Plan changes

Plan change settings control how members switch between plans and prices in Memberful. These settings determine which plans can replace each other, which prices members can switch to, and how upgrades are billed. In this help article, we’ll explain how to configure plan changes between plans and prices, how to use groups, and where to manage global upgrade billing settings.

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Understand plan change controls

Memberful uses two separate controls for plan changes:

• The Upgrades & downgrades setting on each plan controls whether members can switch from that plan to other plans.
• The Available for plan changes setting on each price controls whether members can switch to that specific price.

Both settings matter. The plan a member is switching to must be available through the current plan’s upgrade settings, and the price a member is switching to must be available for plan changes.

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Select the plans members can switch to

Go to Revenue → Plans in your Memberful dashboard. Select the plan you want to update. In the Upgrades & downgrades section, click Edit. Use Allow members to change between to choose one of these options:

• None
• Any ungrouped plan
• Other plans in a specific group

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None

Use this option when the plan should stay separate and should not replace or be replaced by another plan. This works well for standalone offerings that members may want to own at the same time. Example: You offer a Newsletter plan and a Course plan. Members should be able to subscribe to both, so neither plan should replace the other.

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Any ungrouped plan

Use this option when the plan should switch with other plans that also use the default switching setup. This works well for common tiered memberships where plans should be able to upgrade or downgrade between each other. Example: You offer Basic and Pro plans with different benefits, and members should be able to move between them. Set both plans to Any ungrouped plan.

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Other plans in a specific group

Use this option to limit switching to a specific set of plans. Groups control which plans members can switch between. They are different from group plans, which are a separate plan type. After choosing this option, select an existing group: We’ll show other plans in that group so you can confirm which plans are connected. Or choose New group to create one: Name the group and click Create group: Example: You offer Monthly, Annual, and Founding Member plans. Monthly and Annual should work together, but Founding Member should stay separate. Click the pencil icon to edit the plan name. Click the trash icon to delete the group.

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Control switching between prices in the same plan

Members can also switch between prices in the same plan, such as monthly and yearly pricing. In the Prices section, click the ••• menu next to the price, then select Edit price. Use Available for plan changes to control whether members can switch to that price. This is useful when a plan includes prices that should stay restricted, such as:

• A hidden legacy price
• A hidden trial price
• A limited promotional price
• A retired legacy price that existing subscribers can keep but new subscribers should not switch to

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Configure how upgrades are charged

Upgrade billing is managed separately from plan-level switching. These settings apply when members upgrade themselves between plans and prices. These settings do not affect administrator-initiated bulk moves. Go to Revenue → Plans and click Settings. In Settings for all plans, choose how Memberful should handle upgrades to a higher priced plan:

• Prorate and switch immediately
• Charge full price immediately
• Charge at next renewal

These settings apply across your Memberful plans.

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View plan changes in the Plans list

You can sort and filter plan change groups from the main Plans page. Go to Revenue → Plans. Click the group name to filter the list to the plans a member on that plan could switch to. After clicking on a group name, a filter chip appears at the top of the list. Click the chip to clear the filter and return to the full plans list. You can also view plan change groups in list view and sort by them in either view.

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Understand what happens when a member changes plans

What happens after a member selects a different plan or price depends on whether the change takes effect immediately or at their next renewal.

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Immediate plan changes

Depending on your upgrade billing settings, Memberful can switch the member to the new plan immediately. When an upgrade is prorated, the member’s recent payment may be deducted from the amount charged for the new plan. For example, if a member pays $14 for a monthly plan and immediately switches to a $48 yearly plan, Memberful may apply the $14 payment toward the yearly plan and charge the remaining $34.

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Scheduled plan changes

Plan changes that do not take effect immediately are scheduled for the subscription’s next renewal. Until then:

• The subscription remains attached to the current plan and price.
• The member keeps the access provided by their current plan.
• The upcoming plan or price takes effect when the subscription renews.
• The member is charged according to the new plan or price at renewal.

A member’s profile may continue to show their current plan even though another plan change is already scheduled.

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Renewal reminder emails

If a plan change is scheduled, a renewal reminder may show the member’s current plan name and the renewal amount for the plan or price they are scheduled to switch to. This happens because the current plan is still active when the reminder is sent, but the scheduled price will apply when the subscription renews. For example, a member switching from a yearly plan to a monthly plan could receive a reminder that references the yearly subscription while showing the upcoming monthly renewal amount.

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Review plan changes from the member profile

Go to Members, open the member’s profile, and click the subscription. Review the current plan, price, renewal date, and any available plan-change details. Immediate upgrades create an entry in the member’s activity history. Scheduled downgrades and other plan changes may not appear as separate activity entries before they take effect. After a scheduled change takes effect, it may appear as a regular renewal rather than as a separate downgrade or plan-change event.

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Plan changes and MRR metrics

Plan changes and monthly recurring revenue reporting answer different questions. A plan change may be described as an upgrade or downgrade based on the full prices of the plans. MRR reporting compares how much monthly recurring revenue each subscription generates. For example:

• A plan priced at $14 per month generates $14 in MRR.
• A plan priced at $48 per year generates $4 in MRR.
• Moving from the monthly plan to the yearly plan involves paying a higher total plan price.
• However, the change reduces monthly recurring revenue from $14 to $4.

Because of this distinction, MRR upgrade and downgrade metrics should not be used as a complete record of every plan change.

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Common setup examples

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One plan with multiple prices, and members can switch between all prices

Use this setup when prices are different ways to buy the same plan. Example: A plan has a monthly price and a yearly price. Both include the same benefits, and both prices are available for plan changes.

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One plan with multiple prices, and members cannot switch into one of the prices

Use this setup when one price should stay restricted. Example: A plan has one visible Monthly price and one hidden monthly price for grandfathered members. The hidden price stays unavailable for plan changes.

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Multiple plans, and members can switch freely between them

Use this setup when plans offer different benefits, but members should be able to upgrade or downgrade. Example: You offer Basic and Pro plans, and both are set to Any ungrouped plan.

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Multiple plans, and members can switch only between certain plans

Use this setup when only some plans should work together. Example: Monthly and annual are assigned to the same group, while Founding Member is kept separate.

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Multiple plans, and members cannot switch between them

Use this setup when plans are separate offerings that members may want to keep at the same time. Example: A newsletter plan and a course plan are both set to None.