Can Systeme.io Handle Subscription Payments And Billing?

? Can Systeme.io reliably process and manage subscription payments and billing for your business needs?

Table of Contents

You can use Systeme.io to sell subscription-based products and memberships, accept recurring payments, and manage basic billing flows. This platform combines funnel and course-building features with payment integrations that make recurring billing feasible for many online businesses. Below, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of what Systeme.io can do, where responsibilities fall between Systeme.io and the payment processor, setup steps, best practices, and limitations so you can make an informed decision.

Overview: How subscription billing works in Systeme.io

You will configure products inside Systeme.io (one-time or subscription), connect a payment processor (typically Stripe or PayPal), and then attach that product to a checkout. The recurring charge, trial period, and card processing are handled by the payment gateway, while Systeme.io controls access to the product, automations, and customer communications.

This split responsibility is important: Systeme.io provides the marketing and access automation layer, while Stripe or PayPal does the heavy lifting of processing recurring charges and storing payment methods securely.

Supported payment gateways and what they handle

You need to pick a payment gateway when you create subscription products. Each gateway affects what billing features you can use and how subscription management works for your customers.

Common gateways you’ll use

Stripe: Strong support for recurring billing, trials, subscription management, and multi-currency. Stripe handles payment method storage, retries for failed payments (via configurable dunning settings), and advanced features like webhooks for custom automations.
PayPal: Can handle subscriptions, but capabilities and user flow differ from Stripe. PayPal’s customer experience and recurring subscription handling are subject to PayPal’s product types (such as PayPal Subscriptions vs standard Checkout).
Systeme.io internal handling: Systeme.io itself does not process card numbers directly; it depends on gateways for PCI-compliant payment processing.

You will rely on the gateway for secure card storage and for actions such as refunds, retries, and advanced tax handling. Systeme.io manages the product definition, checkout page, and customer access.

Feature support matrix

The following table summarizes where key subscription features are handled — by Systeme.io, by the payment gateway (Stripe/PayPal), or by combination:

Feature	Handled by Systeme.io	Handled by Gateway (Stripe/PayPal)	Notes
Create subscription product (pricing & trial)	Yes	Gateway required to process charges	Systeme.io creates product record and checkout; gateway processes recurring charges
Accept recurring payments	No (processing)	Yes	Gateway processes recurring billing
Free trial setup	Yes (configure)	Yes (enforces trial billing)	Trial behavior enforced by gateway at charge time
Customer portal for subscription management	Limited	Varies (Stripe offers a customer portal via Stripe Billing; PayPal has its own)	Systeme.io’s built-in customer self-management is limited; often uses gateway dashboards or custom flows
Dunning / retry logic	Limited	Yes (Stripe has retry & Smart Retries; PayPal limited)	For robust dunning, configure in the gateway
Webhooks / automation	Yes (Systeme.io supports webhooks/Zapier)	Yes	Use webhooks for event-driven automations across both systems
Refunds	Trigger via Systeme.io? Limited	Yes (process refund)	Best to handle refunds in gateway dashboard; Systeme.io can adjust access after refunds
Tax calculation (VAT/GST)	Limited	Yes (Stripe supports tax features; PayPal limited)	Consider gateway for tax charging and invoicing
Multi-currency	Limited	Yes (Stripe supports)	Configure currencies in gateway and reflect pricing in Systeme.io

Setting up subscription payments step-by-step

You will complete several steps to start selling subscriptions with Systeme.io. Below are recommended steps with practical tips.

1. Choose and connect a payment gateway

Decide whether Stripe or PayPal suits your business. Connect the gateway in Systeme.io settings under Payments.

Use Stripe if you need sophisticated recurring-billing features, dunning, multi-currency, or advanced reporting.
Use PayPal if your audience prefers PayPal and you need a simpler setup. Be aware of differences in subscription flows.

Make sure your gateway account is fully verified to avoid interruptions.

2. Create your subscription product

In Systeme.io create a product and select pricing type: subscription/recurring.

Define price, billing interval (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly), and trial period if applicable.
Set the number of payments or leave as ongoing for indefinite subscriptions.
Optionally add coupons or discounts at checkout (Systeme.io supports coupon creation).

Be explicit in product descriptions about billing frequency and renewal terms to reduce chargebacks and disputes.

3. Build a checkout page and funnel

Attach the product to a checkout page or sales funnel.

Add order bumps or upsells if needed — these can be one-time or recurring depending on configuration.
Customize checkout fields for required billing and customer information.
Ensure GDPR or privacy consents are included where required.

Test the checkout flow in sandbox mode or with small real transactions.

4. Configure membership access and automation

If selling courses or memberships, configure the automation that grants access after purchase.

Set tags, send welcome emails, and add customers to drip sequences.
Use webhooks or Zapier for advanced actions like adding user accounts in external LMS systems.

Confirm that cancelling a subscription removes access if that’s your intended policy.

5. Manage failed payments and cancellations

Plan your approach to failed payments:

Configure email notifications for failed payments from Systeme.io or via gateway webhooks.
For retries and dunning, use Stripe’s retry rules or implement automated follow-up sequences from Systeme.io triggered by webhook events.

Document the cancellation flow so customers can self-manage or contact support to cancel.

6. Testing and go-live

Before launching, test every scenario: successful subscription, failed payment, trial-to-paid conversion, cancellation, refund, coupon application, and access revocation. Use test mode in Stripe/PayPal when possible.

What Systeme.io handles vs. what the gateway handles — practical implications

Understanding the division of work prevents surprises and helps with troubleshooting.

When a customer first subscribes

Systeme.io: Presents checkout, records the order, triggers automations and grants access to products or member areas.
Gateway: Authorizes and charges the card (or sets up recurring billing), stores the payment method, and sends confirmation to Systeme.io via webhook.

You should ensure webhooks are active so Systeme.io reliably receives gateway events.

On recurring renewals

Gateway: Initiates the recurring charge according to the schedule. If successful, it notifies Systeme.io.
Systeme.io: Receives success event and continues access; can trigger an email for renewal confirmation if you set it up.

On failed renewal or charge dispute

Gateway: May retry the charge (dunning), and offers tools to handle retries and email prompts (especially Stripe).
Systeme.io: Can listen for failed payment events and run automations — such as sending overdue notices, suspending access after X failed attempts, or tagging the customer.

You will need to coordinate settings between Systeme.io and your gateway to implement a complete dunning flow.

Limitations and common workarounds

There are several limitations you should be aware of and practical workarounds to mitigate them.

Limited native subscription portal

Systeme.io does not provide a fully-featured hosted customer subscription portal that lets customers change cards, pause subscriptions, or update payment details across all gateways.

Workarounds:

Use Stripe’s Customer Portal (if you use Stripe) and link to it from your Systeme.io account pages.
Provide clear instructions for customers to update payment methods via your support or direct them to PayPal account settings for PayPal subscriptions.
Use Zapier or webhooks to create a custom self-service flow if needed.

Basic dunning features inside Systeme.io

Systeme.io’s built-in dunning and advanced retry logic are limited compared to Stripe Billing.

Workarounds:

Use Stripe’s dunning and retry rules to manage retries and recovery.
Configure Systeme.io to send follow-up emails triggered by webhook events for failed payments to reinforce recovery.

Tax calculation limitations

Systeme.io does not offer full tax calculation coverage or automatic VAT handling for all regions.

Workarounds:

Implement tax rules in Stripe or your gateway if supported.
Include tax in product prices or use external tax services and ensure invoices reflect taxes correctly.

Refunds must be processed in gateway

Systeme.io does not process refunds itself; refunds should be initiated in Stripe or PayPal.

Workarounds:

After issuing a refund in the gateway, use Systeme.io to update customer tags, revoke access, and email the customer a refund confirmation.
Automate access revocation using webhook events, if available.

Complex subscription migrations

If you need to migrate subscriptions from another system, you will generally need to migrate to the gateway (e.g., your Stripe account) rather than to Systeme.io itself.

Workarounds:

Use Stripe’s subscription migration tools or contact Stripe support for assistance migrating payment methods (this often requires customer re-consent for card tokens).
For PayPal, subscription migration is more manual; consider asking users to re-subscribe with incentives.

Security and compliance considerations

You are responsible for ensuring PCI compliance and protecting customer financial data. Systeme.io delegates payment security to gateways.

Payment data: Your gateway (Stripe/PayPal) handles card storage and PCI requirements.
Personal data: You must follow privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) concerning customer data stored in Systeme.io and your gateway.
Webhooks: Secure webhook endpoints and verify signatures when processing payment events to avoid spoofed notifications.

Maintain clear privacy and billing terms on your checkout pages and member areas to reduce disputes.

Can Systeme.io Handle Subscription Payments And Billing?

Billing scenarios and examples

Below are common subscription scenarios and how you’ll configure them in Systeme.io.

Monthly membership with 14-day trial

Create product: Price $29/month, trial 14 days.
Payment gateway: Stripe (recommended).
Automation: Grant member access immediately, set trial tag; when trial ends, Stripe bills card and sends webhook; Systeme.io listens and sends “welcome after payment” email.

You will handle churn by notifying customers before renewal, using an email series to reduce cancellations.

Annual plan with prorated upgrade/downgrade

Systeme.io does not handle automatic proration across plans for you; proration is managed in the payment gateway if supported.
Setup: Create separate products for monthly and annual. If you need proration when switching plans, implement plan switching via Stripe’s subscription update API (use webhooks or Zapier).

If you cannot use the gateway API directly, consider manual prorations or partial refunds.

Free plan converting to paid

Configure free product with optional checkout to capture billing details (or capture details at upgrade time).
When customer upgrades, create a paid subscription product and run automation to grant access and bill immediately.

Capturing payment details up-front reduces friction at conversion but requires you to handle failed payment flows.

Notifications and communications — what you should configure

You should set up several automated communications to ensure clarity for subscribers.

Welcome email after first payment or trial activation.
Renewal receipts after each successful recurring payment (configure via gateway or in Systeme.io automation).
Failed payment notice and instruction to update billing method.
Cancellation confirmation and access termination notice.
Refund confirmation email after processing in the gateway.

Use consistent branding and include billing details (amount, date, subscription ID) to reduce support inquiries.

Reporting and accounting

You will likely use both Systeme.io and your payment gateway for reporting.

Systeme.io: Provides sales and funnel-level reporting but not detailed payment reconciliation.
Gateway (Stripe/PayPal): Best source for transaction-level exports, fee details, and chargeback reporting.

For accurate accounting, always reconcile gateway exports with Systeme.io sales reports and your bank deposits.

Advanced automations: webhooks, Zapier, and API integrations

You can extend subscription workflows using webhooks and third-party automation.

Webhooks: Receive events for invoice.payment_succeeded, invoice.payment_failed, customer.subscription.deleted, etc. Use them to trigger automations in Systeme.io or your systems.
Zapier/Integromat/Make: Connect gateway events to CRM, accounting, customer support systems, or Slack notifications.
Custom API: If you need advanced subscription actions (proration, plan swap), use the gateway API and coordinate with Systeme.io through webhooks.

This approach enables sophisticated behaviors like renewal reminders, failed-payment recovery sequences, and subscription analytics.

Pricing, fees, and currency handling

You will pay gateway processing fees in addition to your Systeme.io subscription plan.

Gateway fees: Transaction fees, cross-border fees, and refund fees are charged by Stripe/PayPal.
Systeme.io plan: Higher Systeme.io tiers may include advanced funnels, more contacts, or membership features; choose the plan that aligns with volume and features.
Multi-currency: Stripe supports multi-currency billing. Configure currency in both Systeme.io product and Stripe to match customer expectations.

Disclose billing currency and amounts at checkout to minimize confusion, particularly with exchange rates.

Refunds, chargebacks, and dispute handling

You will manage refunds and disputes primarily through the gateway.

Refunds: Process in the gateway; then update Systeme.io to revoke access or adjust records.
Chargebacks: Gateway notifies you of disputes; you must respond via the gateway’s dispute resolution system and provide evidence (order receipt, IP address, communications).
Prevention: Keep clear billing descriptors, transparent cancellation and refund policies, and thorough customer communications.

Document procedures internally for how to react to refunds and chargebacks so customer experience remains consistent.

Best practices and recommendations

Follow these recommendations to get the most reliable subscription billing workflow.

Use Stripe for subscription-heavy businesses for superior billing controls and dunning.
Fully test the subscription lifecycle in sandbox mode: new subscriptions, renewals, failures, cancellations, refunds, and reactivations.
Configure webhooks and monitor logs to ensure Systeme.io receives gateway events.
Maintain clear billing pages and email receipts that include billing descriptors customers recognize.
Automate failed-payment recovery emails, and consider offering quick update-card links using your gateway’s customer portal.
Reconcile transactions each month between Systeme.io, your gateway, and your accounting software.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Can customers update their card on Systeme.io?

Systeme.io’s native self-service card update features are limited. If you use Stripe, you can give customers access to Stripe’s Customer Portal or build a custom update-card flow via webhooks and Stripe’s API.

Will Systeme.io automatically handle VAT, sales tax, or GST?

Systeme.io does not fully automate global tax calculation for all cases. Use your payment gateway’s tax features or employ a tax automation tool to correctly calculate and collect taxes at checkout.

How does Systeme.io handle failed payments?

Systeme.io can trigger automations when it receives failed-payment events from the gateway. For retries and dunning, rely primarily on the gateway (Stripe provides sophisticated retry schedules). Use Systeme.io emails as a supplementary recovery channel.

Can you pause subscriptions?

Pausing subscriptions typically requires gateway-level management (Stripe supports subscription pausing via API). Systeme.io does not provide a universal “pause subscription” button across gateways.

How are refunds processed?

Process refunds in your gateway dashboard (Stripe or PayPal). After refunding, update the customer status in Systeme.io manually or use webhook-driven automations to reflect the refund and revoke access if necessary.

Checklist before you launch subscription products

Use this checklist to ensure you have covered essential items:

Payment gateway connected and verified (Stripe/PayPal)
Product created with correct pricing, billing interval, and trial settings
Checkout pages and funnels configured and tested
Membership access automation configured
Webhooks set up to receive gateway events
Failed payment and cancellation automation created
Tax and invoicing approach determined
Refund and chargeback procedures documented
Customer communications templates ready (welcome, renewal, failed payment, cancellation, refund)

Conclusion

You can run subscription payments and recurring billing with Systeme.io effectively, but success depends on coordinating Systeme.io’s product and access tools with a capable payment gateway like Stripe or PayPal. Systeme.io manages the marketing, checkout, and membership access, while the gateway handles secure processing, retries, and complex billing tasks. For robust subscription management — especially dunning, proration, customer payment updates, and tax handling — rely on your payment gateway’s features and integrate them with Systeme.io via webhooks or automation tools.

If you want, you can provide details about your specific subscription model (pricing cadence, trial rules, international customers), and I will give a tailored setup and automation plan for Systeme.io and the recommended gateway.