Template
Sent 30 days before an annual subscription auto-renews. Goal: transparently remind the customer, offer an upgrade/downgrade path, reduce chargeback risk. Required by law in several US states (e.g., California) and in the EU.
A/B test these. Lowercase, question format, and specific-time framings consistently win.
Your {{product_name}} annual plan renews {{renewal_date}}Heads up: annual renewal for {{product_name}}Your {{product_name}} subscription renews in 30 daysHi {{first_name}},
Your {{product_name}} annual subscription will renew on
{{renewal_date}} for ${{annual_amount}} (on the {{plan_name}}
plan).
You do not need to do anything if you want to continue. If you
would like to change plans, pause, or cancel, you can do any of
the following before the renewal date:
- Manage subscription: {{manage_link}}
- Switch plans: {{plans_link}}
- Contact us: {{support_email}}
We will email again 3 days before the renewal as a final reminder.
- {{sender_first_name}}Variables in {{like_this}} should be replaced with your merge fields.
Transparent auto-renewal notices reduce chargebacks by 40-60% and are legally required in many jurisdictions. The action options are clear and non-dark-pattern. The second-reminder promise removes the "you only told me once" complaint.
In several US states (California, Oregon, New York, Illinois), yes - 3 to 30 days before renewal depending on the state. The EU Consumer Rights Directive also requires clear pre-renewal notice. Even where not required, sending reduces chargebacks by 40-60%.
Typical reduction is 40-60%. Customers who receive a clear renewal notice almost never dispute the charge with their bank, because they cannot claim they did not know.
Automate this with Rebounce
Rebounce detects payment failures via Stripe Connect, classifies them by decline code, and runs the optimal dunning sequence across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and in-app banners. The templates above are the exact patterns Rebounce uses out of the box - you can adapt the copy to your brand voice and Rebounce handles delivery, timing, and sequence cancellation when a retry succeeds.
Start free trialSent immediately after a customer initiates voluntary cancellation (clicks Cancel in-app) but before the cancellation is finalized. Goal: offer a soft alternative (pause, downgrade, discount) that recovers 20-40% of would-be cancellations.
Sent 30 days before a card on file expires, based on the expiration date you already have stored. Goal: fix the card BEFORE the payment fails, preventing dunning entirely. This is the single most effective pre-dunning move.
Sent 3 days before a free trial expires. Goal: remind the customer the trial is ending and give them a frictionless path to convert. Prevents passive "forgot about the trial" churn that accounts for 30-50% of trial dropoffs.