Your ThirdSectorBee subscription keeps your beehive running after the free trial. This guide covers setting it up, paying, and managing it afterwards. Every subscription includes all ThirdSectorBee modules.

This is about paying for ThirdSectorBee. Taking donations from supporters is separate: see Connect Stripe for Engage payments. Connecting a donations account doesn’t set up your subscription.

Before you start

  • You need account:admin:team. Without it, the Billing tab isn’t shown in Settings and the setup page tells you Only administrators in your organisation can set up or change billing. Ask an administrator, or ask for the permission.
  • Have your organisation’s registered name and address ready, plus the names and email addresses of the people who should receive billing emails and manage the account.
  • You’ll pay through Stripe’s secure payment form, so have your card or other payment method to hand.

Set up a subscription

Start from Set up billing on the trial banner, on the Your free trial has ended screen, or on Settings → Billing.

The Set up your subscription page tells you how many trial days you have left, or that your trial has expired. It has three steps.

Step 1: Organisation

  1. Optionally, fill your details from a regulator: enter your number in Charity / registered number, choose Auto populate, then choose your regulator. The organisation name, number and address are filled in; check them before continuing. Some regulators show a “coming soon” message instead, in which case enter your details by hand.
  2. Check Organisation name.
  3. Enter Address line 1. Suggestions appear as you type; choosing one fills the address fields.
  4. Complete Address line 2, City and Postcode as needed.
  5. Choose Continue.

Step 2: Contacts

  1. Under Billing contact, enter the Name and Email of the person who should receive billing-related communications.
  2. Under Administrative contact, enter the person who manages your ThirdSectorBee account.
  3. Use my details fills either contact with your own name and email.
  4. Choose Continue.

Both contacts need a name and a valid email address. They can be the same person.

Step 3: Summary

Check Your subscription (the plan and its price per billing period), the date your free trial ends if you’re still in it, Everything included, and Your details. Choose Back to correct anything.

When you’re happy, choose Continue to payment.

Pay through Stripe

The Set up your payment page shows Stripe’s payment form inside ThirdSectorBee.

  1. Enter your payment method in the Stripe form.
  2. Complete the form’s confirmation step.

When Stripe accepts it, you see You’re all set! with the message that your billing details have been received and your subscription will be activated once payment is confirmed. Choose Go to dashboard to return to your home page.

If you were still in your trial, you won’t be charged until the trial ends.

Don’t refresh or bookmark the payment page. It only works when you arrive from the setup steps; a refresh takes you back to Set up your subscription to start again. Use Back to billing details to change what you entered.

Check your subscription

Open Settings → Billing. The Subscription panel shows a status badge:

Status Meaning
Not set up Billing hasn’t been set up
Free trial Your beehive is in its trial; the panel says how many days are left, or when the trial ends
Trial ended The trial finished without billing; set up billing to restore access
Active Your subscription is running; the panel shows the next payment date
Payment overdue The latest payment didn’t go through
Suspended Access is locked because of an outstanding payment
Cancelled The subscription has ended; set up billing to start a new one

If a cancellation is scheduled, an orange notice says Your subscription is set to end on and the date. Billing details lists the organisation, charity number, address and both contacts you gave during setup.

Manage payment details and invoices

With a running subscription, Settings → Billing shows Manage billing (or Update payment details when a payment is overdue or the account is suspended).

  1. Choose Manage billing.
  2. The Stripe billing portal opens. Update your payment method or view invoices there.
  3. Use the portal’s link back to return to Settings → Billing.

If you see We couldn’t open the billing portal. Please try again., wait a moment and choose the button again.

If something goes wrong

After Stripe confirms your subscription, we send your recorded weighted contact count to Stripe and refresh it hourly throughout your trial. Trial usage contributes to your first paid invoice: the charge uses the highest weighted count recorded in the previous calendar month. While the trial is still running, the quantity shown in Stripe uses the latest closed month’s peak and can change as further months close. Completing payment setup does not end your remaining trial.

Existing subscriptions and overdue payments

  • “Something went wrong. Please try again.” on the Summary step: your details weren’t sent. Check them and choose Continue to payment again.
  • “Payment is not available right now because the payment provider is not configured.” Contact [email protected].
  • Access hasn’t returned after paying. Reaching You’re all set! means your details were received, not that payment has settled. Access returns once Stripe confirms the payment.