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About This Guide

This section describes this guide and where to find further information.
Audience and Purpose
This guide is intended for merchants on the Visa Acceptance platform.
Conventions
This statement appears in this document:
An
Important
 statement contains information essential to successfully completing a task or learning a concept.
This guide instructs you on the introductory processes and best practices for the partner platform, and it provides you with the core processes necessary to use it effectively. It also contains training on the tools and systems designed specifically for partner workflows, such as how to create, view, and manage plans and recurring subscriptions and describes how they integrate with platform processes and features.

Recent Revisions to This Guide

26.06.8

Current platform Version.
Updated documentation content to include more detailed plan management and life cycle information.

26.03.12

Previous platform Version.
Initial release.

Introduction to Plans

Plans
 are the foundational feature of recurring billing. This section introduces key concepts about plans and describes how to manage, create, edit, and update plans and their statuses.

What are Plans?

Plans are re-usable billing templates that define the structure of recurring payments for your customers. Each plan specifies the amount, billing frequency, duration, and optional set-up fees that apply to customer subscriptions.
Plans are templates, while
Subscriptions
 are the active billing agreements with customers that use those templates. You can create a plan once and use it for multiple customers.

Access Plans

Follow these steps to access the Plans section:
  1. Log in to your account.
  2. In the left navigation menu, click
    Plans
    .
    If you have not yet created a plan, the Plans section will display an empty list with a quick link to create your first plan.

Plan Statuses

Plans have two statuses that control their availability for creating new subscriptions:
Active
Ready for you to create new subscriptions.
Inactive
Existing subscriptions continue, but you cannot create new subscriptions.

Create and Configure Plans

Creating a plan involves defining the billing structure's frequency and duration and the optional set-up fees that apply to customer subscriptions. This section describes how to create and configure new plans with appropriate settings for billing.

Create a New Plan

Follow these steps to create a plan:
  1. Sign in to the dashboard, and click
    Create Plan
    .
  2. In the
    Plan name
     field, type a plan name.
  3. (Optional) In the
    Plan description
     field, type a plan description.
  4. From the
    Amount
     drop-down menu, choose a currency.
  5. From the
    Frequency
     drop-down menu, choose the billing frequency. If you choose a custom frequency, follow Steps
    a
     and
    b
    . If you do not choose a custom frequency, skip to Step 6.
    1. Set the billing frequency. In the
      Repeat every
       field, enter a repetition number.
    2. From the
      Frequency
      drop-down menu, choose the type of time period.
  6. From the
    Billing cycles
     drop-down menu, choose
    Indefinite
     or
    Set number of billing cycles
    . If you choose
    Set number of billing cycles
    , follow Step
    a
    . If you choose
    Indefinite
    , skip to the optional Step 7.
    1. In the Billing Cycles field, type the billing cycle number.
  7. (Optional) To include an initial set-up fee, click the
    Set-up fee
     field, and type the initial set-up fee.
  8. Click
    Save Plan
    .
    The plan is created with the Active status and is immediately available for creating subscriptions.

Plan Fields

This section lists all fields present when you create or edit a plan and its description:

Configurable Fields

Plan name
Use a unique, descriptive name (for example, Premium Monthly - $50).
This field is required, and it can later be edited.
Plan description
(Optional) Additional details about the plan.
This field can later be edited.
Currency
Billing currency (for example, USD, CAD, EUR, GBP).
This field is required, and it cannot later be edited.
Amount
Recurring charge per billing cycle.
This field is required, and it can later be edited. If it is changed, it applies to future but not existing subscriptions.
Frequency
Billing frequency. This frequency can be configured to every day, every week, every month, every quarter, every year, or Custom.
This field is required, and it cannot later be edited.
Billing cycles
Duration of the subscription. This value can be set to indefinite or to a specific number of cycles.
This field is required. It can later be edited, but the value can be increased and not decreased.
Setup fee
(Optional) One-time charge added to the first payment.
This field can later be edited. If it is changed, it applies to future but not existing subscriptions.
Currency and frequency cannot be changed. If you need to apply different values to these fields, you must create a new plan.

Frequency Options

You assign a frequency to your billing plans when you create them. You can choose from preset frequencies or create a custom schedule:
Billing Frequencies
Frequency
Description
Every day
Daily billing.
Every week
Weekly billing.
Every month
Monthly billing.
Every quarter
Billing every 3 months.
Every year
Annual billing.
Custom
Define your own time period (for example, every 6 months).

Billing Cycles

This section describes the differences between an indefinite and a set number of billing cycles:
Indefinite
The subscription continues until manually cancelled. Used for ongoing services.
Set number of billing cycles
The subscription automatically ends after specified payments. Used for fixed-term contracts or installment plans.

Set-up Fees

Set-up fees are optional one-time charges applied only to the first billing payment. Use them for customer boarding, activation, or initial set-up costs.
Example: A 50.00/month plan with a 25.00 setup fee charges 75.00 for the first month and 50.00 for all subsequent months.

Manage Plans

The section describes how to use the Plans tab to view, search, filter, and sort all of your plans.

Plans List Overview

The Plans list displays all of your plans and their details in a table format. These are the plan details:
Plan name
Descriptive name of the plan.
Amount
Recurring amount charged for and the currency of the plan.
Billing frequency
Billing period or interval (for example, Every month).
Billing cycles
Either indefinite or number of billing cycles.
Status
Active or inactive.
Actions
Three-dot drop-down menu ( ) for plan actions.

Search and Filter Capabilities

The Plans list provides search, filter, sorting, and pagination features to help you find and manage plans.

Search

The search feature enables you to find plans by name.

Filters

Filter plans in either of two ways:
  • Frequency Filter:
     Filters plans by billing frequency, including All, Every day, Every week, Every month, Every quarter, Every year, and Custom.
  • Status Filter:
     Filters plans by status, including Active, Inactive, or All plans.

Sorting

Column-based sorting helps you to organize plans by any displayed field, with the ability to toggle between ascending and descending order.

Pagination

Pagination controls enable you to adjust the number of items displayed per page (10, 20, 50, or 100).

View Plans

Follow these steps to view, search, and filter plans:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the plan name in the list, or click the three-dot drop-down menu ( ) and click
    View details
    .

Search Plans

Follow these steps to search plans:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the
    Search
     field and enter the text for your search.
    Results populate in real time as you type.

Filter Plans by Frequency

Follow these steps to filter plans by specific billing frequencies:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the
    Frequency
     filter.
  3. Select a billing frequency or multiple billing frequencies (All, Every day, Every week, Every month, Every quarter, Every year, or Custom).
    Only plans that possess the selected frequency or frequencies are shown. You can check multiple frequency boxes at once.

Filter Plans by Status

Follow these steps to filter plans by specific status.
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the
    Status
     filter.
  3. Choose one or more Status option (Active, Inactive, or All).
    Only plans that possess the selected status are shown. You can check multiple status check boxes at once.

Sort Plans

Follow these steps to sort plans by any column value:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click any column header to sort that field by ascending order.
  3. Click the column header again to sort that field by descending order.

Adjust Pagination

Follow these steps to adjust the number of plans displayed per page:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Use the page number drop-down menu to display 10, 20, 50, or 100 plans per page.

View Plan Details

Follow these steps to view a plan's information and associated subscriptions:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the plan name in the list, or click the three-dot drop-down menu ( ) and select
    View details
    .
    The plan details page displays this information:
    • A complete plan configuration, including details and status.
    • A list of all subscriptions using this plan, including customer name and next billing date.
    • The Action menu options.

Actions Menu

The Actions three-dot drop-down menu ( ) provides quick access to plan operations. A plan's status (active or inactive) determines which actions are available:

For Active Plans

View details
Open full plan information.
Create subscription
Quickly enroll a customer on that plan.
Edit plan
Modify plan settings.
Deactivate plan
Prevent new subscriptions, but current subscriptions are unaffected.
Delete plan
Remove plan (if there are no active subscriptions associated with the plan).

For Inactive Plans

View details
Open full plan information.
Edit plan
Modify plan settings.
Delete plan
Remove plan (if there are no active subscriptions associated with the plan).
Inactive plans do not have the Create subscription option because they cannot be used for new subscriptions.

Edit and Update Plans

You can edit certain aspects of existing plans, but some fields have restrictions to protect existing subscriptions and maintain billing integrity. This section describes the restrictions and considerations for modifying plans and how to edit existing plans.

Edit a Plan

Follow these steps to modify an existing plan:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the three-dot drop-down menu ( ), or open the Plan details for the plan.
  3. Click
    Edit plan
    . An edit form appears.
  4. Modify the plan's details in the edit form.
  5. Click
    Save
    .
    Changes to the amount and set-up fee apply only to subscriptions that are created after a plan is edited. Existing subscriptions are unaffected. The billing frequency and currency of a plan cannot be edited.

How Editing a Plan Affects Subscriptions

It is important to understand how changes affect subscriptions. Restrictions protect existing customers from unexpected changes while enabling you to update plans for new subscriptions.

Protecting Existing Subscriptions

Changes to pricing fields (amount and set-up fee) apply only to new subscriptions created after a plan is edited. Existing subscriptions continue with their original pricing to protect customers from unexpected changes. This means:
  • Current customers maintain their original pricing terms.
  • New customers receive the updated pricing.
  • You can track which customers are on each version of the plan.
Certain fields like currency and frequency cannot be edited because it could significantly impact billing calculations for existing subscriptions. If you need to change these fields, create a new plan instead.

Best Practice

When making significant changes to pricing or terms, consider creating a new plan rather than editing an existing one. This provides a clearer differentiation between old and new plan and subscription offerings and makes it easier for you to track which customers are on each plan version.

Plan Life Cycle

Plans have a life cycle that includes active and inactive states, and you can deactivate, reactivate, or permanently delete plans based on your business needs. This sections describes how to manage plan life cycles through deactivation, reactivation, and deletion.

When to Deactivate a Plan

There are instances when deactivating a plan might be the appropriate action for your business needs. Deactivating a plan is appropriate in these situations:
  • Discontinuing a product or service.
  • Replacing a plan with a new version.
  • Preventing new sign-ups temporarily.

Deactivate a Plan

Follow these steps to deactivate a plan:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the three-dot drop-down menu ( ) or
    Plan details
     for the plan.
  3. Select
    Deactivate plan
    . A confirmation dialog appears.
    The plan status changes to Inactive, and it becomes unavailable for new subscriptions.

Reactivate a Plan

Follow these steps to make an inactive plan available for creating new subscriptions:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Filter by Inactive status to find the plan.
  3. Click the three-dot drop-down menu ( ) or
    Plan details
    .
  4. Click
    Activate plan
    .
  5. A confirmation message appears. Confirm the action.
    The plan becomes immediately available for creating new subscriptions.

Delete a Plan

Verify that the plan has no subscriptions before attempting to delete it.
Follow these steps to permanently delete a plan:
  1. Navigate to the
    Plans
     tab.
  2. Click the three-dot menu ( ) or
    Plan details
    .
  3. Click
    Delete plan
    .
  4. A confirmation message appears. Confirm the action.
    The plan is permanently removed from the system. If the plan has any subscriptions, an error message appears. If this occurs, consider instead deactivating the plan to prevent new subscriptions while keeping existing ones.