Different models.
ACCESS SUBSCRIPTIONS
Ongoing access to content, a community or a service.
Ends when payment stops.
PRODUCT SUBSCRIPTIONS
Physical goods delivered on a schedule.
Consumables, particularly.
SERVICE RETAINERS
A fixed monthly fee for ongoing work.
Common for maintenance, support and professional services.
MEMBERSHIP
Access plus community plus ongoing value.
Covered more fully in our membership articles.
INSTALMENT PLANS
Not really a subscription. A one-off price paid over time.
Different mechanics: it ends.
WHAT DIFFERS BETWEEN THEM
What happens when payment stops Whether you must deliver something physical Whether the commitment has an end
WHAT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT
Which you are selling.
Customers confused about whether they are buying access or instalments produce disputes.
