Chargify is a subscription billing and revenue management platform built for SaaS companies and businesses with recurring revenue models. It simplifies billing for complex subscription plans, provides tools for revenue recognition, and offers detailed analytics for managing churn and customer lifetime value (CLV). Chargify allows companies to create custom billing workflows, handle dunning processes, and offer flexible pricing models. When integrated with Frends iPaaS, businesses can automate subscription and billing workflows, synchronize data with other platforms, and enhance processes related to customer management and revenue tracking.

Business use cases

Integration with CRM and customer data synchronization

Chargify serves as the core billing system but gains significant value when integrated with CRM tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Dynamics 365. Frends can automate the synchronization of customer data between Chargify and these platforms. For example, when a customer’s subscription is updated or a new subscription is created in Chargify, Frends can trigger workflows to update the corresponding records in the CRM. This ensures all teams have access to consistent and up-to-date customer information.

Automated dunning workflows

The dunning process—managing failed payments—is critical for subscription businesses. Frends can automate workflows triggered by Chargify to handle payment failures. For instance, when Chargify registers a failed payment, Frends could automatically send a personalized email to the customer, notify the appropriate team, and schedule retries for the payment. These workflows can help reduce churn and recover revenue effectively.

Subscription analytics reporting

Chargify provides subscription analytics, such as Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), churn rates, and customer lifetime value (CLV). Frends can enhance reporting by integrating Chargify with business intelligence platforms like Power BI or Tableau. Workflows can automatically extract key metrics from Chargify and combine them with data from other systems (e.g., marketing, sales), creating unified dashboards or scheduled reports for stakeholders.

Automated invoicing and tax integration

Chargify supports invoicing for subscriptions, and Frends can manage the integration of these invoices with external finance and tax systems such as QuickBooks, Xero, or Avalara. For example, Frends workflows can automatically transfer transaction records and tax calculations from Chargify to the accounting platform, ensuring accurate invoicing and compliance with local tax requirements.

Multi-currency and global billing support

Companies operating in multiple regions often use Chargify's multi-currency support to manage international subscriptions. Frends can integrate Chargify with ERP systems to automate currency conversion reporting and payment reconciliation workflows. For example, when a customer pays in a foreign currency, Frends can coordinate the conversion and update financial records to reflect the accurate amounts in local currency.

Integration with email marketing platforms

Subscription businesses rely heavily on marketing automation to engage with customers. Frends can integrate Chargify with email marketing tools like Mailchimp or HubSpot to automate customer communications based on subscription events. For instance, a workflow triggered by a new subscription in Chargify could add the customer to a retention or upsell campaign segment in the marketing platform.

Trial-to-paid subscription automation

Many SaaS companies offer free trials before converting users to paid subscriptions. Frends can enhance this process by automating trial-to-paid transitions based on data from Chargify. For example, when a trial period is nearing its end, Frends can send reminders to the customer, automate the subscription conversion upon payment, and ensure relevant platforms (e.g., CRM, marketing) are updated.

Revenue recognition and compliance automation

Chargify provides revenue recognition tools, which are especially critical for compliance with accounting standards like ASC 606 or IFRS 15. Frends can integrate Chargify with financial systems to automate workflows for recognizing and posting revenue. For instance, Frends can process data from Chargify to update revenue figures in an ERP platform, generate compliance reports, and archive relevant records for audits.

Product catalog synchronization

When managing subscription services, syncing the product catalog between Chargify and other systems is often necessary. Frends can automate this synchronization with other tools like e-commerce platforms or internal billing systems. For example, changes to subscription plans or pricing in Chargify can trigger workflows in Frends to synchronize those adjustments across marketing platforms, sales tools, or internal databases.

Churn management and proactive retention

Chargify tracks customer churn and cancellation data, which can be used to trigger proactive retention workflows. Frends can automate data sharing between Chargify and customer success platforms like Gainsight or Zendesk to address customers at risk of churning. For instance, when a subscription cancellation is initiated, Frends could notify the customer success team, trigger a retention email campaign, or schedule a personalized follow-up to understand and mitigate churn risks.