WP Payment Pal Documentation
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Subscription Email Notifications

Automatically notify customers about subscription events like activation, renewal, and cancellation. This guide covers subscription-specific email notifications.

Reading time: 4 minutes | Difficulty: Intermediate

Overview

Automatically notify customers about subscription events like activation, renewal, and cancellation. This guide covers subscription-specific email notifications.

Prerequisites

  • Subscription forms created
  • Email settings configured
  • Understanding of subscription lifecycle

Subscription Email Types

Email Trigger Recipient
Subscription Confirmation Subscription activated Customer
Subscription Renewal Recurring payment succeeds Customer
Payment Failed Billing fails Customer
Subscription Cancelled Subscription ends Customer
Admin Subscription Alert Any subscription event Admin
Subscription email settings

Accessing Subscription Email Settings

Global Settings

  1. Go to WP Payment Pal > Settings
  2. Click the Emails tab
  3. Find subscription-related sections
Subscription emails expanded

Per-Form Settings

  1. Edit a subscription form
  2. Click the Notifications tab
  3. Configure subscription notifications

Subscription Confirmation Email

Sent when a new subscription is created.

Template

Subject: Welcome to your {form_title} subscription!

Hi {payer_name},

Your subscription is now active!

SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
────────────────────
Plan: {form_title}
Amount: {amount} per {billing_cycle}
Started: {date}
Next billing: {next_billing_date}
Subscription ID: {subscription_id}

WHAT'S NEXT
───────────
Your subscription benefits are now available.
Log in to access your account.

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
────────────────────────
View and manage your subscription anytime:
[Portal Link]

Questions? Reply to this email.

Welcome aboard!
[Company Name]

Subscription Renewal Email

Sent after each successful recurring payment.

Template

Subject: Payment received - {form_title} subscription

Hi {payer_name},

Your subscription payment was successful!

PAYMENT DETAILS
───────────────
Plan: {form_title}
Amount: {amount}
Date: {date}
Transaction ID: {transaction_id}

NEXT PAYMENT
────────────
Your next payment of {amount} will be charged
on {next_billing_date}.

Manage your subscription:
[Portal Link]

Thank you for your continued support!
[Company Name]

Payment Failed Email

Sent when a recurring payment fails.

Template

Subject: ⚠️ Payment failed - Action required

Hi {payer_name},

We were unable to process your subscription payment.

SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
────────────────────
Plan: {form_title}
Amount: {amount}
Failed on: {date}

WHAT TO DO
──────────
Please update your payment method to continue
your subscription:
[Update Payment Link]

If you don't update within 7 days, your subscription
may be cancelled.

NEED HELP?
──────────
If you believe this is an error, please contact us
at [email protected].

[Company Name]

Subscription Cancelled Email

Sent when a subscription is cancelled.

Template

Subject: Your subscription has been cancelled

Hi {payer_name},

Your subscription to {form_title} has been cancelled.

CANCELLATION DETAILS
────────────────────
Plan: {form_title}
Cancelled on: {date}
Subscription ID: {subscription_id}

WHAT THIS MEANS
───────────────
- No further charges will be made
- Your access continues until [end date]
- You can resubscribe anytime

WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK
──────────────────────────
If you change your mind, you can resubscribe here:
[Resubscribe Link]

Was there something we could have done better?
Reply and let us know.

Take care,
[Company Name]

Smart Tags for Subscriptions

Tag Description
{subscription_id} PayPal subscription ID
{billing_cycle} “Monthly”, “Yearly”, etc.
{next_billing_date} Next charge date
{amount} Recurring amount
{payer_name} Subscriber name
{payer_email} Subscriber email
{form_title} Subscription plan name
{date} Event date

Admin Subscription Notifications

Get notified of subscription events:

New Subscription Alert

Subject: 🎉 New subscription: {form_title}

NEW SUBSCRIBER
──────────────
Name: {payer_name}
Email: {payer_email}
Plan: {form_title}
Amount: {amount} / {billing_cycle}
Date: {date}

Subscription ID: {subscription_id}

Cancellation Alert

Subject: ⚠️ Subscription cancelled: {payer_name}

CANCELLATION
────────────
Subscriber: {payer_name}
Email: {payer_email}
Plan: {form_title}
Date: {date}

Consider reaching out to understand why.

Email Timing

Event Email Sent
Signup Immediately after activation
Renewal After successful charge
Failure After PayPal notifies of failure
Cancellation Immediately after cancellation

Trial Period Emails

For subscriptions with trials:

Trial Start

Subject: Your free trial has started!

Hi {payer_name},

Your {trial_days}-day free trial of {form_title}
has begun!

TRIAL DETAILS
─────────────
Plan: {form_title}
Trial ends: {trial_end_date}
First charge: {amount} on {first_billing_date}

Explore everything included in your trial...

Trial Ending Reminder

Consider sending a reminder before trial ends:

  • 3 days before
  • 1 day before

Enabling/Disabling Emails

For each email type:

  1. Go to Settings > Emails
  2. Find the email type
  3. Toggle On or Off
  4. Save changes

Customization Per Form

Each subscription form can have:

  • Different email content
  • Different notification settings
  • Unique branding

Override global settings in form Notifications tab.

Best Practices

Confirmation Emails

  • Welcome warmly
  • Explain what’s included
  • Provide access instructions
  • Include support contact

Renewal Emails

  • Keep it brief
  • Confirm the charge
  • Show next billing date
  • Provide management link

Failed Payment Emails

  • Urgent but not alarming
  • Clear call-to-action
  • Easy way to fix
  • Support contact

Cancellation Emails

  • Be graceful
  • Thank them
  • Explain what happens
  • Offer to return

Testing Subscription Emails

  1. Create a test subscription (Sandbox)
  2. Verify confirmation email
  3. Trigger a test renewal (via PayPal Sandbox)
  4. Test cancellation flow

Troubleshooting

Emails not sending

  • Check email type is enabled
  • Verify webhook receiving events
  • Test email server connection

Wrong timing

  • Emails depend on PayPal webhooks
  • Verify webhooks are configured
  • Check for delays in processing

Missing information

  • Verify Smart Tags
  • Check data is captured
  • Test with known values

What’s Next?

Last Modified: February 26, 2026