Subscription Bot Lifecycle (Discord)

This guide explains what happens after a member pays using your Discord subscription bot: access granted, how members manage subscriptions, what happens at expiration, and how cancellations work.

Prerequisites

To follow this guide end-to-end, it helps if you already have:

• At least one subscription plan set up: see Create Plans
• Your Discord bot connected: Discord Subscription Bot Setup
• Members know the basics (especially /memberships): see Bot Commands

Access Granted

When a payment completes successfully, BotSubscription automatically:

1. Grants access - The member gets access based on the plan they purchased (role on Discord)
2. Sends confirmation - The member sees a confirmation message in chat

What you should see

• The member can access your premium content for the duration of their subscription
• The member can verify status in /memberships

No manual intervention is required. The bot handles everything automatically based on your plan configuration.

Managing Memberships

Members can view and manage their subscriptions through two interfaces:

• Bot commands - Use /memberships to view active subscriptions, expiry dates, and manage renewals directly in Discord or Telegram
• Web portal - Use the member-facing portal for a full dashboard experience (if you share it)

Both interfaces provide the same core functionality. See Bot Commands for a complete command reference.

Web Portal

Members can also manage their subscriptions through the web portal at your project URL. The portal allows them to:

• View active and past subscriptions
• See payment history
• Download invoices (if enabled)
• Update billing information
• Cancel subscriptions

Share your portal URL with members who prefer web-based management over bot commands. For portal-related docs, see Web Portal.

Subscription Expiration

When a Subscription Expires

When the expiry date passes and no renewal occurs:

1. Access is removed - The member loses access tied to the subscription (role removed on Discord)
2. Member notified - The member receives a message that their access has ended

What you should see

• The member no longer has the premium role / cannot access premium channels
• The member can re-subscribe at any time

This happens automatically at the scheduled expiry time. The member loses access immediately but can re-subscribe at any time.

Why Did My Member Lose Access?

Common reasons members lose access unexpectedly:

• Subscription expired - Check the expiry date in your dashboard
• Payment failed - For recurring subscriptions, the renewal payment may have failed
• Manual removal - An admin may have removed the membership
• Role deleted - If the premium role was deleted from Discord/Telegram, the bot can't assign it

Use the /memberships command or check your dashboard to see the member's subscription status and history.

Cancellation

Member-Initiated Cancellation

Members can cancel their subscriptions through:

• The /memberships command in the bot
• The web portal (self-service)
• Contacting you (the admin) to cancel on their behalf

When a subscription is cancelled:

• Access continues until the original expiry date (they've already paid for this period)
• Auto-renewal stops - No future charges will occur

Admin-Initiated Cancellation

As an admin, you can cancel or remove memberships through:

• Bot command - Use /memberships to find and manage user memberships
• API - Use the Delete Membership endpoint

Re-subscribing

Former subscribers can re-subscribe at any time using the same subscription flow as new subscribers.

If a member re-subscribes while they’re still active, have them check /memberships (or the web portal) to confirm the new expiry date and what access is currently active.

Recurring vs One-Time Subscriptions

Recurring Subscriptions

• Payment is automatically charged at each billing cycle
• Access continues seamlessly if payment succeeds
• If payment fails, the member receives a notification to update their payment info
• Member can cancel anytime to stop future charges

One-Time Subscriptions

• Single payment for a fixed duration
• No automatic renewal - member must manually re-subscribe
• Reminder notifications encourage renewal before expiry

The subscription type is configured when you create the plan. See Create Plans for setup details.

Common Issues

A member paid, but access didn’t update

• Ask them to check /memberships first: Bot Commands
• On Discord, confirm the BotSubscription role is above the premium role(s): Discord Subscription Bot Setup

Members can’t find where to manage subscriptions

Point them to /memberships and (optionally) your Web Portal.

FAQ

Do members need to contact me to cancel?

No—members can cancel themselves via /memberships or the web portal. You can also cancel on their behalf if needed.

Where can I see subscription status quickly?

For day-to-day support, /memberships is the fastest check. For a broader view, use the web portal.

Telegram: Subscription Lifecycle (Coming Soon)

Next Steps