Subscription Licensing is defined as a license scheme requiring periodic payments (ex: monthly payments) to keep the software license active. If the periodic payments are stopped or the Susbcription is cancelled, then the software license is disabled.

A Subscription Licensing offering requires the connection of two critial components:

• A secure Licensing solution for the software application to provide control over the subscription and protection from piracy (i.e. software_DNA)

• A Subscription Manager (i.e. eCommerce solution or store-front solution) to manage the financial side of the subscription (i.e. sign-up, payments, changes, renewals, cancellations)

A Subscription License process would look like the following:

• User (Buyer) signs-up on the store-front for a monthly subscription to a software application using his credit card (or PayPal account, etc...)

• With the initial payment, the user receives a License Activation Code, downloads the software application and activates the software on his computer

• Every month, the store-front charges his credit card for the monthly subscription

• At any time, the user can cancel the subscription from the store-front, and the License is disabled

• If a payment is rejected or overdue, the store-front can retry, allow some leeway, but eventually, would cancel the subscription, and the License would be disabled

In the background, there is communication between the eCommerce / store-front solution for :

• the initial subscription activation which entails creating and delivering a License Activation Code to the user

• regular renewal events

• the cancellation of the License, which entails software_DNA disabling (or banning) the License Activation Code

Setting up Subscription Licenses

You can use the same Application executable to offer both Perpetual licenses and Subscription Licenses

Subscription Licenses must use Level 3 Validation / Protection such that the Subscription status is verified on a regular basis, according to your Level 3 settings. You would typically have a separate Level 3 Product defined in sotware_DNA with a distinct PREFIX for your subscription licenses. This product can also have Level 3 perpetual license codes or you can define another DNA Product with a different protection level for your perpetual licenses and with a different PREFIX. Within your application, you would use the PREFIX to select the correct <Product_Key> to use for the software_DNA API calls.

A Subscription License is created by:

• an eCommerce transaction for a Subscription License received by a DNA eCommerce Connector

• using the Convert to Subscription button from the Code View screen in the DNA Control Panel

Subscription License codes are similar to standard perpetual License Codes with the addition of the <Subscription_Period> parameter. The detailed Subscription information is displayed in the Code View screen and can be edited or deleted

Cancelling a Subscription License

When a Susbscription is cancelled, the Subscription License Code needs to be disabled or banned in software_DNA. A Subscription Cancellation is done by:

• an eCommerce Subscription Cancellation notification

• Clicking on of the Subscription Information from the Code View screen in the DNA Control Panel

Integration with eCommerce systems

The following eCommerce connections support Subscription Licensing:

• 2CheckOut (www.2checkout.com)
• FastSpring (www.fastspring.com)
• PayMotion (www.paymotion.com)
• PayPal (www.paypal.com)
• PayPro Global (www.payproglobal.com)
• RevenueWire (www.revenuewire.com)

The DNA eCommerce Integration Guides provide information on how to configure both the eCommerce system and software_DNA for Subscription Licenses which you can view / download from the Guides section.

Integration with DNA Direct Connector

If you have your own store-front solution that supports a Susbcription Licensing scheme, you can use the Direct Script connection to manage the software_DNA licenses.

The Direct Connector provides for the following commands:

Consult the Direct Connection Guide available for viewing / download in the Guides section.

Viewing and Managing your Subscription Licenses in software_DNA

Use the Codes -> Search menu to view details on a Subscription License Code (see screen shot below). Before the license is activated, you can edit () or cancel () the Subscription. After Activation, you can only cancel the Subscription. When the Subscription is cancelled, the License Code will be permanently Revoked/Banned.

Manually creating a Subscription License

For a Product with the Subscription Licensing option, you can convert an existing available License Activation Code by viewing the Code configuration and clicking on Convert to Subscription button

and enter the Subscription License configuration (Period in days, Price in $ ) for this License Code

Cancelling a Subscription License

When using an DNA eCommerce Connector, and you have configured as per our Integration Guides, the Subscription License Code will be Revoked when software_DNA receives a Subscription Cancellation Notification from the eCommerce system. The Subscription information will be updated to show the <Subscription End Date> and that the License has been Revoked

If you want to manually stop / cancel the Subscription, from the Code View screen, click on the Cancel Subscription icon (). This will also Revoke / Ban the License Code.

Note that the Application will continue to run until the next DNA Server Validation, or until the License Validation Period expires, as set in your Product Configuration.