Help with S2Member workflow

I am trying to work out the best way of setting up S2 Member to work in my particular scenario but since I am new to it I am finding it tricky. I am not expecting a line by lie tutorial on how to do this, just a brief steer so I can get up to speed a little quicker.

The scenario:

Background.
I have a site where I want to simply restrict by URL so I have set things up so everything beyond the /secure/ url is protected.

I do not want anyone to gain access the /secure/ part of the site without first registering/subscribing so I have hidden the menu on the home page. The home page contains links to register or login only.

I want to offer 30 days free membership but thereafter have the monthly subscription fee taken automatically.

Questions.
1. Membership Sign Up.
How can I force users to signup for membership and setup the subscription but not take any money for 30 days? In setting up the subscription is the WP account then also created automatically or is this a separate process?

2. If I am unable to get new users to signup and setup monthly billing to occur in 30 days how can I set things up so the system prompts the user to setup the payment. Can a free account expire in 30 days? I did try to see in the config if this was possible but I can not find how to do it.

3. Once a user has an account how can I make it possible for them to manage their subscription. I can see how to allow them to change their email address and password but not any subscription options.

I think i can answer a couple of your question, simply by having used s2M for a bit, but i am not techie.

1. Membership Sign Up.
How can I force users to signup for membership and setup the subscription but not take any money for 30 days? In setting up the subscription is the WP account then also created automatically or is this a separate process?

In creating a Paypal button, you get many possible options, and among them, you can set up a trial period (which could be from 1 day to 5 years) that can be free or at any price you choose, and then, the recurring payment would kick in.

2. If I am unable to get new users to signup and setup monthly billing to occur in 30 days how can I set things up so the system prompts the user to setup the payment. Can a free account expire in 30 days? I did try to see in the config if this was possible but I can not find how to do it.

You can probably use a conditional. Something like this:
– get your subscription either a name or a level (depending on what you offer)
– if the user does not have the name (which would be a custom capability) or the level you want, you can have a particular button or message stating “please sign up/register for….”
– if the user already has the correct subscription, that message or button would not appear

I dont think a free registration can expire.

3. Once a user has an account how can I make it possible for them to manage their subscription. I can see how to allow them to change their email address and password but not any subscription options.

That part i dont know so maybe a more experience member might answer this.

Hi Andrew.

1. Cassel is right, you can give a 30 day trial with your subscription. The s2Member shortcode generators for buttons and pro-forms let you add the trial. [hilite path]Dashboard -› s2Member® -› PayPal® Buttons -› Membership Level # Buttons[/hilite]

2. The subscription is created right away, even if the first payment happens 30 days later. If the payment doesn’t happen, then PayPal will notify s2Member and the end-of-term behavior would be triggered. [hilite path]Dashboard -› s2Member® -› PayPal® Options -› Automatic EOT Behavior[/hilite]

3. They’d manage the subscription from their PayPal accounts. s2Member provides a shortcode for a subscription modification and cancellation, so you can add it to their Login Welcome or some other page. Video » s2Member (Modification/Cancellation Buttons)

I hope that helps. :)