Understanding subscription flexibility needs

Project team

As the lead product designer for this initiative, I partnered with my PM to coordinate the brief, problem statement, and test goals. I drafted the test plan, oversaw all test logistics (recruiting, planning, compensation), test facilitation, and results synthesis. We received support and feedback along the way from our team research strategist.

Background

As we continue to drive volume with our acquisition strategy, we want to continue to reduce churn. Instead of simply offering them a lower rate when they want to cancel, how might we meet subscribers in the middle and let them temporarily pause their subscription?

User problem

Sometimes subscribers don’t want to sever ties with us. Sometimes they just need a break—whether they’re reevaluating their budget, taking a news break, or traveling too much. In use cases like these, they may prefer to pause their subscription rather than cancel.

Recent industry subscriptions research finds that the ability to pause or skip payments is both an effective retention and selling tactic. There is both user expectation and regulatory momentum toward giving users greater control over their preferences online.

Brightback 2021 State of Industry Report: Retaining and Expanding Online Subscribers Post-Pandemic

Research goals

The goal of this research was to understand how users think about flexibility with their subscription services: how they may modify their subscription (eg upgrade/downgrade), or take a break from it to meet a need.

Additionally, we wanted to understand:

  1. The language participants use to describe subscription management

  2. Insight into how participants ascribe value and prioritize necessity among their own digital subscription portfolio—what types of content/services/things this participant is willing to pay money for.

  3. Capabilities in the competitor space (what’s worked well)

  4. Unmet needs in the competitor space (what hasn’t worked well)

  5. Is there a general appetite for pausing news subscriptions?

Methodology

We conducted six 30-minute 1:1 interviews to discuss each participant’s digital subscriptions, the importance of each subscription in their daily routine, and how they manage their subscriptions to meet their needs.

Screening criteria

  • 18–55 years old (NextGen audience)

    • Diversity characteristics: 50% BIPOC, 60% women and marginalized genders

  • Have at least one digital subscription

  • Have canceled/skipped/paused their subscription within the last 6 months

  • Moderate to serious appetite for news

Key findings

🕹 Subscribers value having flexibility and control over their subscriptions

⏸ They explicitly see value in pausing those subscriptions, but aren’t accustomed to doing so in the digital news space

🙅‍♀️ People shouldn’t have to pay for things they don’t use

🙋‍♂️ Personalized content and experiences offer a reason to keep coming back

Primary recommendations

  1. Offer comprehensive self-service subscription management. Let subscribers upgrade, downgrade, pause, change billing cycle at their convenience—with the click of a button. Self-service is key.

  2. Consider offering pause for monthly subscribers to start, though there could be an opportunity with annual as well. Thee is space to explore offering a lightweight pause feature—most participants were receptive to the idea, especially if it meant they could lock in their rate.

  3. Explore the appeal of billing structures beyond monthly/annual. Monthly is viewed as a way to test the waters. Annual is seen as a huge commitment. There’s general appetite for non-standard billing, but we need to understand more.

Next steps

In combination with some financial modeling and broader strategic discussions with our business partners, this research helped inform the decision to officially add pausing a subscription as a theme on our team roadmap. We are looking toward deep diving into ideation in the coming quarter.