Set Start Date for Subscriptions

  • Updated on Dec 30, 2025
  • Published on Jul 3, 2025
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Preliminary Remarks

The Set start time function can be used to define fixed start dates for  subscriptions in the Merchant Backend. These can be in the future as well as in the past. A set start date can be changed or deleted at a later date. Alternatively, the start issues can be selected.  The start time can only be set after the offer has been created and only for subscriptions.

Find more information on how this impacts the Merchant Checkout in this article: Merchant Checkout

In the subscription detail view, a start time can be set via the Extended Offer Data action bar.  

Set Fixed Start Date

The start date can either be entered manually or selected in the calendar. After successful saving, the information is displayed in the overview.

Note

This option is available for time-based offers and issue-based offers with either digital or analog delivery list.

Past dates can only be set for time-based offers!

⚠️ Attention

Be aware that when setting a start date in the past for time-based offers with an analog delivery list, no subsequent delivery list is created. The delivery must be managed manually. Otherwise, use the option to allow for past issues to be selected in the Checkout.

🛒 In the Checkout, the start date is shown below the offer name.

Set Relative Start Date

A relative start date can be defined for a more flexible start time. This can be used in B2B scenarios where subscriptions should always start on the 1st every year, or for events that come in blocks every quarter.

Note

The calculation of the relative start dates always starts on January 1st, no matter the purchase date.

Examples:

Starting at the beginning of every 3 months: January 1st - April 1st - July 1st - October 1st

Starting at the beginning of every 6 months: January 1st - July 1st

Past periods and Future periods

These can be defined for both options of a relative start date and are subject to the start date option defined above.

In the following, you can find a few examples on how to use the releative start date options:

At the beginning of every X week/month/year without past/future periods

The subscription should start at the beginning of every 3 months. The customer starts the checkout in November 2025, then the subscription starts on January 1st 2026.


Every month on day X without past/future periods

The subscription should start every month on the 15th. The customer starts the checkout in November 10th, then the subscription starts on November 15th.

At the beginning of every X week/month/year with past/future periods

The subscription should start at the beginning of every 3 months and the customer can choose from 1 past date and 3 future dates. The customer starts the checkout on November 10th and can choose from:

  • October 1st (one past date)

  • January 1st (next possible starting date)

  • April 1st (1st future date)

  • July 1st (2nd future date)

  • October 1st (3rd future date)

Every month on day X with past/future periods

The subscription should start every month on the 15th and the customer can select 1 past and 3 future steps.

The customer starts the checkout on November 10th and can choose from:

  • October 15th (one past date)

  • November 15th (next possible starting date)

  • December 15th (1st future date)

  • January 15th (2nd future date)

  • February 15th (3rd future date)

Start with Issue

As an alternative to the start date, past or future issues can be selected as the start time. The corresponding issue can be selected by the customer in the checkout process or by support in the Merchant Checkout. 

Note

This can be used for issue-based offers with an analog delivery list and for time-based offers with an analog delivery list.

After successful saving, the information is displayed on the subscription.

If it has been set that past issues can be selected in the checkout and the customer chooses a past issue, an extra delivery list, the so-called "Subsequent Delivery List", is created and can be called up in the Downloads menu item.   

🛒 In the Checkout, a drop-down is displayed and the title and the publishing date is displayed.

Note

This only works with the new checkout version (C.250430-MAJOR). In the legacy checkout version, only the creation date of the delivery list is displayed.

Change Start Date

If required, the start date of the subscription can be subsequently changed again or deleted. To do this, open Extended Offer Data again.

  • For deleting the start time, select At the time of purchase.

  • For changing the start time, change the defined start date.

 

Note: Once a customer has purchased a subscription with a fixed start time, a subsequent change to the start time does not affect the dates of the subscription already purchased by the customer. The start time specified when the subscription was purchased remains valid.

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