--- title: "How to pause subscriptions in Stripe and the smarter alternative with Churnkey" description: "Pausing subscriptions in Stripe sounds simple—until you look closer. We break down Stripe's native setup vs. Churnkey's smarter alternative: pros, cons, and a guide to doing it right. Read before you choose how to handle pauses in Stripe." canonical: "https://churnkey.co/blog/pause-subscription-in-stripe" category: "blog" author: "Team Churnkey" author_role: "Retention research" date_published: "2025-05-10" last_updated: "2025-06-24" --- # How to pause subscriptions in Stripe and the smarter alternative with Churnkey By Team Churnkey, Retention research · Published 2025-05-10 ### The two ways to pause subscriptions in Stripe - Use Stripe - Use [Churnkey](/) ([verified Stripe partner](https://marketplace.stripe.com/apps/churnkey?ref=churnkey.co)) ### We answer three broad questions - How to **enable pauses** in Stripe — questions and limitations - When to **consider Churnkey** to implement pauses in Stripe - How to **set up effective pauses** in Stripe --- ## Method 1: use Stripe to pause subscriptions Stripe allows you to temporarily stop charging while the subscription itself stays active. This is good for grace periods or free-of-charge intervals. ### Stripe cons Key limitations of using Stripe's native setup for pausing subscriptions. - You **cannot** pause a subscription in a way that **disables product access**. Subscription status remains "active" — no special "paused" status. Thus requiring additional integration to gate paused users. - Needs **further integration for resuming** the subscription. Requires UI changes and further development with Stripe. - Stripe does **not** allow pause options through their **Billing Portal**. It has been deprecated. - Hidden **cost in engineering time**; slower to improve retention KPIs. - **No segmentation**, intelligent offers, or churn reason insights. Stripe is a billing provider, not a dedicated retention software. - Must design and **code in-product pause walls** separately. - No way to block repeat pauses. **Users can game the system**. - **Complex** integration to understand the pause **offer performance**. ### Stripe advantages Key advantages of using Stripe's native setup for pausing subscriptions. - **Native solution**: No third-party integration needed. - **Cost-effective**: No additional SaaS fees. - **Keeps customers active** without re-signup friction. ### Final verdict Stripe is great when you need raw pause functions primitives and have engineering resources to brute-force. But for mature companies, this is not the best way forward. **To setup with Stripe:** - Documentation: [https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/pause-payment](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/pause-payment?ref=churnkey.co) - Discord Support: [https://discord.com/invite/stripe](https://discord.com/invite/stripe?ref=churnkey.co) --- ## Method 2: use Churnkey to pause subscriptions A **pause** is better than a **cancellation**. Every time. > With **15** million subscriptions and **$3B in subscription revenue** at Churnkey, **pauses** emerged as one of the most effective save tactics in 2024—**accepted in 19% of all cancellation sessions** \[[source](/reports/state-of-retention-2025)\]. You've spent time, money, and energy getting customers in the door. Sometimes, customers just need a break. Churnkey does all the heavy lifting when it comes to subscription pauses. - Let customers who want to freeze their accounts come back at a later time. - Preserve relationships without severing them unnecessarily. ### Churnkey advantages Key advantages of using Churnkey for pausing subscriptions in Stripe are as follows. - **Pausing, with purpose:** Subscriptions are paused _and_ gated. Users retain their account, but lose access during the break. This drives urgency to return while keeping your churn low. - **Minimal engineering support**: When the pause period ends, we'll automatically continue their subscription. We even display [pause walls](/blog/launch-block-functionality-for-paused-and-past-due-accounts-without-any-dev-time) so users cannot access the platform while the subscription is paused. - **Reduces support costs**: Users can pause subscriptions themselves through a branded cancel flow without contacting support. - **Flexible pause offers**: Instead of a static pause, you can show targeted offers like "Pause for 2 months and save your progress," or "Take a free 1-month break". Enable subscription pauses for up to twelve months with Churnkey. **The customer can choose** how long do they want to pause for and you can decide the max length to offer. - **Segmentation capabilities**: [Segment your offers](/feature/customer-segmentation) can vary based on customer type, usage, subscription age, etc. - **Metrics and insights:** You [get clear reporting](https://docs.churnkey.co/cancel-flows/analytics/average-boosted-revenue?ref=churnkey.co) on how many users chose to pause, for how long, and conversion rates. This allow your team to [A/B test](/blog/launch-cancel-flow-a-b-testing) and consistently improve. With [Insights AI](/feature/customer-insights-ai) and Feedback AI, the qualitative stream of data is analyzed and tied to immediate MRR loss. - **Supports cooldown periods** before users take another pause. This prevents abuse. - **Enterprise-level pause intelligence:** If your team is split on whether to offer pauses—or how long they should be—we help you cut through opinion with **your** **data**. We’ve built custom analyses that map the full journey of paused users. This level of support is available to enterprise customers who want deeper insights and tailored strategy. - **A complete retention platform**: You can setup pauses, discounts or trial extensions. Churnkey is a complete platform designed to cut churn and boost LTV. To get started, [sign up for Churnkey](https://app.churnkey.co/register?ref=churnkey.co) or [book a demo](/schedule-a-demo). ### Churnkey disadvantages Key disadvantages of using Churnkey for pausing subscriptions in Stripe are as follows: - **Adds a new line item cost**: However, we take into account factors such as your ARPA, cancellation volume, and more to ensure that we're delivering at least 5x ROI for you. Many customers experience ROI in the 10-20x range. - **Requires light engineering setup**: You can [set Churnkey up](https://app.churnkey.co/register?ref=churnkey.co) in as little as 15 minutes (we've seen it happen). If you get fancier with segmentation or test environments, that adds a bit of overhead.  - **It's a 3rd party tool**: That said, there's no vendor lock-in with our monthly plans. We partner with Stripe and are often featured in their core dashboard. [Read our build vs buy guide](/comparisons/build-vs-buy). ### Final verdict Use Churnkey if you want a **fast, customer-friendly** way to offer pauses during cancellation flows, boost retention, and get **actionable analytics** without engineering effort. It's ideal when **retention KPIs matter** and you want to optimize save offers dynamically. To get started, [sign up for Churnkey](https://app.churnkey.co/register?ref=churnkey.co) or [book a demo](/schedule-a-demo). --- ## How to set up effective pauses in Stripe Done right, pause flows can meaningfully reduce churn and keep customers engaged. Here's how to design them. ### 1\. Always offer pause as a first option - A pause is always better than a cancellation. - From Churnkey data and [broader research](https://www.marketingcharts.com/brand-related/brand-loyalty-113074?ref=churnkey.co), 51.8% of customers would likely choose to pause if the option was presented. ### 2\. Personalize pause offers based on cancellation reason - Offer pauses primarily to customers who select reasons like "I don't need it right now" or "I will be back." - Avoid offering pauses where the reason is dissatisfaction or switching to competitors. ### 3\. Segment users for more targeted pause flows - **Monthly subscribers**: Emphasize flexibility and highlight benefits of returning anytime. - **Annual subscribers**: Use pause sparingly. Instead, focus on loyalty rewards or stacked discounts. - **Early churners**: Offer a free pause + guided onboarding to re-engage them. - **Late churners**: Emphasize long-term relationship and offer a pause before complete exit. ### 4\. Experiment with pause durations - Test different pause lengths (1, 2, or 3 months). - Use Churnkey’s no-code editor to A/B test which pause durations yield the highest reactivation rates. ### 5\. Layer pause offers with incentives - Combine pauses with targeted incentives like temporary discounts or bonus features upon return. - Example: "Pause now and get 10% off your first month when you return." ### 6\. Use real-time feedback to improve pause flows - Set up exit surveys to capture why customers pause. - Adapt future pause offers based on these insights to continuously optimize. ### 7\. Follow up during pause period - Send educational resources, feature updates, or reminders during the pause to maintain engagement. - Avoid letting paused users go completely cold; keep your product top-of-mind. ### 8\. Track pause outcomes with Churnkey analytics - Monitor acceptance rates, reactivation rates, and reasons for declining pause offers. - Use Customer Timelines to diagnose behavior patterns and improve targeting. That's all! Thanks for reading. To get started, [sign up for Churnkey](https://app.churnkey.co/register?ref=churnkey.co) or [book a demo](/schedule-a-demo).