Offer Types

Before configuring any offer in Vrio, you'll make a fundamental decision that affects every aspect of how your offer behaves: whether it's a one-time purchase or a recurring subscription. This choice determines how billing cycles work, how customers are charged, and what management options are available.

Understanding the Difference

The offer type controls the renewal behavior of your offer:

• One-Time Sale: Customer pays once, receives the product/service, and the transaction completes
• Recurring Subscription: Customer pays repeatedly on a schedule until they cancel or the subscription completes

This decision affects billing frequency, cycle progression, customer management options, and automation capabilities.

One-Time Sale

A single transaction with no automatic renewals. Customers are charged once and any shipments are scheduled if applicable.

How It Works

• Uses only Cycle 1 of your offer configuration
• Automatically marked as "final" - no renewals occur
• Offer status moves to "Complete" after successful transaction
• No ongoing billing or subscription management needed

Key Benefits

• Simple Setup: No complex billing or cycle configuration needed
• No Churn Management: No cancellations or subscription lifecycle to manage
• Clear Revenue Recognition: Revenue is recognized immediately upon purchase
• Lower Customer Support: No billing questions or subscription management issues

Limitations

• No Recurring Revenue: Must acquire new customers for each sale
• Limited Customer Lifetime Value: Single transaction per customer (unless they purchase again)
• No Subscription Features: Can't use advanced features like pausing, frequency changes, or cycle progression

Recurring Subscription

Automatically renews based on your configured frequency until the customer cancels or the subscription reaches a final cycle.

How It Works

• Progresses through multiple offer cycles (Cycle 1, 2, 3, etc.)
• Continues indefinitely on the final cycle until cancelled
• Can be configured to automatically complete after a specific number of cycles (Custom offers only)
• Supports complex billing schedules and customer management

Key Benefits

• Recurring Revenue: Predictable income stream from existing customers
• Higher Customer Lifetime Value: Multiple payments over time increase total revenue per customer
• Subscription Management: Full suite of customer self-service options
• Flexible Billing: Support for trials, graduated pricing, and complex schedules
• Advanced Features: Pausing, frequency changes, offer swapping, dunning recovery

Configuration Options

• Billing Frequency: Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or custom intervals
• Cycle Progression: Different pricing, products, or rules for different lifecycle stages
• Trial Periods: Free or discounted introductory periods
• Final Cycles: Automatically complete subscriptions after X renewals
• Customer Controls: Allow pausing, frequency changes, or offer swapping

Next Steps

Once you've chosen your offer type:

1. For One-Time Sales: Focus on pricing configuration and fulfillment setup

2. For Recurring Subscriptions: Configure billing timing, set up offer cycles, and plan your customer management strategy

Remember: This decision fundamentally shapes your entire customer experience and business model. Choose thoughtfully based on your product, business goals, and customer expectations.