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Workflow Guide: Subscription and Membership Renewals

This guide walks you through building a HubSpot workflow that manages subscription or membership renewals via WhatsApp, giving your customers a frictionless way to renew, update their details, or flag any issues before their renewal date.

 

What This Workflow Does

Thirty days before a customer's subscription or membership is due for renewal, they receive a WhatsApp message with their renewal details and a simple form: renew, update payment or contact details, or indicate they want to cancel. Customers who confirm renewal are processed immediately. Those who signal cancellation intent receive a retention offer. Those who do not respond receive two further reminders at 14 days and 7 days before expiry. The entire process runs automatically, reducing churn and administrative effort.

What You Will Need

  • A Flowella account connected to your HubSpot portal
  • A WhatsApp Flow template for renewal confirmation (renew / update details / considering cancellation)
  • A second WhatsApp Flow template for retention (reason for cancellation, retention offer acceptance)
  • A HubSpot contact property storing the renewal date (e.g. "Subscription Renewal Date", type: date)
  • A HubSpot contact property storing the subscription status (e.g. "Subscription Status", type: dropdown)
  • The contact's WhatsApp phone number in international format

Step 1: Create Your Renewal Forms

Primary Renewal Form

Create a HubSpot form with:

  • Renewal Action — dropdown: "Renew my subscription", "I need to update my details", "I'm thinking about cancelling"
  • Any questions before you renew? — single-line text (optional)

In the Flowella app, generate a WhatsApp Flow template from this form. Suggested wording: "Your is up for renewal on . What would you like to do?"

Retention Form (for Cancellation Intent)

Create a second form with:

  • Why are you thinking about cancelling? — dropdown: Too expensive, Not using it enough, Found an alternative, Missing features, Other
  • Would any of these change your mind? — dropdown: A discounted rate, A pause instead of cancellation, A different plan, Nothing, I'd like to speak with someone
  • Anything else you'd like us to know? — single-line text (optional)

Generate a second WhatsApp Flow template from this form.

Step 2: Create the Workflow

In HubSpot, go to Automations > Workflows and create a new Contact-based workflow.

Set the Trigger

Use a Contact date property trigger based on the "Subscription Renewal Date" property. Set it to enrol contacts when the renewal date is 30 days from now.

Alternatively, you can calculate a "Renewal Reminder Date" property (30 days before renewal) and trigger on that date.

Re-enrolment

Enable re-enrolment so the workflow runs each renewal cycle. The trigger should re-enrol contacts when their renewal date property is updated to a future date.

Step 3: Send the First Renewal Reminder (30 Days)

Add a Send WhatsApp Template action (Flowella).

Configure:

Field Value
Contact Phone Number WhatsApp phone number property
Template Name Your renewal Flow template
Template Variable 1 First Name
Template Variable 2 Subscription type or plan name
Template Variable 3 Renewal date
Template Variable 4 Price or plan details (if applicable)

Step 4: Wait for the Response

Add a Delay until event occurs action:

  • Event: Flowella: WhatsApp Forms Integration: Form Completed
  • Maximum wait time: 14 days

This gives the customer two weeks to respond before the second reminder.

Step 5: Branch on the First Response

Add a Branch action: Whether or not the event criteria were met.

Path A: Form Completed

Branch on the "Renewal Action" property:

"Renew my subscription"

  1. Set contact property — "Subscription Status" to "Renewal Confirmed"
  2. Send WhatsApp Message — "Brilliant, you're all set! Your will continue seamlessly. Thanks for staying with us, ."
  3. Set contact property — update "Subscription Renewal Date" to the next renewal date
  4. Optional: trigger any internal renewal processing (invoice generation, payment processing, etc.) via a connected workflow or integration
  5. End

"I need to update my details"

  1. Send WhatsApp Message — "No problem. Let us know what needs updating and we'll sort it out."
  2. Assign to Customer Agent — the AI agent can help the customer update their details conversationally in WhatsApp, or direct them to a self-service portal
  3. Create task — for the account team to verify the update was completed
  4. After the update: loop back to the renewal confirmation step by enrolling the contact in a short follow-up workflow that re-sends the renewal form

"I'm thinking about cancelling"

  1. Send WhatsApp Message — "We're sorry to hear that. Before you go, could you help us understand why? We may be able to help."

  2. Send WhatsApp Template — send the retention form

  3. Delay until event occurs — Flowella: Form Completed (max 7 days)

  4. Branch on retention form response:

    • If "A discounted rate": Send WhatsApp Message with the discount offer and a confirmation link. Set a "Retention Offer Sent" property. Delay until response, then confirm or escalate.
    • If "A pause instead of cancellation": Send WhatsApp Message confirming the pause option. Create a task for the account team to process the pause.
    • If "A different plan": Send WhatsApp Message with alternative plan options. Assign to Customer Agent to discuss in WhatsApp.
    • If "Nothing" or "I'd like to speak with someone": Create a task for a team member to call the customer. Send a WhatsApp message confirming someone will be in touch.
    • If no response to the retention form: create a task for the team to follow up personally.

Path B: No Response (After 14 Days)

Move to the second reminder.

Step 6: Second Reminder (14 Days Before Renewal)

If the customer did not respond to the first message:

  1. Send WhatsApp Message — "Hi , your renews on . If you'd like to continue, no action is needed. If you have any questions or want to make changes, just reply here."

  2. Delay until event occurs — Flowella: Text Reply (max 7 days)

  3. Branch:

    • If reply received: Assign to Customer Agent to handle the conversation
    • If no reply: proceed to the final reminder

Step 7: Final Reminder (7 Days Before Renewal)

  1. Send WhatsApp Message — "Just a heads up, : your renews in 7 days on . Reply if you have any questions, otherwise we'll renew as normal."

  2. Delay — 7 days

  3. If no response and auto-renewal is enabled: the subscription renews automatically. Send a WhatsApp confirmation: "Your has been renewed. Thanks for being with us!"

  4. If no response and manual renewal is required: create a task for the account team to follow up.

Workflow Diagram

Trigger: Renewal date is 30 days away
    │
    ▼
Send WhatsApp Template (Renewal Flow) — 30 days
    │
    ▼
Delay until: Form Completed (max 14 days)
    │
    ├── Form completed ───────────────────────────┐
    │                                              │
    │   Branch on action                           │
    │   ├── Renew → confirm + update dates         │
    │   ├── Update details → AI agent + task       │
    │   └── Cancelling → retention form            │
    │       ├── Discount → send offer              │
    │       ├── Pause → process pause              │
    │       ├── Different plan → AI agent          │
    │       └── Speak to someone → create task     │
    │                                              │
    └── No response ──────────────────────────────┐
                                                   │
    Send second reminder — 14 days                 │
    Delay until: Text Reply (max 7 days)           │
    ├── Reply → AI agent                           │
    └── No reply                                   │
         │                                         │
         ▼                                         │
    Send final reminder — 7 days                   │
    Delay 7 days                                   │
    ├── Auto-renewal → confirm                     │
    └── Manual renewal → create task               │

Tips for This Workflow

Start early. Thirty days gives customers enough time to consider their options without feeling rushed. It also gives your retention workflow enough time to work.

Make renewal the default. If your terms allow auto-renewal, frame the messaging accordingly: "no action needed to continue". This reduces friction for customers who are happy and only requires active engagement from those who want to change or cancel.

Offer genuine retention options. The retention form should present real, actionable alternatives. If you cannot offer discounts or pauses, do not include them. A dishonest retention attempt damages trust more than a clean cancellation.

Track retention metrics. Use the "Retention Offer Sent" and "Subscription Status" properties to build a dashboard showing renewal rates, cancellation reasons, and retention offer effectiveness. This data is essential for reducing churn over time.

Handle payment failures separately. This workflow covers voluntary renewal decisions. Payment failures (declined cards, expired mandates) should be handled in a separate workflow with different messaging and escalation paths.