# Subscriber Experience

Source: https://docs.ezoic.com/docs/subscriptions/subscriber-experience/


Ezoic Subscriptions covers checkout, subscriber login, access sessions, subscription management, receipts, invoices, and payment methods. To walk this entire flow yourself before launch, see [Testing with Test Mode](/docs/subscriptions/testing-sandbox/).

## Checkout

When a visitor buys access, they move through checkout. The exact steps depend on how you opened it and whether the visitor is already signed in:

1. **Price.** From `showPaywall({ product })` the visitor picks from the product's active prices; from `openCheckout({ price })` the price is already chosen, so this step is skipped.
2. **Payment.** A visitor who is already signed in goes straight to payment. So does an anonymous visitor when [expedited checkout](/docs/subscriptions/visitor-authentication/#expedited-checkout) is on (the default): they land on a single payment screen with an email field, Apple Pay and Google Pay buttons where available, and the card form, plus a **Have an account? Log in** link for returning subscribers. With expedited checkout off, an anonymous visitor first sees an identity step offering **Log in**, **Create account**, and **Continue as guest** when guest checkout is enabled (which only takes an email), then pays on a separate payment step. Either way, payment runs through Stripe-powered checkout, and when you have an active [promo code](/docs/subscriptions/promo-codes/) the checkout shows a **Have a promo code?** link that opens a code entry field.
3. **Verification.** Ezoic Subscriptions verifies the payment and establishes access.
4. **Access.** The visitor receives access for the purchased product, and your site can reveal subscriber-only content or remove ads once access is confirmed.

The verification step is important. Do not deliver the paid benefit just because the browser-side payment step appears complete — wait for Ezoic Subscriptions access verification. An [`access:change`](/docs/subscriptions/publisher-managed-access/#reacting-to-access-changes) listener with a fresh `hasAccess(...)` check fires only once access is confirmed.

When a visitor buys as a guest (with only an email), the confirmation screen offers an optional, skippable step to create an account so their next return is a quick sign-in rather than another email link. See [Guest Checkout](/docs/subscriptions/visitor-authentication/#guest-checkout).

## Free Trials

When a price has a [free trial](/docs/subscriptions/products/#free-trials), the subscriber enters a payment method at checkout but is not charged until the trial ends. They get full access right away, and the subscription converts to paid automatically when the trial ends. A subscriber who cancels from the [portal](#subscriber-portal) before the trial ends is not charged.

## Returning Subscribers

You can give subscribers a direct way back in by adding a "Log in" link to your own navigation — wire it to `ezsubscriptions.login()` or the `data-ezoic-login` attribute (see [Add a Log In Link](/docs/subscriptions/site-integration/#add-a-log-in-link)). On Ezoic visitor accounts, signing in there unlocks gated content in place, without a paywall.

If a returning subscriber needs to regain access — for example on a new device — Ezoic Subscriptions can also email them a one-time access link as a fallback, so a paying subscriber is never left locked out.

The link is single-use and expires after a short time (currently 15 minutes). It returns the subscriber to your site and lets the widget restore their access session, after which `ezsubscriptions.hasAccess(...)` reflects their access.

## Subscriber Portal

Subscribers can manage their account at:

```
https://subscriber.ezoic.com
```

The portal is global across publisher sites that use Ezoic Subscriptions. A subscriber can sign in once and view subscription activity by site.

Subscribers can:

- View active and past subscriptions.
- Cancel a subscription at the end of the current billing period.
- Reactivate a subscription that is pending cancellation.
- View one-time purchases.
- View invoices and receipts.
- Add or update payment methods.
- Remove saved cards when they are not required by active subscriptions.

To add a "Manage subscription" link to your own site, wire it to `ezsubscriptions.openAccountPortal()`, which opens the portal in a new tab. On Ezoic visitor accounts, a signed-in member opens the portal already signed in. On bring your own login, a signed-in member also opens it already signed in when your adapter implements [`getIdentityToken()`](/docs/subscriptions/visitor-authentication/#getidentitytoken); otherwise, and for guests, the portal runs its own sign-in. See [JavaScript API Reference](/docs/subscriptions/api-reference/#openaccountportal).

## Cancellations

Subscriber cancellations are scheduled for the end of the current billing period. That means a subscriber who cancels usually keeps access until the paid period ends.

If a subscriber changes their mind before the period ends, they can reactivate the subscription from the subscriber portal.

## Payment Methods

Subscribers can update cards in the portal. A card may not be removable while it is still used by an active subscription. In that case, the subscriber should set a different card for the subscription or cancel the subscription before removing the card.

## What Publishers Should Tell Subscribers

If subscribers ask where to manage billing, direct them to `https://subscriber.ezoic.com`.

If subscribers ask how to regain access on a new device, tell them to use the "Log in" link on your site or the one-time access link from the paywall — not the subscriber portal. The portal manages billing only; signing in there does not restore access to your gated content.