Toogle Automatic Payments on in Subscriptions

[ANardini]

I’d like to submit a feature request regarding subscription billing functionality in HubSpot.

Currently, once a subscription is created with manual payments(which is the only option on first invoicing), there is no way to convert it to automatic payments, even after a client’s payment method has been securely stored and the client has selected the check box to secure and charge future payments. This creates a major bottleneck for agencies like mine who are trying to streamline recurring billing processes.

I recently created over 25 subscriptions, expecting to be able to toggle to auto-pay once payment methods were saved. Instead, I now have to:

1. Cancel each manual subscription.
2. Avoid triggering client confusion with cancel notification (which currently is not possible per your chat support).
3. Send a new invoice to collect a stored payment method. Which is already a functionality within subscriptions.
4. Recreate each subscription from scratch with automatic billing enabled.

This not only triples the amount of work, but HubSpot does not currently offer any option to suppress or manage the cancellation notice sent to clients during this process. Then cancel all the subscriptions. This creates unnecessary confusion for customers, many of whom may assume they are being dropped or charged incorrectly. My only option is to update each subscription payment contact to my email.

I’ve used other CRM systems, including Vendasta (also Stripe-integrated), which do allow users to:

• Convert manual subscriptions to automatic with stored payment methods
• Suppress or customize cancellation notices when subscriptions must be edited or reissued
• Automatic Payment from the first invoice

These features were instrumental in maintaining client trust and reducing administrative burden.

Feature requests:

1. Enable toggling between manual and automatic subscription billing when a valid stored payment method exists.
2. Provide a way to disable or customize subscription cancellation notifications when canceling and re-creating subscriptions as part of standard workflows.

These enhancements would significantly reduce billing friction and improve the client experience across the board. Please note that the same box that must be checked in Payment links is already in subscriptions, so we just need to be able to toggle on automatic payments. 

[ANardini]

I’d also like to add a few more feature requests to this ticket based on recent billing experiences:

1. Add Multiple Billing Contacts to a Subscription
   It would be extremely helpful to assign multiple billing contacts per subscription. This ensures that invoices are received by all relevant parties (e.g., bookkeepers, business owners, office managers) and makes it easier to track who authorized or processed payment—especially with automatic billing.

2. Toggle from Automatic to Manual Billing
   Just as we'd like to toggle to automatic billing after storing a payment method, we should also be able to toggle back to manual billing when needed. This adds flexibility for evolving client preferences.

3. Clarify Email Subject Line for Automatic Billing Notifications
   Currently, the subject line on automatic billing emails says something like “You authorized a payment,” which can be misleading. Many clients believe a charge has already occurred when, in fact, it’s scheduled for a future date. Clearer language or customization of this subject line would reduce confusion and unnecessary client support inquiries.

These additional updates would significantly improve the usability of HubSpot’s subscription billing tools for agencies and their clients.

[chandrasekhar12]

The option to turn automatic payments on or off is a must for customers, especially when they want full control over their subscriptions. A similar feature is also found in the Magento 2 Recurring and Subscription payment system. In this, customers can decide for themselves whether they want to make payments automatically or manually.

Magento 2 subscription payments allow store owners to create subscription plans that are customized to their customers—such as monthly, weekly, or a custom schedule. Customers can pause, resume, or change the payment method at any time. This kind of transparency greatly increases customer trust and satisfaction.

[hhiggins]

Hi there! My name is Hallie, and I'm a Program Manager on the CXM Team. I'm marking this as 'in beta' because there is a beta feature for allowing automatic payments after the first invoice payment. There's more info below, and you can opt into the beta from the product updates section in your account. It's called "Allow automatic payments after the first invoice payment towards a subscription" 🙂

I would recommend separating the cancellation request portion of the request as a separate feature request, since that would be a separate feature the product team may work on (and we aim to keep a feature request to one main ask). That way, we can update an idea specific to that request in the future if that goes into development. In the meantime, please continue to leave feedback as you use the beta for automatic billing after the first invoice payment!

[hhiggins]

This is now live for all hubs & tiers!