Want to offer extra perks with your subscriptions or charge a setup fee?
Add-ons are those extra products or services you can tack onto a recurring plan (think of a gym offering personal training sessions as an add-on to a membership). You can also use add-ons to apply one-time charges, like an onboarding cost.
This article will show you how to create add-ons and use them for both recurring extras and one-time fees.
In this article
Creating add-ons
To create an add-on, navigate to the Recurring tool and select Add-ons from the left side, then click Create add-on.
In your Helcim account, go to the Recurring tool.
Navigate to Payment Links.
Basic info for the add-on
You'll need to provide some basic information for your add-on:
Add-on name: Enter a clear and descriptive name.
Description: Add a brief description of the add-on.
Quantity: If you want to let customers select how many of the add-on they want (e.g., multiple personal training sessions), you can enable quantity selection.
Add-on pricing
Next, you'll set the pricing for the add-on:
Pricing: Enter the price of the add-on.
Charge type: Choose whether the add-on is a:
One-time charge: Charged only once.
Recurring: Added to each billing cycle.
The summary on the right side of the screen will update as you enter these details, so you can see how the add-on will appear.
Linking add-ons to a plan
Once you've created an add-on, you'll probably want to attach it to a subscription plan.
You can do this in a couple of ways.
Click the Add to Plan button after creating the add-on.
Go to the Plans tab, select the plan you want to modify, and then in the plan's summary view, go to the Add-ons tab and click Link Add-ons.
Then, you can either choose an existing add-on from the list or create a new one.
Adding subscribers with add-ons
Now, let's see how to add those add-ons when you're adding a subscriber to a plan.
When adding a subscriber to a plan with linked add-ons, click Choose Add-on.
Select the add-ons you want to include.
If quantity selection is enabled, adjust the quantity using the stepper.
Select Add
The subscriber will be charged the base rate and add-on on their next billing date.
| You can also add an add-on to an existing subscriber by selecting their name under Subscriptions, and then the Add-ons tab on the right-hand side. Select Manage add-ons and repeat the steps above. |
Next steps
Great job! You've created your first add-on. Now you can link it to your plans and start offering more flexibility to your subscribers.
| To learn more about managing your recurring payment plans, including how to edit plans and billing cycles, check out the Manage recurring payment plans article. |
FAQ
Can I add more than one add-on to a plan?
Yes, you can link multiple add-ons to a single plan. This allows you to offer a variety of extra options to your customers.
For example, if you offer a software subscription, you could have add-ons for extra storage, priority support, or access to premium features. When linking add-ons, remember to review the timeline to ensure both one-time and recurring add-ons are billed as expected.
Can I edit an add-on after I've created it?
Yes, you can edit the details of an add-on. This includes the name, description, and price.
To edit an add-on, navigate to the Add-ons section within the Recurring tool.
Select the add-on you want to change.
Select the three dots in the corner and then Edit Add-on.
Make your updates, and then hit Save.
Any changes you make will apply to all plans and subscriptions associated with the add-on.
Will one-time charges appear on every invoice?
No, one-time charges are only applied once, on the invoice for the next billing cycle.
If an add-on is set as recurring, it will appear on every invoice for the subscription duration.