SOP: Speaker Application, Billing, and Management Flow
1. Speaker Application Approval Process
- Application Submission:
- A potential speaker submits an application to be listed on the site.
- The application form collects necessary information like the speaker’s name, email, bio, and expertise.
- Review and Approval:
- The administrator reviews the application.
- If the application is approved, the administrator proceeds to set up the billing and payment collection process.
- If rejected, a rejection email with feedback is sent to the speaker.
2. Post-Approval Setup
- Profile Creation:
- If the speaker is approved, use the information provided in the application to create a new speaker profile on the website.
- Obtain a photo from the speaker to include in their profile.
- Once the speaker’s page is set up, notify the speaker to review and approve the post. The post will need to be published temporarily so the speaker can view it.
- After the page is completed and approved by the speaker, proceed to the billing and payment collection process.
3. Billing and Payment Collection
- After Approval:
- Once the speaker’s application is approved, the administrator needs to collect the subscription fee.
- There are two scenarios for payment setup:
A. New Customer (No Existing Stripe Account):
- Send the speaker an email that contains the following information.
- Once payment is made, Stripe will automatically create a new customer account.
- Login to Stripe and click on the “Customers” tab in the left column.
- Find the appropriate speaker/customer and click on their name.
- Copy the Stripe Customer ID from Stripe and paste it into the “Stripe Customer Id” custom field in WordPress (found in the far-right column of the relevant speaker’s admin page).
- This ensures that automation for managing the post status (draft/publish) based on payments will function correctly.
B. Existing Customer (Already in Stripe)
- If the speaker already has an existing Stripe account (their email is associated with a customer ID):
- Create an invoice directly in Stripe linked to the existing customer profile.
- Send the invoice to the speaker’s email.
- Once payment is made, copy the Stripe Customer ID and paste it into the “Stripe Customer Id” custom field in WordPress.
- If the customer ID has changed (e.g., due to updates or merging in Stripe), ensure the new ID is correctly updated in WordPress to maintain the payment automation.
4. Managing Speaker Status Based on Payments
- Post-Payment Setup:
- Once the Stripe customer ID is added in WordPress, the system will automatically manage the speaker’s listing visibility based on payment status.
A. Payment Success:
- When the speaker successfully pays, their listing will be automatically published.
B. Payment Failure or Subscription Cancellation:
- If a speaker fails to pay or cancels their subscription, Stripe triggers a webhook event.
- The system automatically sets the speaker’s post to draft, effectively removing them from the public listing.
C. Renewal:
- If the speaker renews their subscription by paying a new invoice, their listing will be automatically republished.
5. Ongoing Subscription Management
- Subscription Renewal:
- Stripe handles recurring payments based on the selected plan.
- Successful payments keep the speaker’s listing active.
- Subscription Cancellation or Failure:
- If payment fails or the subscription is canceled, Stripe triggers an event to set the speaker’s post to draft.
- Administrators can monitor Stripe and intervene manually if needed.
6. Key Points to Remember
- Automated Management:
- Successful payments will automatically publish the speaker listing, while payment failures or cancellations will set the listing to draft.
- Stripe Customer ID Handling:
- After the speaker makes their first payment, always copy the Stripe Customer ID from Stripe and enter it into WordPress to maintain automation.
- If the customer ID changes, update it in WordPress to ensure continuity in the automation between Stripe and WordPress.
