Subscriptions

Subscriptions
Meta Expands ID Verification Subscription Service to US
March 17, 2023

Meta Verified has been expanded to the United States. The subscription service — which was introduced in Australia and New Zealand in February — lets users on Instagram and Facebook get a blue badge showing their ID has been verified, get impersonation protection and get...

Subscriptions
Only 17% of Subscription Firms Track Failed Payments Despite Bottom Line Damage
March 17, 2023

Failed payments are the kryptonite of conversion, and as such require a more systematic approach to preventing them. The “Decision Guide: Tracking Failed Payments,” a PYMNTS and FlexPay collaboration based on a survey of 200 executives, shows the extent to which failed payments harm businesses,...

Subscriptions
Cost of Delivery Forces Many Meal Kits to Shutter
March 14, 2023

The meal kit sector’s difficulties may have more to do with logistics than consumer demand. In an interview with PYMNTS, Ragoth Bala, co-founder of direct-to-consumer (D2C) meal kit subscription company The Cumin Club, argued that the industry’s recent challenges are a result not of a...

Subscriptions
Failed Payments Hit Health and Fitness Subscription Sector Profit Margins Most
March 14, 2023

Retail has enjoyed some spending bumps over the past few months, and grocers are still seeing business, even as many shoppers trade down. However, the direct-to-consumer (D2C) sector has had a particularly tough time staying afloat as consumers continue to belt-tighten, especially when it comes...

Subscriptions
Half of Subscription Firms Say They Face Challenges Attracting Customers
March 08, 2023

As subscription businesses look to weather the year ahead, customer acquisition poses a major challenge. For the PYMNTS study “The State Of Subscription Business: Best Practices And Business Performance Drivers,” done in collaboration with FlexPay, we surveyed 200 executive decision-makers at companies that offer subscription-based...

Subscriptions
Subscribers Cut Services and Subscription Businesses Get Serious About Innovating
March 07, 2023

The freewheeling sign-ups of the pandemic era are now the good old days as subscription merchants are having to be smarter to retain customers, to say nothing of acquiring new ones. This was the underlying talk track between PYMNTS’ Karen Webster and sticky.io CEO Brian...

Subscriptions
Convenience Stores Use Subscriptions to Keep Cash-Strapped Consumers Coming Back
March 06, 2023

As consumers cut spending, convenience retailers are leveraging subscriptions to keep them coming back. Most recently, mid-size convenience store chain Parker’s, which has more than 70 locations in Georgia and South Carolina, announced via Twitter the launch of a new beverage subscription, Chewy’s Drink Club,...

Subscriptions
Panera Says Subscription Drives Customer Acquisition Despite Inflationary Pressures
March 06, 2023

Panera has found that its subscription has been key to growing its customer base amid inflation. In an interview with PYMNTS, Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer at Panera Bread, the fast-casual bakery-café chain with more than 2,100 locations across the United States and...

Subscriptions
Amazon Prime, Walmart+ Subscription Battle May Be Decided by Younger Consumers
February 22, 2023

The winner in the battle between Amazon Prime and Walmart+ for subscribers’ wallet share may be decided by younger consumers. Recent earnings results by the two commerce juggernauts and PYMNTS’ data show increased traction in membership programs — and for Walmart, some increased penetration among younger...