Subscription ManagementTrial Activation

Trial Activation

Trial activation is the workflow that transitions a trial subscription into a fully active paid subscription. BillHive uses a Camunda BPMN workflow to orchestrate this process, handling payment verification, mandate confirmation, and automatic status transitions.

Activation Workflow

┌──────────────────┐
│ Trial Order       │
│ Created           │
└────────┬─────────┘
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐     Payment already received?
│ Validate Trial   │────── Yes ──▶ Finalize Activation ──▶ ACTIVE
│ Activation       │
└────────┬─────────┘
         │ No
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Auto-Renew       │────── No ──▶ TRIAL_EXPIRED (order cancelled)
│ Enabled?         │
└────────┬─────────┘
         │ Yes
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Set Order to     │
│ "Payment Pending"│
└────────┬─────────┘
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Wait 5 Days for  │
│ Mandate Payment  │
└────────┬─────────┘
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    ▼         ▼
 Received   Not Received
    │         │
    ▼         ▼
 ACTIVE    TRIAL_EXPIRED
(complete)  (cancelled)

How It Works

Step 1: Trial Order Creation

When a subscription is created with isTrial = true, an order is placed and the trial activation workflow starts in Camunda.

Step 2: Payment Validation

The workflow checks whether payment has already been collected:

  • Payment received — The trial is immediately finalized. The subscription transitions to Active and the order is completed. A trial activation notification is sent.
  • Payment not received — The workflow checks whether auto-renew is enabled.

Step 3: Auto-Renew Check

Auto-RenewNext Step
EnabledThe order is set to “Payment Pending” and the workflow waits up to 5 days for mandate confirmation (e.g., bank mandate for ACH/SEPA).
DisabledThe subscription is immediately set to Trial Expired and the order is cancelled. No further action.

Step 4: Mandate Wait Period (5 Days)

For auto-renew subscriptions, BillHive waits 5 days for payment method confirmation:

  • Payment received within 5 days — Order is completed. Subscription becomes Active. Trial activation notification is sent.
  • Payment not received within 5 days — Subscription moves to Trial Expired. Order is cancelled.

Automatic Schedule

Trial activation follows the same schedule as renewals. The activation date is trial end + 1 day: the invoice and payment request go out 5 days before it, and the activation workflow starts automatically on it.

Notifications

EventBusiness EventDescription
Trial activatedTRIAL_SUBSCRIPTION_ACTIVATEDSent when payment is confirmed and trial converts to active
Trial startedSUBSCRIPTION_TRIAL_STARTEDSent when the trial period begins

Activity Logging

The following events are recorded in the Activity Log:

  • TRIAL_STARTED — When the trial period begins
  • TRIAL_CONVERTED — When the trial successfully converts to a paid subscription
  • TRIAL_EXPIRED — When the trial expires without conversion

Configuration

Trial activation behavior is influenced by:

  • Auto-Renew setting on the subscription — determines whether payment wait logic is triggered
  • Auto-Collect setting — determines whether BillHive initiates payment collection automatically
  • Access Continuity setting — whether the customer retains access during the pending activation window
TrialsPause & Resume