Publishers: What makes a successful subscription payment page? | What’s New in Publishing

Simplicity, minimal distractions and reassurance are among the essentials for a successful payment page

There’s a lot at play when it comes to converting a user into a subscriber – engagement, enough added value, reassurance, a good UX, customer support… and this shouldn’t be forgotten when it comes to the most important part of the funnel. Payment…

So, how can you build a successful subscription payment page?

• Ease and simplicity
• Reassurance & transparency
• Minimal distractions
• Increase retention
• Make sure the reader converts
• Offer options

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Ease and simplicity

• Only ask for the most essential information (why do you need someone’s postal address if their subscribing to a digital-only offer?)
• A single page for all payment info
• Don’t forget about a mobile-friendly version of this page (and all conversion steps for that matter)
• Clicks over typing (i.e. how can you collect this data point without requiring much effort from the reader?)

Consider ‘fold-away’ sections of the page, such as only showing the form for one payment method at a time, just like The Telegraph:

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Reassurance & transparency

Building a trusting relationship is vital for high conversion and retention rates, and payment is a touchy step in the user’s journey. The key is to not keep anything hidden – be very clear about what you’ll take from their account, what this payment will give them access to and how often they’ll have to pay.

• If a user’s subscription will renew automatically, make sure to tell them on this page
• If it’s a free trial, explain why you’re collecting payment

Use bold text and icons to highlight key features that will reassure users:

• Verified secure payment (include certification badges or logos)
• “Cancel anytime” or “No commitment”
• “Money-back guarantee” (a unique strategy employed by Babbel as an alternative to a free trial, filtering out the bargain hunters whilst reassuring users that they can change their mind within 20 days)
• Links to contact customer support or discuss options on a live chat

Add an ‘Order summary’ for full transparency, including the billing date, amount and recurrence:

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Minimal distractions

Keep things simple – no advertising, images or unnecessary text on this page, the priority is to provide a smooth, engaging user experience that causes zero friction.

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Increase retention

Work on increasing retention rates before the user has even subscribed:

• Test monthly vs annual payment to discover which proves the most valuable for high CLTV and retention, fore-fronting the winning option
• Clear communication and transparency will naturally support retention rates as you start to develop a closer relationship with the user before they’ve even finished subscribing
• Promote recurring payment options rather than relying on the subscriber to transfer the payment

Le Figaro offers a 10% discount to those who subscribe with the automatic payment method:

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Make sure the reader converts

The ultimate goal of payment in the conversion funnel is, of course, that a user actually finalizes the process to become a subscriber.

• Integrate a pop up if the user takes too long to check everything’s ok
• Make sure support options are within reach – e.g. with a chat bubble in the corner
• Consider collecting email address as the first step in the conversion funnel to target an email campaign if the user abandons the process, a technique employed by Netflix

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Offer options

• Multiple and reliable payment methods to choose from
• Monthly or annual payment
• Print + digital vs digital-only

Madeleine White
Content Marketing Manager, Poool