subscription-lifecycle
When the user wants to optimize their subscription business end-to-end — from trial start through renewal, cancellation, and win-back. Use when the user mentions "subscription lifecycle", "trial conversion", "churn", "cancellation", "win-back", "lapsed subscribers", "dunning", "billing retry", "grace period", "renewal rate", "subscriber LTV", or "resubscribe". For paywall design and pricing strategy, see monetization-strategy. For subscription analytics dashboards, see app-analytics.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/appeeky/aso-skills --skill subscription-lifecycle- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads subscription-lifecycle automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Subscription Lifecycle
You optimize every stage of the subscription journey: trial → paid → renewal → cancellation recovery → win-back.
The Subscription Lifecycle
Install → Trial start → [Trial period] → Conversion → Renewal → ... → Cancel → Win-back
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
No convert Voluntary Involuntary Lapsed
(nurture) (exit survey) (dunning) (campaign)
Key Metrics at Each Stage
| Stage | Metric | Formula | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial | Trial start rate | Trials / Downloads | > 20% |
| Trial | Trial-to-paid | Conversions / Trials | 25–40% strong |
| Retention | Month 1 renewal | M1 renewals / Subscribers | > 70% |
| Retention | Month 6 renewal | M6 renewals / Subscribers | > 50% |
| Churn | Monthly churn | Lost subs / Start subs | < 5% good; < 2% excellent |
| Revenue | MRR | Active subs × monthly price | — |
| Revenue | LTV | ARPU / Monthly churn rate | — |
| Recovery | Dunning recovery | Recovered / Failed payments | > 30% |
| Win-back | Resubscribe rate | Returns / Lapsed | 5–15% |
Stage 1 — Trial Optimization
Trial Length
| App Type | Recommended trial | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Simple utility | 3–7 days | Value obvious quickly |
| Health/fitness | 7–14 days | Habit formation needs time |
| Productivity | 7–14 days | Workflow integration |
| Education | 7–14 days | First lesson completion |
| Entertainment | 7 days | Binge behavior |
Test: Monthly apps with a 7-day trial vs. 14-day trial — conversion rate may drop slightly but LTV often increases.
Trial Nurture Sequence
Send in-app (or push) messages during the trial to drive activation:
Day 0: Welcome — "Your trial has started. Here's how to get the most from it."
Day 1: Core feature highlight — "Try [key feature] today"
Day 3: Progress / social proof — "Users who do X get 3× better results"
Day 5 (7-day trial): Urgency — "2 days left in your trial"
Day 6: Value recap — "Here's what you've done / could do with premium"
Day 7: Last day — "Your trial ends today"
Rule: Messages should show value, not just create pressure.
Trial End — Conversion Moment
At trial end, show a paywall that:
- Recaps what the user achieved during the trial
- Shows the most-used premium features
- Offers 3 plan options (monthly / annual / lifetime if applicable)
- Highlights savings on annual ("Save 40%")
See monetization-strategy for paywall design details.
Stage 2 — Reducing Voluntary Churn
Why Users Cancel (and How to Fix It)
| Reason | Signal | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Forgot they subscribed | Low sessions, no activation | Improve onboarding + notification strategy |
| Not enough value | Low feature usage | Push underused high-value features |
| Too expensive | Price sensitivity | Introduce lower-tier or pause option |
| Problem with app | 1-star reviews | Fix the bug, reply to reviews |
| Found alternative | — | Monitor competitor installs |
| Seasonal use | Churns at same time yearly | Offer a pause option |
The Cancellation Flow
When a user initiates cancellation (iOS — ManagedSubscriptionGroup):
- Offer a pause before full cancel: "Pause for 1–3 months instead of cancelling"
- Show value recap: "You've used [feature] X times this month"
- Offer a discount: Only as last resort — 20–30% off for 3 months
- Exit survey: Always ask "Why are you cancelling?" (1 tap, not an essay)
Cancellation exit survey options:
- Too expensive
- Not using it enough
- Missing a feature I need
- Switching to a competitor
- Technical issues
- Just taking a break
Engagement Signals to Watch
Users at high churn risk:
- Sessions < 1 per week (down from higher baseline)
- Core feature not used in 14+ days
- Push notifications disabled
- Last session > 7 days ago
Trigger a re-engagement push or in-app message before they cancel.
Stage 3 — Involuntary Churn (Failed Payments)
Involuntary churn accounts for 20–40% of all subscription cancellations.
Dunning Strategy
| Day | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 | Payment fails silently — Apple/Google retry |
| 3 | Apple/Google retry #2 |
| 7 | Apple/Google retry #3 — show in-app "Update payment method" banner |
| 10 | Send push: "Your subscription couldn't be renewed — tap to update" |
| 14 | Grace period ends — subscription suspended |
| 15 | Final in-app message: "Reactivate to keep access" |
Grace period:
- iOS: 6 days (configurable up to 16 in App Store Connect)
- Android: 3 days (configurable)
Maximize grace period length — every extra day recovers more subscribers.
RevenueCat Integration
RevenueCat handles dunning automatically. Key settings:
- Enable Billing Retry (iOS) / Account Hold (Android)
- Configure grace period to maximum allowed
- Use RevenueCat webhooks to trigger in-app messaging at each failure event
See revenuecat.md integration guide.
Stage 4 — Win-Back Campaigns
Target lapsed subscribers (cancelled or expired in last 30–90 days).
Win-Back Offer Ladder
Start with the softest offer; escalate only if no response:
Week 1 after lapse: "We miss you" — highlight new features added since they left
Week 3: "Come back for 30% off your first month back"
Week 6: "3 months at 50% off — best offer we'll make"
Week 12+: Archive — low conversion probability
Win-Back Channels
| Channel | How |
|---|---|
| Push notification | In-app if app still installed |
| If email was collected | |
| Apple Win-Back Offer | Native iOS win-back offer in StoreKit 2 |
| Paid retargeting | Meta/Google retargeting to lapsed subscriber list |
StoreKit 2 Win-Back Offers (iOS 18+)
Apple natively supports win-back subscription offers for lapsed subscribers:
- Set up in App Store Connect → Subscriptions → Win-Back Offers
- Presented automatically in the App Store to eligible lapsed users
- No additional code needed beyond StoreKit 2 integration
Output Format
Subscription Health Report
Lifecycle Metrics ([period]):
Trial start rate: [X]% (benchmark: >20%)
Trial conversion: [X]% (benchmark: 25-40%)
M1 renewal: [X]% (benchmark: >70%)
Monthly churn: [X]% (benchmark: <5%)
Dunning recovery: [X]% (benchmark: >30%)
Win-back rate: [X]% (benchmark: 5-15%)
LTV (estimated): $[N]
MRR: $[N]
Top issues:
1. [Stage] — [metric] is [X]% vs benchmark [Y]% — [recommended fix]
2. [Stage] — [metric] is [X]% vs benchmark [Y]% — [recommended fix]
Priority action:
[Single highest-leverage change to implement this week]
Related Skills
monetization-strategy— Paywall design, pricing tiers, trial setupretention-optimization— Engagement strategy to reduce voluntary churnapp-analytics— Track the metrics above with Firebase + RevenueCatonboarding-optimization— Fix early-stage drop-off that prevents trial startsrating-prompt-strategy— Satisfied subscribers are your best raters
FAQ
What does the subscription-lifecycle skill do?
When the user wants to optimize their subscription business end-to-end — from trial start through renewal, cancellation, and win-back. Use when the user mentions "subscription lifecycle", "trial conversion", "churn", "cancellation", "win-back", "lapsed subscribers", "dunning", "billing retry", "grace period", "renewal rate", "subscriber LTV", or "resubscribe". For paywall design and pricing strategy, see monetization-strategy. For subscription analytics dashboards, see app-analytics.
How do I install subscription-lifecycle?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/appeeky/aso-skills --skill subscription-lifecycle in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/subscription-lifecycle/ (personal) or .claude/skills/subscription-lifecycle/ (project).
Which AI agents can use subscription-lifecycle?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is subscription-lifecycle safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains subscription-lifecycle?
It is published by appeeky in appeeky/aso-skills. It has 2,483 recorded installs.
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