A subscription is for work you invoice over and over for the same amount - a monthly retainer, an ongoing service, a support agreement. You set it up once, your customer approves it once, and Ruul charges their card every period after that.
The important part, and the thing that separates a subscription from everything else in Ruul: your customer’s card is charged automatically. Nobody has to remember anything after the first approval.
Subscription or scheduled invoice?
Ruul gives you two ways to invoice the same customer repeatedly, and they are not interchangeable. Choose by how your customer pays, not by how often you invoice.
| Subscription | Scheduled invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| How your customer pays | Card charged automatically | They pay each invoice manually |
| Payment methods | Card only | Bank transfer or card |
| What your customer does each period | Nothing | Receives an invoice and pays it |
| Setup | They approve once and save a card | Nothing to approve |
If you are not sure, ask your customer whether they can pay by card. That single answer decides it.
How a subscription runs
1 · You create it. You choose the customer, the amount, the currency, how often it charges (weekly or monthly), and how long it runs - a set number of periods, or until one of you cancels. See how to create a subscription.
2 · Your customer approves it. They get an email with a link, review what they are agreeing to, and save a card. Nothing is charged until they do this, and the schedule has no dates until they do - the subscription simply sits as Pending.
3 · The first period is charged. The moment they save the card, period one is collected and the whole schedule is dated from that day.
4 · Every period after that is automatic. Ruul charges the saved card, issues the invoice, and pays you out - the same one-business-day payout as any other Ruul invoice. You do not create anything again.
5 · It ends. Either it reaches the number of periods you set and completes on its own, or one of you cancels it.
Each period is its own invoice
A subscription is not a single large invoice. Every period produces a real invoice with its own number, and all of them appear in your Invoices list alongside everything else.
That is deliberate, and it is what makes subscriptions behave like the rest of Ruul: each period has a proper invoice document for your customer’s accounting, your payout arrives per period, and your records and tax exports need nothing special. The subscription page simply collects all the periods in one place so you can see the commitment as a whole.
What each status means
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pending | Sent, not yet approved. No card saved, no dates set, nothing charged. |
| Active | Running. The card is charged each period. |
| Past due | A charge did not go through. Collection pauses until the card is fixed, then resumes. |
| Ended | Ran for every period you set. Nothing further is charged. |
| Canceled | Stopped early by you or your customer. No future charges. |
Fees
Nothing new here - a subscription is priced exactly like a one-time invoice. Ruul’s commission applies per period, and when you set the subscription up you choose whether it comes out of your payout or is added on top of what your customer pays. Your customer’s card payment may also carry a processing fee, shown to them at checkout before they save the card.
There are no setup costs and no monthly fees for having a subscription. Full detail in fees and pricing explained.
Good to know
- Either side can cancel, and the other side is notified. Canceling stops future billing; payments already made are not refunded.
- Amounts are fixed. To charge a different amount, cancel the subscription and create a new one - there is no way to edit the amount on a running subscription.
- Your customer sees the commitment up front. Before approving, they see the amount per period, how often it charges, and how long it runs.
- You can send the link again. If your customer loses the email, copy the payment link from the subscription page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a subscription and a scheduled invoice?
Both repeat, but the payment works differently. A scheduled invoice is generated automatically and your customer pays each one manually. A subscription charges your customer's saved card automatically - after the first approval they do nothing.
Can my customer pay a subscription by bank transfer?
No. Subscriptions are charged to a card your customer saves, so bank transfer is not an option. If your customer pays by bank transfer, use a scheduled invoice instead.
When is the first payment taken?
When your customer approves the subscription and saves a card. Nothing is charged before that, and the schedule dates are only set at that moment.
Does the commission work differently on a subscription?
No. Ruul's commission applies per period, exactly as it does on a one-time invoice, and you choose whether you or your customer covers it.
What happens if my customer's card fails?
The subscription moves to Past due and Ruul stops collecting until the card is fixed. Your customer updates or replaces the card from the subscription page, and billing continues automatically.
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