Subscription with optional setup fee workflow
How a package selection becomes a customer agreement, an optional setup invoice, and a recurring billing schedule that raises invoices automatically — without automatic card charging.
Beta · Last updated 18 July 2026
The business problem
Generic service pricing does not model a setup fee, a recurring fee, a minimum term and add-ons together, so businesses running these commercial arrangements end up tracking them manually alongside the CRM.
Business situation
Recurring-service and managed-service businesses often charge a one-off setup fee plus an ongoing recurring fee — for example a website support plan or a managed IT contract.
How KookaCRM solves it
KookaCRM's packages and subscriptions capability models the package, the customer's specific agreement, and a recurring billing schedule that raises invoices automatically on each billing date. Cards are never charged automatically — the customer pays each invoice through the tenant's own payment method.
Recommended KookaCRM setup
Build your packages and options (including any setup fee, recurring amount and minimum term) in the catalogue, decide your activation policy, and confirm how customers will pay each recurring invoice before enabling public package selection.
Entry point and pricing model
Customer entry point: Package selection — the customer chooses a package and option via the public selection page, or staff set one up on the customer's behalf.
Service pricing model: Subscription / recurring: an optional one-off setup fee, followed by a recurring fee billed on a schedule (for example monthly), with an optional minimum term and add-ons.
Suitable business types
- Managed IT and MSP businesses
- Agencies with website or ongoing support plans
- Cleaning and other recurring-service businesses
How it works
Customer selects a package and option publicly, or staff arrange one internally, then
Selection creates a lead with the package, option and add-on pricing snapshot, then
Staff review the lead and create a customer agreement with the commercial terms, then
Customer accepts the agreement, then
If the package option has a setup fee, KookaCRM raises a one-off setup invoice, then
Once activation conditions are met — agreement acceptance, agreement plus setup paid, or operator approval, depending on the tenant's activation policy — a recurring billing schedule is created, then
On each billing date, KookaCRM generates the next recurring invoice automatically, then
Customer pays each invoice through the tenant's own payment method, which may include an online payment link
Customer experience
- Chooses a package and option online, or agrees to one arranged by staff
- Reviews and accepts the customer agreement
- Pays the one-off setup invoice if the package includes one
- Receives a new invoice each billing period and pays it
Staff actions
- Build packages, options and add-ons in the catalogue
- Review package selections and create customer agreements
- Monitor activation and the recurring billing schedule
- Manage the subscription lifecycle — pause, resume or cancel as needed
- Review recurring billing runs for issues
What KookaCRM creates
- Lead (from package selection)
- Customer agreement
- Subscription
- Setup invoice, if the package option includes a setup fee
- Recurring billing schedule
- Recurring invoices, one per billing period
Payment flow
The setup fee, where applicable, is invoiced once. Ongoing amounts are invoiced automatically on the recurring billing schedule. KookaCRM does not automatically charge a saved card — the customer pays each invoice, including online via Stripe Connect where a payment link is available, or by another method the tenant has configured.
Setup requirements
- Ask your operator to enable the packages and subscriptions capability for your tenant
- Build packages, options and add-ons, including any setup fee and recurring amount
- Choose an activation policy for new subscriptions
- Confirm the recurring billing job is scheduled to run so invoices are generated on time
- Connect a payment method, such as Stripe Connect, so customers can pay recurring invoices online
Availability
Packages, customer agreements and subscriptions are a beta capability. They must be enabled for the tenant as an optional capability — they are not granted automatically at signup — and the recurring billing job that generates invoices is an operational dependency the operator manages.
Related guides
- Packages, Subscriptions and CommerceBeta
Packages and Subscriptions
Set up packages and agreements that generate recurring draft invoices automatically — a beta capability for recurring revenue that stops short of automatic card charging.
- Finance and PaymentsRequires configuration
Stripe Connect
Connect your own Stripe account so customer payments — for invoices, deposits and bookings — are processed through your business's own connected Stripe setup.
Relevant business solutions
- Business Solutions
IT support and managed services businesses
How IT support and managed service providers use KookaCRM for one-off callouts, project quoting and recurring support subscriptions, with optional tracking of customer devices and equipment.
- Business Solutions
Cleaning and recurring service businesses
How cleaning and other recurring service businesses use KookaCRM to take online bookings for one-off visits and set customers up on recurring service packages and subscriptions.