Create the Registration, Subscription, and Login Pages

This part uses the Setup tab of the plugin admin panel

• Before activating this plugin, be sure the Stripe Payments WordPress Plugin is installed, activated, and configured. This plugin leverages the payment notifications.
• Upload and activate this plugin.
• Create a registration page with the [diglabs_premium_register] short code. Copy and paste the URL of that page into the Registration Page URL field on the Setup tab.

  [diglabs_premium_register]

  You will now have a page that contains the following form that allows your visitors to register for your premium services:

   

  
• Create a subscription page with the [diglabs_premium_subscribe] short code. Copy and paste the URL of that page into the Subscription Page URL field on the Setup tab.

  [stripe_form_begin test=true]
  [diglabs_premium_subscribe]
  [stripe_form_billing_info short=true]
  [stripe_form_payment_info]
  [stripe_form_end]
  [stripe_form_receipt]

  This will create a subscription form that allows registered visitors to subscribe to your premium content. This form will automatically reflect the subscription levels & plans that you will configure (see below).

  [hb_image align=”center”]https://diglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/subscribe.png[/hb_image]
• Create a login page with the following short code.

  [diglabs_premium_login]

  This will create a login form that can be used by your subscribers who want to access premium content.

  [hb_image align=”center”]https://diglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/login.png[/hb_image]
Copy and paste the URLs of these three pages (registration, subscription & login) into the corresponding fields on the plugin’s Setup tab.[hb_image align=”center”]https://diglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/setup_urls1.png[/hb_image]
• Configure the no access HTML that replaces the body of the premium content when the user doesn’t have access. Or optionally use the default text.[hb_image align=”center”]https://diglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/noaccess_html.png[/hb_image]
• Configure the option to show or not show the lock icon.
  [hb_image align=”center”]https://diglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/show_lock_icon.png[/hb_image]

Setup Subscription Levels

This part uses the Levels tab of the plugin’s admin panel. For each level enter the information below and click the Add Level button.

• Name – A unique name for the level. Examples: Gold, Silver, Bronze
• Description – A short description for the level. Example: This is the gold level.

When you have entered all your levels it will look something like the following:

Setup Subscription Payment Plans

This part uses the Plans tab of the plugin’s admin panel. Each subscription level can have multiple payment plans. For example: 6 month, 1 year, and monthly. For each plan enter the information below and click the Add Plan button.

• Level – A drop down populated with the existing levels. Select one.
• Name – A short name for the payment plan. Example: 6 Months or Monthly
• Type – Either a Single payment or a Recurring payment option. Note that recurring payments use the Stripe plans and they must be configured using the Stripe.com admin panel first.
• Amount (Single) – The amount in US dollars that the subscription costs.
• Period (Single) – The period (a number plus a period from the drop down) for the subscription length.
• Stripe ID (Recurring) – A drop down list populated with existing Stripe.com payment plans. Select one.

Here is an example of adding a 6 month plan to the Gold membership:

When you have finished entering the available plans for each level you will have something that looks like the following:

Secure Routes

There are times when you need to secure a route that doesn’t correspond to a WordPress page or post. You can secure routes using this plugin. This is done using the Routes tab. Here is a screenshot of some sample data.

Use the New Route form to add a new protected route:

• Level – Select all the levels that should be allowed access to the route.
• URL – The full or partial (e.g. ‘page=1’, ‘/recurring/’) URL that is to be protected.
• Type – One of the following:
  
Starts With – Protect any routes that start with the URL string.
• Contains – Protect any routes that contain the URL string.
• Exact – Protect any route that is an exact match to the URL string.

Secure Premium Content

The plugin adds a WordPress Metabox to all pages and posts. This metabox provides a checkbox for all existing subscription levels. Each page/post can belong to multiple subscription levels. Here is an example (upper-right corner) of the metabox.

• Edit the page or post that you want to secure.
• In the Dig Labs Premium Content metabox select all the levels that can access this content.
• Click the Update button to save the configuration.

After configuring the content, all premium content will no longer be accessible without being logged in with a user that belongs to one of the page’s subscription levels. If the user does not have access the body of the page (or post) will be replaced by the no access HTML that can be configured on the Setup tab. Here is a screen shot of how it will appear (ignore of course the theme):

The top post is secured content and the user has a subscription (notice the unlocked lock icon). The middle post is secured content and the user does not have a subscription (locked lock). The bottom post is public content (no lock).

Sidebar Widge

The plugin comes with a sidebar widget that provides convenient feature access for your users. If you choose not to use this widget, you will need to provide access to the login, registration, subscription and admin URLs in another manner.

• On the Appearance – Widgets page, place the Dig Labs Premium Subscription widget on the sidebar.

Here are screenshots of the widget in the logged off and logged on states:

Visitor Experience

This plugin aims to provide an intuitive and elegant user experience for your visitors.

• Vistors (not subscribed or logged in) will see lock (can be hidden in the Setup panel) icons next to the title of all premium content. The body of the content will be replaced with the no access HTML (configurable in the Setup panel). The replacement text provides links to the login and registration pages.
• Visitors will see the sidebar widget. This widget provides a quick login form with a link to the registration page.
• The registration page can be used to create a WordPress subscriber account allowing the user to logon to your site. After completing the registration (or logging in without a subscription) the user is taken to the subscription form.
• After subscribing (selecting a level and payement plan) the user is granted access to the level. This happens during a successful payment notification.
• Once subscribed users will be logged in and have access to the content configured for their level.
• Once logged in the sidebar widget shows their expiration date, provides a logout link, and allows access to their account information. Users can manage their account (e.g. update email address, cancel recurring plans, update billing info).
• Users on a single payment plan will eventually expire and access will no longer be granted to the premium content. These users will be directed to the subscription page to re-subscribe.
• Users on a recurring payment plan will have their expiration date updated whenever a successful payment notification occurs for their account. If their payment fails (e.g. card expired) or they cancel their recurring plan their expiration date is not updated and they eventually will expire.

Admin Options

Once the plugin is setup, the intent is to have most of the management automated. For example: users are added automatically as they register, expiration dates are updated with successful payment notifications. However, there may be occasions that recuire admin management.

• Setup Tab – The admin can manage the configuration of the plugin login, registration and subscription URLs. see previous section for screenshots of the setup tab
• Levels & Plans Tabs – The admin can manage the subscription levels. Levels that have associated plans cannot be deleted. Plans can be activated and deactivated. Only activated plans are shown on the subscription form. see previous section for screenshots of the levels and plans tabs
• Users Tab – The admin can manage a users subscription information. Clicking the username link allows the user’s expiration date, subscription level and Stripe ID to be updated. Clicking the stripe ID link will bring up the user’s Stripe account info in the Stripe Payments Plugin. That page allows refunds and other operations. Here is a screenshot of the users tab with one of the user’s selected for editing:
  [hb_image align=”center”]https://diglabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/users_tab1.png[/hb_image]

If you have any questions or need help with setup please contact us at support@diglabs.com