Self-Serve Billing Flow
Key Characteristics
| Aspect | Self-Serve Approach |
|---|---|
| Deal size | 10K ARR |
| Sales involvement | None or minimal |
| Checkout | Credit card, instant activation |
| Pricing | Transparent, published on website |
| Contract | Month-to-month or annual prepay |
| Upgrades | Self-service in dashboard |
Recommended Alguna Setup
Create simple, clear plans
Navigate to Plans → Create Plan
- Free: $0, limited features (optional)
- Starter: $X/month, core features
- Pro: $Y/month or per-seat, full features
Configure self-serve checkout
Navigate to Settings → Checkout
- Enable hosted checkout pages
- Configure plan selection UI
- Set up success/cancel redirect URLs
Enable in-app upgrades
Use the Customer Portal to let users:
- View current plan and usage
- Upgrade/downgrade plans
- Add seats or capacity
- Update payment methods
Set up automated billing
Navigate to Settings → Billing
- Enable auto-charge for renewals
- Configure dunning for failed payments
- Set up payment retry schedule
Free Trial vs. Freemium
| Model | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Full access for limited time (7-30 days) | Complex products that need time to evaluate |
| Freemium | Limited access forever, pay for more | Products with clear free/paid value split |
| Reverse Trial | Start with paid features, downgrade to free | Showcasing premium value upfront |
Conversion Optimization
Reduce Checkout Friction
- Accept all major credit cards
- Offer both monthly and annual options
- Show pricing in customer’s currency
- Minimize form fields
- Display trust badges and security info
Upgrade Triggers
| Trigger | When to Show |
|---|---|
| Usage limit | Customer at 80% or 100% of included quota |
| Feature gate | Customer clicks on premium feature |
| Trial ending | 3 days, 1 day, and day of trial expiration |
| Team growth | User invites more teammates |
Metrics to Track
| Metric | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Trial-to-paid conversion | % of trials that become paying customers |
| Free-to-paid conversion | % of free users that upgrade |
| Time to first value | How quickly new users experience value |
| Expansion revenue | Revenue from upgrades and add-ons |
| Self-serve vs. sales ratio | % of revenue from each motion |
Key Features to Configure
Hosted Checkout
Set up self-service checkout pages.
Customer Portal
Let customers manage their own subscriptions.
Automations
Trigger emails and actions based on customer behavior.
Dunning
Recover failed payments automatically.
API Reference
Customer Portal API
Generate portal links for customers.
Subscriptions API
Create subscriptions programmatically.
Plans API
Retrieve plans for checkout display.
Webhooks
Track subscription and payment events.
Related Quick Starts
B2B SaaS
Per-seat and tiered pricing models.
AI & Infrastructure
Usage-based and credit systems.
Hybrid Motion
Add sales-assist for larger deals.
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