How do paid newsletters work in SendFox?

A SendFox paid newsletter charges readers a monthly subscription through your own Stripe account. It's part of Pro: set it up in Settings → Paid newsletter.

What is a SendFox paid newsletter?

A paid newsletter lets readers pay you every month to receive your paid emails. Here's how the pieces fit together:

• Your own Stripe account. Readers pay through a secure Stripe checkout, and the money goes straight into the Stripe account you connect. SendFox doesn't take a cut; Stripe's own processing fees apply.
• A signup Smart Page. Readers subscribe and pay on a Smart Page that SendFox creates for you.
• A Paid Newsletter list. Everyone with an active subscription is on this list, so you send your paid issues to it.

Paid newsletters are part of Pro (Pro 1 to Pro 5, including a Pro trial). On the Free plan or the $29 Lifetime deal, the page shows Upgrade to Pro instead. See What features do I get with SendFox Pro?

How do I set up a paid newsletter?

1. Go to Settings → Paid newsletter (under Revenue).
2. Under Stripe connection, click Connect Stripe. Stripe opens: sign in to your Stripe account, or create one, and approve the connection.
3. Back in SendFox you'll see Stripe account connected successfully. SendFox has now set up:
   • a list called Paid Newsletter, where your paying readers go
   • a Smart Page with a signup form for your paid newsletter
   • the monthly subscription product in your Stripe account
4. Next to Monthly subscription price:, enter your price and pick your currency (it starts at 10 USD), then click Save changes.
5. Next to Smart Page:, click Paid Newsletter to open the page. It starts with placeholder text, so write your own headline and description, then publish it.
6. To get the page link, go to Growth → Smart Pages, find the page marked Paid and choose View page from its ⋮ menu. Share that link wherever you promote your newsletter.

How do readers subscribe and pay?

1. A reader enters their email address on your paid Smart Page.
2. SendFox sends them to a secure Stripe checkout to start their monthly subscription.
3. After paying, they're taken back to your newsletter's page.

Once Stripe confirms the subscription, SendFox adds the reader to your Paid Newsletter list. When a subscription ends or a payment fails, SendFox removes them from the list automatically. The Paid Newsletter list is marked with a star under Audience → Lists, and a paying reader's contact page shows their Stripe subscription status.

Only paying readers belong on the Paid Newsletter list, so don't import or add people to it yourself. They join it when they pay.

How do I send paid-only issues?

Create an email as usual and choose the Paid Newsletter list as the recipients. Send your free emails to your other lists. See How do I create and send an email?

What should I know before I start?

• Monthly billing only. Readers pay monthly; there's no annual option.
• One paid newsletter per account.
• Price changes apply to new subscribers. Readers who already subscribed keep the price they signed up at.
• No trials or discount codes. The checkout charges your monthly price.
• Payments live in Stripe. Refunds, receipts and payouts are handled in your Stripe account.
• Only the account owner can set it up. Teammates don't see the paid newsletter settings.
• Keep Pro active. If your account no longer has Pro, new readers can't check out until you're back on Pro.

Troubleshooting

I see Upgrade to Pro instead of the price settings

Paid newsletters need Pro. Click Upgrade to Pro on the page, or Upgrade! in the top nav, to choose a Pro tier. See Which SendFox Pro tier should I choose?

A reader paid but isn't on the Paid Newsletter list

Check the payment in your Stripe account. SendFox adds a reader once Stripe reports an active subscription, so a payment that's still pending or has failed won't add them.

My paid Smart Page is missing

Go to Settings → Paid newsletter and click Regenerate page next to Smart Page:. SendFox creates a new signup page for your paid newsletter.

Still stuck? Visit the Help Center at help.sendfox.com or email support@sendfox.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SendFox take a cut of my paid newsletter?

No. SendFox doesn't charge a fee on paid subscriptions. You only pay Stripe's processing fees.

Can I use paid newsletters on the Free plan or the Lifetime deal?

No. Paid newsletters are part of Pro.

Can I offer annual billing, a free trial or a discount?

No. Readers pay monthly at the price you set.

Can I bring paid subscribers from another platform?

Not their subscriptions. Readers subscribe again through your SendFox paid newsletter. See How do I move paid subscribers to SendFox?