Subscriptions/Variants - Upgrade/Downgrade - Discounts on Renewal date

-- HikaShop version -- : 4.2.2
-- HikaSerial version -- : 3.0.1
-- Joomla version -- : 3.9.15
-- PHP version -- : 7.3.14
-- Browser(s) name and version -- : Chrome 80

Hi guys,
I'm setting a portal that will manage 4 types of parent Registered Subscribed users:
- Registered A - free registration
-- Registered B - paid B subscription 10
--- Registered C - paid C subscription 30
---- Registered D - paid D subscription 50

When a Registered User buy a Subscription (B, C, D) he has added to that Joomla User Group for the Subscription time.
Now, I have for you three questions:

1 - From your point of view, Would be better to set a Product for each Subcription type or to have 1 Product with 3 Charateristics Variants ?
(Where I can assign a different Subscription type for each Variant)

2 - I'm asking it also thinking if there is a way to "upgrade" / "downgrade" from one Subscription to other Subscription.
I mean, I am a Paid C Subscriptor and I want to upgrade to Paid D, or the reverse I am a Paid D Subscriptor and I want to downgrade to Paid B,
Please, Can HikaSubscription calculate the residual value of the existing Subscription to transform it into time (downgrade) or discount (upgrade) ? How ? Do you have any tips for it ?

3 - I'd like to add discounts, different prices, depending on the renewal date.
I mean, I have a valid Subscription B till th 30 june 2020. If 'll renew before the 30 april I'll pay 5, from 01 may to 31 may I'll pay 6 and from 01 june to 30 june 7 (then I'll cannot renew and I'll have to buy it again at 10).
As far as I know on "Prices" tab I can only enter prices from date/to date, nothing related to the subscription expiration date.
Please, Do you have any tips for it ?

Hi Jerome,
in first of all many thanks for the quick and detailed answer. Then:

1 - Can be any difference from a Statistics point of view ?
I'd glad to know opinion based on your experience to evaluate the pros and cons.

2 - You are speaking only abot "Upgrade" and not "Downgrade", Am I right ?
"...the customer will be able to perform an "upgrade" and the subscription end date will be proceed depending the current end date and the duration that the upgrade is offering..." = I'm not sure I have understand. Please, Can you do a mathematical example (with numbers) ?

3 - Okay, thanks.
The only workaround I can think here is (for example) to set an outgoing renewal email 60 days before the subscription expiration date attaching to it a Coupon discount, based on user, with % discount and a 15 days expiration.
What do you think ? Any ideas ?

Hi Jerome,

1 - thanks

2 - "...allow to "migrate" a subscription from a plan "A" to a plan "B" for a specific price and a duration.
The subscription expiration date will be the best date between "now + upgrade duration" and "current expiration".
It means that the upgrade duration do not extend the subscription expiration date by its duration."
I'm testing, but I'm not understanding. Please, Can you help me doing two examples, "upgrade" and a "downgrade", using numbers ?

3 - thanks

Hi Jerome,
sorry for my English. Simply I'm not understanding How should run the "Migration" feature you gently explained me.

Looking for "Subscription - Upgrade/Downgrade" into documentation I can only find this empty article .

So, I'm just asking you two examples (upgrade case / downgrade case).
Looking to understand if it can fit my customer needs.


From my point of view an Upgrade / Downgrade process should be really simple. Example:
- Registered A - free registration
-- Registered B - paid B subscription 10/month
--- Registered C - paid C subscription 30/month
---- Registered D - paid D subscription 50/month

Relation Type "Upgrade" + Duration 1 day
- Variant BC Price: from B (10) to C (30) = (20 / 30 to have back the price per day) 0.67
- Variant BD Price: from B (10) to D (50) = (40 / 30 to have back the price per day) 1.33
- Variant CD Price: from C (30) to D (50) = (20 / 30 to have back the price per day) 0.67
The Upgrade relation type should keep fixed the expiration date (user cannot manage "quantity") and calculate the total price:
- Days (from today to the expiration date) x Variation Price = Total cost of the upgrade
And sure delete the "Upgrade from" user user group (old Plan action) and add the user to the new "Plan" user group

Relation Type "Downgrade" + "Duration 1 day"
- Variant DC "Price": from D (50) / to C (30) = (-20 / 30 to have back the price per day) 1.66
- Variant DB "Price": from D (50) to B (10) = (-40 / 30 to have back the price per day) 5
- Variant CB "Price": from C (30) to B (10) = (-20 / 30 to have back the price per day) 3
The Downgrade relation type should keep fixed the total price to 0 (user cannot manage quantity) and calculate the new expiration date:
- Days (from today to the expiration date) x Variation "Price" = days to the New expiration date
And sure delete the "Upgrade from" user user group (old Plan action) and add the user to the new "Plan" user group

Jerome wrote: ...I take notes from your usecase and I hope that we will have other feedback/usecase to be able to provide an implementation of a "upgrade/downgrade" feature in the future...