The moment a subscriber is charged for a subscription, at least one shipment is generated. The exact number of shipments depends on the subscription term selected — a month-to-month subscription generates one shipment, a three month prepay generates three, six month six, etc.
All Cratejoy subscriptions are recurring in nature, meaning they renew as soon as the purchased subscription term is up. (Every month, every three months, every six months, every twelve months.) By default, subscribers are renewed to the product and term length of their original subscription.
It’s important to keep this in mind when thinking about what a “cancellation” means. A subscriber does not cancel his subscription — that’s already been paid for — so much as he cancels his RENEWAL. This distinction doesn’t mean a whole lot for month-to-month subscriptions, as canceling a subscription cancels the very next shipment, but prepaid terms are more complicated.
If a subscriber purchases a three-month prepaid subscription, then cancels after one month, his remaining two shipments will still be in your system. Money has already traded hands, and he is entitled to those shipments. His RENEWAL has been canceled, but the terms of his original subscription must still be honored.
It is for this reason a refund is not issued upon cancellation, whether performed by the subscriber or merchant. Subscribers can cancel for a myriad of reasons, and doing so does not immediately evince a dissatisfaction with the product, or a desire not to receive shipments already purchased. A refund can be requested alongside a cancellation, but that is a separate act, unconnected to the cancellation itself.
Check out our helpful guide for assistance with the refund process!