Frequently Asked Questions

Subscription billing software manages the recurring payments for subscription-based products and services. This includes invoicing, payment collection, and revenue recognition. More advanced subscription billing software also includes automation and AI features that can handle tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously, like creating and sending invoices automatically.

Recurring billing software automates the payment process for recurring charges while subscription billing manages customer access to a product or service, often with different tiers of subscription.

With subscription billing software, billing for sometimes-complex subscription products is streamlined, consolidates data and operations, reduces manual errors via automatic updates and task completion, and expedites payments. And with the billing process accurate and fast, the customer experience is improved.

While critical features for subscription billing software will vary depending upon your business or industry, the most commonly used ones are: invoicing (ideally automated), payment processing, billing management for special use cases like proration, and reporting. AI is increasingly becoming important, as it helps manage the workflow, reduce human errors, and speeds time to payment.

By streamlining the billing process for subscription and automating key tasks, speed to payment is accelerated, customer satisfaction is improved, and revenue is recognized quickly — all of which support revenue growth.

While a wide range of industries use recurring billing software, it's commonly used in streaming, online subscriptions or subscription boxes, fitness centers, digital media publications, utility companies, and learning platforms.

In general, yes, subscription billing software can be integrated with CRM and accounting systems, though it's always advisable to check each option you're considering to see what integrations are possible. It's also important to note that integrations, while allowing you to sync data across financial tools, can sometimes be difficult owing to different data formats. A better option may be to find a solution with subscription billing, CRM, and accounting functionality combined on one platform.

The software provides notifications of upcoming payments and flags failed payments, which reduces payment lapses. It also provides metrics on customer churn, which provides insights to help organizations make data-driven decisions to reduce customer churn.

If a payment fails, the software typically notifies both the customer and the organization so they can solve the issue together. Additionally, the platform typically automatically retries the payment after a set period of time to ensure payment is processed.

Recurring billing software typically uses advanced security techniques such as encryption and controlled access to ensure security of sensitive customer data. However, organizations must also ensure good cybersecurity habits.