tp="0" tt="D" ra="100" rp="6" rt="M" rr="0" rrt="" rra="2" accept="paypal,visa,mastercard,amex,discover,maestro,solo" accept_via_paypal="paypal" coupon="" accept_coupons="1" default_country_code="" captcha="0" /]

And below is a shortcode for ongoing membership in an ‘alumni’ class, on a yearly basis:

[s2Member-Pro-PayPal-Form level="1" ccaps="clearmindalumni" desc="1 Weeks free / then $144 USD / Yearly ( recurring charge, for ongoing access )" ps="onlineclassroom" lc="" cc="USD" dg="0" ns="1" custom="classroom.mysite.com" ta="0" tp="2" tt="W" ra="144" rp="1" rt="Y" rr="1" rrt="" rra="2" accept="paypal,visa,mastercard,amex,discover,maestro,solo" accept_via_paypal="paypal" coupon="" accept_coupons="0" default_country_code="" captcha="0" /]

I’ve been using S2Member for over a year now, and I just want to thank you guys so much for all your ongoing help. This plugin and your support are amazing. It WORKS. And it’s FLEXIBLE. And SIMPLE. And I am very thankful.

Happy Holidays,
Daisy

1) How can I set this up so that students can cancel or modify their membership in an alumni group (leave, upgrade, etc.)

You can have a page called My Account, or use the Login Welcome one, to add the cancellation button if the user has a subscription, or offer the upgrade if he doesn’t have a subscription yet. The modification button would be needed if he has a subscription and needs to modify it.

Now, since you sell ccaps, keep in mind that if the user then gets a subscription and ends it, the demotion would remove all ccaps, including those that weren’t gotten when they bought the subscription. You’d need to hack the EOT behavior to avoid this. Not sure if this’d be an issue in your setup, though.

2) Is there a better ‘best practices’ way to set up this system with respect to the shortcodes, ‘buy now’ vs. recurring, etc.?

I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Could you please explain some more?

Below is a shortcode for a WORKING spot in a class (each class comes with it’s own custom capabilities).

Below is a shortcode for an AUDITING spot in that same class:

Since those are not recurring, and you’re not using the trial/initial term, it may be better to make them buy-now instead of a non-recurring subscription. Chage the rr to [hilite mono]rr="BN"[/hilite]. [hilite path]Dashboard -› s2Member® -› PayPal® Pro Forms -› Shortcode Attributes -> rr[/hilite]

I don’t remember if you have PayPal Pro or if you’re using Express Checkout only… If the latter, then selling a buy-now instead of a subscription, would let the customer pay with just a card and not be required to login to his PayPal account. Also, with a buy-now the EOT time is set immediately, but I’m not sure if you have a use for this.

I’ve been using S2Member for over a year now, and I just want to thank you guys so much for all your ongoing help. This plugin and your support are amazing. It WORKS. And it’s FLEXIBLE. And SIMPLE. And I am very thankful.

You’re so nice. Thank you very much for the kudos. It means a lot to us when we get such a nice comment like yours. :)

Happy Holidays to you too!

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Cristián Lávaque.

Got busy with the holidays and forgot about this :)

You answered my questions, thanks! I am using Paypal Pro. I just wasn’t sure if the EOT thing was even needed – at first I thought it was, but basically I set the EOT by deleting the class when I am through with it :) Once it’s gone, it doesn’t matter if the user has the ccap, the group isn’t in existence anyway.

THanks!

Great. :)