Aeion Billing vs Stripe Billing

Stripe: No License Concept

Stripe subscriptions are generic:

typescript // Stripe treats all subscriptions the same // No concept of "module" or "license tier" const sub = await stripe.subscriptions.create({ customer: "cus_xxx", items: [{ price: "price_xxx" }], });

You must track manually:

• Which module and tenant the subscription is for
• The license tier ("starter", "professional", etc.)
• A feature map (what's turned on for this license)
• A limits map (usage caps for this license)
• Trial length, if applicable
• The linked Stripe subscription
• Status ("active", "expired", "suspended", "cancelled")

Plus:

• License validation
• Feature checking
• Limit checking
• Upgrade/downgrade handling
• Trial expiration

Aeion Billing: Full Lifecycle

bash GET /api/licenses/crm/state

json { "data": { "hasLicense": true, "type": "subscription", "tier": "pro", "status": "active", "features": { "apiAccess": true, "webhooks": true, "maxUsers": 100, "maxContacts": 100000, "aiInsights": true }, "limits": { "maxUsers": 100, "maxApiCalls": 1000000 }, "nextBillingDate": "2026-06-01T00:00:00Z" } }

License State Machine:

trial → active → expired → cancelled ↓ suspended (payment failed) ↓ active (payment recovered)

Stripe: Manual Retry

```javascript // Stripe: No automatic retry // You must build your own retry logic: async function retryPayment(invoiceId) { const invoice = await stripe.invoices.retrieve(invoiceId);

// Check retry count from metadata const retryCount = invoice.metadata.retryCount || 0;

if (retryCount >= 3) { // Give up - but you have to manually update subscription status await stripe.subscriptions.update(invoice.subscription, { status: "past_due", }); return; }

// Retry - but you have to schedule it yourself await scheduleRetry(invoiceId, retryCount + 1); } ```

What you need to build:

1. Retry scheduling (cron, delayed jobs)
2. Retry delay calculation (1/3/7 days)
3. Email notifications (each retry, final notice, suspended)
4. Subscription status update (past_due, suspended)
5. License suspension (module license status update)
6. Reactivation on successful payment

Time to build: 4-6 weeks

Aeion Billing: Auto-Dunning

When a payment fails, Aeion marks the invoice failed and increments its retry count automatically. While the retry count is under the maximum of 3 attempts, the next retry is scheduled on the standard 1-day / 3-day / 7-day cadence, and an event fires so other systems — the billing queue, notification emails, your own automations — can react. Once all three retries are exhausted, the invoice moves to past-due and the suspension flow kicks in — no manual scheduling, no manual status updates.

Dunning Timeline:

``` Day 0: Payment fails → Email: "Payment Failed" → Status: payment_failed, retryCount: 1

Day 1: Retry #1 → Email: "Retry Scheduled" → Status: payment_failed, retryCount: 2

Day 4: Retry #2 → Email: "Final Notice" → Status: payment_failed, retryCount: 3

Day 11: Retry #3 (final) → If fails: Status: past_due → Subscription: suspended → License: suspended → Email: "Service Suspended" ```

Auto-Suspend Logic: Once the maximum retry count is reached, any linked subscription and module license are automatically moved to a suspended state, and an event fires to notify other modules (so a module's UI can show the right banner, a CSM can be alerted, and so on).

Stripe: Basic Trials

```javascript // Stripe: Trial on subscription const subscription = await stripe.subscriptions.create({ customer: customerId, items: [{ price: priceId }], trial_period_days: 14, // Max 730 days });

// No concept of: // - Auto-conversion // - Trial reminders // - Feature restrictions during trial // - Trial-specific limits ```

Aeion Billing: Full Trial Management

bash POST /api/licenses/trial { "moduleId": "crm", "tier": "pro", "trialDays": 14 }

json { "data": { "hasLicense": true, "type": "trial", "tier": "pro", "status": "trial", "trial": { "daysRemaining": 12, "trialStartedAt": "2026-05-01T00:00:00Z", "trialExpiresAt": "2026-05-15T00:00:00Z", "willConvertAutomatically": true } } }

Automatic conversion:

1. Trial expires
2. Stripe subscription activated
3. License type flips to "subscription"
4. Conversion timestamp recorded
5. Email: "Trial Converted"

Or cancellation:

1. User cancels trial
2. Cancellation timestamp recorded
3. Stripe subscription cancelled

Trial Configuration:

• Trials enabled, defaulting to 14 days
• Auto-converts to a paid subscription at expiry
• Payment method can be required up front, or deferred until conversion
• Reminder emails sent at 7, 3, and 1 days before expiry
• Optional trial-only restrictions — e.g. a lower user or contact cap, or AI features disabled until conversion