PayPal is changing the way subscriptions are created, managed, and displayed. Below are FAQs related to these changes:
Q: My current S- Subscription IDs look like S-XXXXXXXX. What do the new IDs look like? A: All new I- Subscriptions look like I-XXXXXXXX. Q: Are there any changes to merchant integrations? A: Yes, there is a change to the field value in the subscr_payment IPN. If your integration uses its own database, contact Technical Support for a mapping. Q: What is the field value change in the subscr_payment IPN when it is migrated to I- Subscriptions? A: The change in the subscr_payment IPN is in the transaction_subject:
For S- Subscriptions, the transaction_subject has a 'custom_code' value.
For I- Subscriptions, the transaction_subject has the 'item_name' related to the subscription.
Please note that the 'custom_code' value is available in another custom field in the same subscr_payment IPN. Q: What happens to subscr_eot IPNs, which are sent for S- Subscriptions but not for I- Subscriptions? A: The subscr_eot IPN is supported for new I- Subscriptions created for those merchants who have S- Subscriptions. Q: What improvements are expected in the merchant profile page for I- Subscriptions? A: The last payment due and transaction history (related to subscriptions) are shown in the merchant profile page for I- Subscriptions. Q: Which fields are deprecated in the merchant profile page for I- Subscriptions? A: The item_number and custom_number are not shown in the merchant profile page for I- Subscriptions. Q: What happens if a payment fails? A: In case of I- Subscriptions, the subscription gets suspended and can be reactivated later. In the case of S- Subscriptions, it gets cancelled. Q: Will I continue to receive notification emails for new I- Subscriptions? A: Yes, enhanced emails are sent to merchants for subscription signup, payment, EOT and cancellation. Q: Are there any changes when the term of subscription ends? A: Yes, in S- Subscriptions it is shown as completed, whereas for I- Subscriptions it is shown as expired. Q: When can I expect to get my existing S- Subscription migrated to I-? A: Once the migration of new subscriptions to I- is completed, existing S- Subscriptions will be migrated through a batch process. Q: Does the Subscription ID change when my existing S- Subscriptions are migrated to I-? A: Yes, when existing S- Subscriptions are migrated to I-, the ID looks like I-XXXXXXXX. In the Merchant Activity, the migrated I- Subscriptions are shown along with their history. Q: How do I know the mapping between my old S- Subscription ID and my new I- Subscription ID? A: You receive the mapping in the next payment notification in the form of IPN and email.
IPN: The new I- Subscription ID is in the field subscr_id=I-XXXXXX, and the old S- Subscription ID mapping is provided in the new field called old_subscr_id=S-XXXXXX.
Email: The mapping is provided by appending the old S- Subscription ID to the new I- Subscription ID for the Profile ID field. For example, the subsequent payment email includes something like Profile ID:I-XXXXXX (S-XXXXXXX).
Q: How long will I receive the mapping of the old and new Subscription ID? A: The mapping will be continue to be provided in the payment IPN and email until the migrated subscription is cancelled or expires. Q: What happens to old transactions for existing S- Subscriptions when they are migrated to I- Subscriptions? A: All the old transactions are also mapped under the new I- Subscription. Q: What happens to my cancelled profiles? A: Cancelled profiles will get migrated to I- Subscription in January 2019. Q: What will happen to S- Subscription reports after all existing S- Subscriptions are migrated to I- Subscriptions? A: Cancelled profile S- Subscription reports will be available for download until December 2018. The new reports are available through ‘Recurring payments’.
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