Archiving Subscriptions
Over time, your subscription list fills up with entries that are no longer relevant: customers who switched to a different plan, one-time projects that ended, businesses that closed down. Canceling keeps them visible in your list and in the customer portal. Archiving removes them from view entirely — while keeping every invoice, transaction, and note intact for your records.Archived subscriptions are hidden from the customer portal, excluded from billing, and not counted in MRR calculations. They stay in your database for audit and reference purposes.
When to Archive
Archiving is the right choice when a subscription has run its course and no longer needs to be in your day-to-day view.Customer Switched Plans
A customer moved from Basic to Professional. The old subscription is canceled but still clutters your list. Archive it to keep focus on the active plan.
Former Customer
A customer left permanently — they closed their business, moved to a competitor, or simply don’t need the service anymore. Archive their subscription to keep your list current.
Completed Project
A fixed-term project or seasonal subscription (event hosting, campaign website, temporary license) is finished. Archive it instead of leaving it in your canceled list.
Merged or Restructured
Two companies merged, or a customer restructured and consolidated multiple subscriptions into one. Archive the old entries to avoid confusion.
More Use Cases
- Product discontinued — You stopped offering a service. Archive all subscriptions for that product so they don’t show up in reports or confuse your team.
- Free trial that never converted — The customer tried your service, never paid, and the trial expired months ago. Archive it to separate real customers from leads that didn’t convert.
- Billing dispute resolved — After a chargeback or dispute, you agreed to end the service. Archive the subscription to signal it’s fully resolved — not just canceled.
- Internal or test subscriptions — Subscriptions you created for demos, testing, or internal use that are no longer needed.
- Seasonal customer — A customer only needs your service during summer or a specific quarter. Archive between seasons to keep your active list focused, reactivate when they return.
- Duplicate from migration — After importing subscriptions from another system, duplicates may exist. Archive the extras without losing their payment history.
Archiving vs. Canceling vs. Deleting
| Cancel | Archive | Delete | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible to customer | Yes | No | No |
| Visible in subscription list | Yes | Only in Archived tab | Gone |
| Invoices & transactions | Preserved | Preserved | Lost |
| Can be reactivated | Yes | Yes | No |
| Counted in reports | As canceled | Not counted | Not counted |
| Best for | Customer might come back | Done permanently, keep records | N/A (not supported) |
How to Archive a Subscription
Cancel first (if still active)
A subscription must be canceled before it can be archived. If it’s still active, cancel it first.
Click Archive
On a canceled subscription, click the Archive Subscription button below the Reactivate button.
What Happens When You Archive
- Billing stops —
next_billing_atis cleared, the billing job skips it - Hidden from customer portal — the customer no longer sees this subscription
- Moved to Archived tab — visible only under Subscriptions > Archived with a zinc/gray badge
- MRR excluded — not counted in your revenue calculations
- Bulk action protected — cannot be resumed or canceled via bulk actions
- Duplicate detection cleared — new subscriptions for the same customer + product are allowed
- All data preserved — invoices, transactions, orders, tags, and notes remain intact
- Activity logged — the archive action appears in the subscription’s history
Viewing Archived Subscriptions
Go to Subscriptions and click the Archived tab. The zinc-colored badge shows the count. On the subscription detail page, archived subscriptions show:- A zinc/gray “Archived” badge in the header
- An info message explaining no actions are available
- A Reactivate Subscription button for when you need to bring it back
Reactivating an Archived Subscription
Sometimes a customer comes back, or you archived something by mistake. You can always reactivate:- Go to Subscriptions > Archived tab
- Click the subscription to open its detail page
- Click Reactivate Subscription
- Set up the billing details (next billing date, payment mandate)
- The subscription returns to Active status
Best Practices
Archive after the dust settles
Archive after the dust settles
Don’t archive immediately after canceling. Wait until any pending invoices are paid or resolved, chargebacks are settled, and the customer confirms they don’t need reactivation. Then archive.
Use tags before archiving
Use tags before archiving
Review your Archived tab periodically
Review your Archived tab periodically
Once a quarter, glance at the Archived tab to verify nothing was archived by mistake. The count badge makes this easy — if it suddenly jumps, investigate.
Archive in batches when discontinuing a product
Archive in batches when discontinuing a product
When you stop offering a product, cancel all related subscriptions first, then archive them together. Use tags to mark the reason (e.g., “product-discontinued”).
FAQs
Can customers see archived subscriptions?
Can customers see archived subscriptions?
No. Archived subscriptions are completely hidden from the customer portal.
Are archived subscriptions included in MRR calculations?
Are archived subscriptions included in MRR calculations?
No. Only active subscriptions are counted in MRR and revenue reports.
Will archiving delete any invoices or transactions?
Will archiving delete any invoices or transactions?
No. All linked data is preserved. Archiving only changes the subscription status. You can still view all invoices and transactions on the subscription detail page.
Can I archive an active subscription directly?
Can I archive an active subscription directly?
No. You need to cancel it first, then archive. This two-step process prevents accidentally hiding a subscription that’s still billing.
What's the difference between archiving and soft-deleting?
What's the difference between archiving and soft-deleting?
PayRequest doesn’t support deleting subscriptions because of linked invoices and transactions. Archiving gives you the same clean-list result without breaking any data relationships.
Can I search for archived subscriptions?
Can I search for archived subscriptions?
Yes. Use the Archived tab in the subscription list, or search by customer name — archived subscriptions appear when you’re on the Archived tab.
What happens to open invoices when I archive?
What happens to open invoices when I archive?
Open invoices are not automatically canceled when you archive from the UI. Review and cancel any open invoices manually before archiving, or they will remain open but unbilled.
Related Articles
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Cancellation Requests
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Suspending Subscriptions
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