---
title: "Issue-Based Subscriptions"
slug: "issue-based-subscriptions"
updated: 2026-06-10T09:18:48Z
published: 2026-06-23T10:52:50Z
canonical: "help.frisbii.com/issue-based-subscriptions"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.frisbii.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Issue-Based Subscriptions

Issue-based subscriptions are billed by the number of issues delivered, not by a fixed time period. Instead of a recurring monthly or annual charge, the customer is invoiced after a specific number of issues has been sent or consumed.

Typical use case: a weekly magazine subscription that bills after every 12 issues.

---

## Difference to time-based subscriptions

|  | Time-based | Issue-based |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Billing trigger** | Calendar date (e.g. monthly) | After N issues delivered |
| `issueBased` | `false` (default) | `true` |
| **Cancellation dates** | Based on renewal dates | Based on issue counts |

---

## Create a new issue-based order

Use `issueBased: true` and provide at least one entry in `issueSteps` with a `startDate`. For a new subscription, set `startDate` to tomorrow:

```php
// @see https://api.frisbii-media.com/#tag/Order-Imports/operation/orderImport
$import = [
    'suppressMail' => true,
    'purchase'     => false,
    'items'        => [
        [
            'externalSystemId'   => 'IssueSub-4711',
            'plenigoOfferId'     => 'O_FAK3OFF3R',
            'invoiceCustomerId'  => $customer['customerId'],
            'issueBased'         => true,
            'issueSteps'         => [
                [
                    'startDate' => (new DateTime('tomorrow'))->format(DATE_RFC3339_EXTENDED),
                ],
            ],
            'paymentMethod'      => 'BILLING',
            'deliveryCustomerId' => $customer['customerId'],
            'deliveryAddressId'  => $deliveryAddress['addressId'],
            'quantity'           => 1,
        ],
    ],
];
$importStatus = json_decode($client->request('POST', '/imports/orders', [
    'headers' => ['X-plenigo-token' => $yourGeneratedToken],
    'json'    => $import,
])->getBody()->getContents(), true);
```

---

## Migrate an existing issue-based subscription

When migrating from a source system, you need to tell Frisbii Media the subscription history: which billing steps have already occurred and how many issues remain in the current step before the next invoice.

For multi-step subscription plans (e.g. an intro price for the first 12 issues, then a regular price), pass all past steps as well.

```php
$import = [
    'suppressMail' => true,
    'purchase'     => false,
    'items'        => [
        [
            'externalSystemId'   => 'IssueSub-4711',
            'plenigoOfferId'     => 'O_FAK3OFF3R',
            'invoiceCustomerId'  => $customer['customerId'],
            'issueBased'         => true,
            'issueSteps'         => [
                [
                    // Step 1: already completed — no openDeliveries needed
                    'startDate'      => '2020-10-10T10:10:10.100Z',
                    'openDeliveries' => 0,
                ],
                [
                    // Step 2: currently active — 2 issues remain before next invoice
                    'startDate'      => '2023-10-10T10:10:10.100Z',
                    'openDeliveries' => 2,
                    // Optional: if you want the subscription to end after these 2 issues:
                    // 'cancellationDate' => (new DateTime('today'))->format(DATE_RFC3339_EXTENDED),
                ],
            ],
            'paymentMethod'      => 'BILLING',
            'deliveryCustomerId' => $customer['customerId'],
            'deliveryAddressId'  => $deliveryAddress['addressId'],
            'quantity'           => 1,
        ],
    ],
];
$importStatus = json_decode($client->request('POST', '/imports/orders', [
    'headers' => ['X-plenigo-token' => $yourGeneratedToken],
    'json'    => $import,
])->getBody()->getContents(), true);
```

### issueSteps field reference

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `startDate` | When this billing step started |
| `openDeliveries` | Number of issues remaining before Frisbii Media triggers the next invoice. `0` means this step is already completed. |
| `cancellationDate` | Optional. If set, the subscription will end after the remaining `openDeliveries` are consumed. |

---

## Note on externally managed issue-based subscriptions

> [!WARNING]
> From a Frisbii Media perspective, there is no strong reason to import issue-based subscriptions as externally managed. Since the external system already knows the start and end dates precisely, a time-based external managed subscription achieves the same result with simpler configuration: grant access for exactly the period the subscription is active in the source system.

---

## API reference

- [orderImport](https://api.plenigo.com/#tag/Order-Imports/operation/orderImport)

---