Products Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about creating, managing, and selling products including subscriptions, one-time purchases, and punch cards in Zipper. Find answers to questions about pricing, payment options, subscriptions, punch cards, package invites, and more.

Product Capabilities and What It Can Do

Q: What types of products can I create?

A: You can create four types of products:

• Subscriptions: Recurring products that bill automatically (weekly, monthly, or yearly)
• One-Time Purchases: Single-payment products and packages
• Punch Cards: Multi-use passes that customers can use for classes or appointments
• Custom Amount Products: Products where customers can pay any amount (donations or flexible pricing)

Q: Can I offer multiple payment options for a single product?

A: Yes! For punch cards and products linked to classes/appointments, you can enable multiple payment options:

• Credit card payment
• Punch card credits
• Subscription access (free or discounted)
• Free access

Customers will see all enabled payment options and can choose how they want to pay.

Q: Can I set different prices for different customers?

A: While you can't set customer-specific prices directly, you can:

• Create multiple products with different pricing
• Offer subscription access that grants free or discounted access
• Use punch cards that effectively provide different pricing
• Set variable pricing ranges (minimum and maximum amounts)

Q: What happens when I change a product's price?

A: When you change a product's price:

• New customers will see the new price
• Existing subscribers keep their current price (it doesn't change automatically)
• You can update existing subscription prices using the "Update Subscription Price" tool on the Active Subscribers page

This protects existing customers from unexpected price changes while allowing you to adjust pricing for new customers.

Q: Can I require customers to complete forms before purchasing?

A: Yes! You can require customers to complete custom forms during purchase. This is useful for:

• Collecting waivers
• Gathering intake information
• Capturing preferences or requirements

Forms must include first name, last name, and email fields. You can require multiple forms per product.

Q: What are punch cards and how do they work?

A: Punch cards are products that issue credits when purchased. Customers can then use those credits for:

• Classes
• Appointments
• Events

You configure:

• How many credits are issued per purchase
• When credits expire
• Which services credits can be used for
• Whether credits are restricted to billing periods or contract windows

Q: Can I create products that require a consultation first?

A: Yes! You can set a product's availability to "Requires Consultation". This:

• Hides the product from public purchase
• Generates a special sign-up URL you can share after consultations
• Allows customers to purchase only after receiving the consultation URL

This is useful for products that need personal consultation before purchase.

Q: What payment methods can customers use?

A: Customers can pay using:

• Credit cards (processed securely through Stripe)
• Bank transfers (via Stripe)
• Punch card credits (from previously purchased passes)
• Subscription access (if they have an active subscription)

Payment processing is handled securely through Stripe integration.

Q: Can I create waitlists for products?

A: Yes! You can create waitlists for limited-availability products. When spots open up, you can promote customers from the waitlist. This helps you:

• Capture interest when products are full
• Fill spots efficiently when they become available
• Manage limited-availability products

Q: Can I send package invites to specific customers?

A: Yes! You can invite specific customers to purchase packages. This allows you to:

• Target specific customers with offers
• Send personalized invitations
• Track invite acceptance and rejection
• Send reminders to customers with pending invites
• Cancel invites if plans change

Invites can only be sent for products managed via Stripe.

How to Use the Product

Getting Started

Q: What do I need before I can create a product?

A: Before creating a product, you should have:

• An active organization account at https://app.joinzipper.com
• Organization owner or admin permissions (you need the "manage-products" permission)
• Stripe connected (required for paid products)
• At least one form created with first name, last name, and email fields (if you want to require forms)

You can create free products without Stripe, but paid products require Stripe integration.

Q: How do I get started creating my first product?

A: To create your first product:

1. Log in to https://app.joinzipper.com
2. Click Products in the left sidebar
3. Click Create product button in the top right
4. Fill in the product details:
   • Product Type: Choose subscription, one-time purchase, punch card, or custom amount
   • Name: Enter a clear name for your product
   • Headline: Add a short headline (optional)
   • Details: Describe your product
   • Price: Set the price (or price range for variable pricing)
5. Configure payment options, visibility, and other settings
6. Click Save

Your product will be created and available based on your visibility settings.

Common Tasks

Q: How do I create a subscription product?

A: To create a subscription:

1. Go to Products → Create product
2. Select Subscription as the product type
3. Choose billing schedule (weekly, monthly, or yearly)
4. Set the price
5. Optionally add a startup fee
6. Configure other settings (visibility, forms, etc.)
7. Click Save

The subscription will automatically bill customers on the schedule you set.

Q: How do I create a punch card product?

A: To create a punch card:

1. Go to Products → Create product
2. Select Punch Card as the product type (or create a one-time purchase and configure punch card capabilities)
3. Set the price
4. Configure punch card capabilities:
   • Credit Issuance: How many credits are issued per purchase
   • Expiration: When credits expire (optional)
   • Usage Restrictions: Whether credits are restricted to billing periods or contract windows
   • Product Mapping: Which classes, events, or appointment types credits can be used for
5. Click Save

Customers can purchase the punch card and use credits for the services you've configured.

Q: How do I update a product's price?

A: To update a product's price:

1. Go to Products
2. Click on the product you want to update
3. Click Edit (or open the product details)
4. Change the price
5. Review the price change warning (if shown)
6. Click Save

Important: This changes the price for new customers only. Existing subscribers keep their current price unless you update it separately.

Q: How do I update existing subscription prices?

A: To update existing subscription prices:

1. Go to Products
2. Click on the subscription product
3. Go to the Active Subscribers page
4. Use the Update Subscription Price tool
5. Select which subscriptions to update
6. Set the new price
7. Confirm the update

This allows you to change prices for existing customers when needed.

Q: How do I send a package invite to a customer?

A: To send a package invite:

1. Go to CRM (or Products → select product → Invites)
2. Find the customer you want to invite
3. Click Invite to package (or use the invite button)
4. Select the product
5. Enter customer email (if not already selected)
6. Set the price (if required)
7. Click Send invite

The customer will receive an email invitation they can accept or reject.

Q: How do I create a waitlist for a product?

A: Waitlists are created automatically when:

• A product reaches its capacity limit (if configured)
• You manually add customers to a waitlist

To manage waitlists:

1. Go to Products → select product
2. View the waitlist section
3. Promote customers from waitlist when spots open
4. Remove customers if needed

Configuration and Settings

Q: How do I configure variable pricing?

A: To set up variable pricing:

1. Go to Products → select or create product
2. Enable Variable Pricing
3. Set minimum price
4. Set maximum price
5. Save the product

Customers can then pay any amount within your specified range.

Q: How do I add a startup fee to a subscription?

A: To add a startup fee:

1. Go to Products → select subscription product
2. Edit the product
3. Find the Startup Fee section
4. Enter the startup fee amount
5. Optionally enable Waive for existing customers
6. Save the product

The startup fee will be charged once when customers first subscribe, in addition to the recurring price.

Q: How do I require a form during purchase?

A: To require a form:

1. Create a form with first name, last name, and email fields (if you haven't already)
2. Go to Products → select or create product
3. Edit the product
4. Find the Forms section
5. Select the form(s) you want to require
6. Save the product

Customers will be required to complete the form before they can purchase.

Q: How do I control product visibility?

A: To control visibility:

1. Go to Products → select product
2. Edit the product
3. Configure visibility settings:
   • Show in App: Whether product appears in customer app
   • Shop Visibility: Whether product appears in public shop
   • Category: Organize products into categories
   • Product Ordering: Set display order
4. Save the product

Troubleshooting

Q: Why can't I create a paid product?

A: You might not be able to create paid products if:

• Stripe is not connected to your organization
• You don't have the "manage-products" permission
• The product requires Stripe integration

Solution: Connect Stripe first by going to Organization Management → Integrations → Stripe, then complete the merchant onboarding process.

Q: Why do I get "Invites can only be sent for products managed via Stripe"?

A: This error means the product you're trying to invite customers to doesn't have a Stripe product ID.

Solution: Make sure the product is connected to Stripe. Products must be managed via Stripe to send invites. If the product isn't connected, you may need to recreate it or connect it to Stripe.

Q: Why can't I change a product's type after creation?

A: Product types (subscription, one-time, punch card) are set when the product is created and generally shouldn't be changed because:

• They affect how the product is billed
• They determine what features are available
• Changing types could affect existing customers

Solution: If you need a different product type, create a new product with the desired type instead.

Q: Why don't customers see my product in the shop?

A: Check:

• Is Shop Visibility enabled for the product?
• Is the product in an active state?
• Are there any category filters applied?
• Does the customer have access (if access restrictions are set)?

Solution: Go to the product settings and verify visibility options are configured correctly.

Q: Why can't I send a package invite?

A: You might not be able to send invites if:

• The product isn't managed via Stripe
• Customer email is invalid
• Required fields (first name, last name) are missing (for external payments)
• You don't have permission to manage products

Solution: Verify the product has a Stripe product ID, check customer information is complete, and ensure you have proper permissions.

Q: What does "Price change warning" mean?

A: This warning appears when you change a subscription product's price, currency, or billing schedule. It reminds you that:

• New customers will see the new price
• Existing subscribers keep their current price
• You need to use the "Update Subscription Price" tool to change existing subscription prices

This is normal behavior to protect existing customers from unexpected price changes.

Edge Cases and Advanced Usage

Q: Can I have different prices for the same product?

A: While you can't set customer-specific prices directly, you can:

• Use variable pricing to allow customers to pay within a range
• Create multiple products with different pricing
• Offer subscription access that grants discounts
• Use punch cards that effectively provide different pricing

Q: What happens if a customer cancels a subscription?

A: When a customer cancels:

• The subscription continues until the end of the current billing period
• No further charges occur after cancellation
• The customer retains access until the period ends
• You can see cancellation status in the subscription management

Q: Can I bulk update multiple subscriptions?

A: Yes! You can:

• Update subscription prices for multiple customers at once
• Cancel multiple subscriptions in bulk
• Start multiple subscriptions from CSV import

Use the bulk operations tools on the Active Subscribers page or import via CSV.

Q: How do punch card credits work with classes and appointments?

A: Punch card credits can be used for:

• Classes (if the class is configured to accept punch cards)
• Appointments (if the appointment type accepts punch cards)
• Events (if configured)

When a customer uses a credit:

• The credit is marked as used
• It's attached to the specific booking
• If the booking is canceled and refunded, the credit is automatically restored

Q: Can I set expiration dates for punch card credits?

A: Yes! You can configure:

• Credit Expiration: Set when credits expire
• Billing Period Restrictions: Restrict usage to subscription billing periods
• Contract Window Restrictions: Restrict usage to contract periods

This gives you control over when credits can be used.

Q: What happens if I delete a product?

A: When you delete a product:

• The product is removed from your product list
• Existing subscriptions may continue (depending on configuration)
• Customers can no longer purchase the product
• Historical data is preserved

Important: Be careful when deleting products with active subscriptions, as this may affect customer access.

Q: Can I generate QR codes for products?

A: Yes! You can generate QR codes for products:

1. Go to Products
2. Click QR Codes button
3. Select products to generate codes for
4. View or download QR codes

QR codes enable quick in-person purchases by scanning the code.

Q: How do I handle products that require approval?

A: You can set a product's availability to "Requires Approval". This:

• Hides the product from public purchase
• Requires customers to request access
• Allows you to approve or deny requests
• Generates special URLs for approved customers

This is useful for exclusive products or memberships that require vetting.

Single Purchase Only

Q: How do I limit a product to one purchase per customer?

A: To prevent customers from purchasing a product multiple times:

1. Go to the product settings
2. Enable "Single purchase only"
3. Save the product

When enabled:

• Customers who already own the product cannot purchase it again
• The product appears as "Already Purchased" in their product list
• Prevents accidental duplicate purchases

This is useful for:

• Introductory offers that should only be used once
• Onboarding packages
• Membership starter kits
• Any product that shouldn't be repurchased

Q: What happens when a customer tries to buy a single-purchase product twice?

A: When a customer attempts to purchase a product they already own:

1. The system detects the existing purchase
2. The customer sees a message indicating they already own the product
3. The purchase is blocked
4. The customer can view their existing purchase instead

This protects both you and the customer from duplicate charges.