Subscription lifecycle
The four states a subscription can be in, and what each one permits.
A subscription is always in exactly one of four states. Nearly every transition originates with Paddle.
| Status | Downloads | License verifies | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
active |
yes | yes | Paid and current. |
past_due |
no | no | A renewal payment failed. Paddle is retrying. |
paused |
no | no | Deliberately suspended. |
canceled |
no | no | Ended, by the customer or by you. |
Only active passes verification. Everything else returns invalid_or_inactive.
Transitions#
- Created active by a completed transaction or a redeemed code.
- Renewed on
subscription.updated, which moves the period end and the update expiry forward. - Past due when a renewal payment fails. The customer is emailed so they can fix their card.
- Paused and resumed from Paddle or from the customer panel.
- Canceled by the customer, by you, or by Paddle. The cancellation time is recorded.
Canceled is not deleted#
A canceled subscription keeps its key, its history, and its activated domains. That matters: a customer who cancels and comes back three months later can be reactivated with their original key rather than starting over.
What a lapsed customer keeps#
Status and update window are independent. An active subscription whose update window has closed still verifies as valid — the customer simply cannot download newer releases. See The update window.
Suspending by hand#
Admins can suspend a subscription directly, individually or in bulk. Use it for chargebacks and for license abuse that has not stopped after you cleared the extra domains.