Popular publishing platform WordPress.com has teamed up with payments company Stripe to add a subscription or recurring payments option, enabling users to generate regularly scheduled payments from customers or fans, according to a report.
The feature is available to all WordPress.com sites that are on a paid plan, as well as the self-hosted sites that use Jetpack.
Owners also have options to charge users weekly, monthly or yearly. They can also offer various types of content, such as newsletters or exclusive content.
Publishers will need to set up a Stripe account before they can start charging. They can then go to the “Earn” page on WordPress.com and select “Connect Stripe to Get Started.” Publishers can also add a Recurring Payments button on their websites.
Many different payment plans can be set up, including those based on different types of money, how often people pay and names of plans. Publishers can also offer tiers for subscriptions. Subscribers can cancel at any time from a WordPress.com account.
The feature could potentially be used by organizations that collect dues or membership fees, or even for landlords to collect rent. In light of WordPress.com’s widespread use, the offering could have a significant impact on how online subscriptions are handled.
In other WordPress.com news, GoDaddy Inc. has unveiled an integration with the eCommerce engine WooCommerce. The offering reduces the usual four-step setup process into one step, allowing GoDaddy WordPress users to quickly make a fully functioning eCommerce site.
“In one easy step, our WordPress users can immediately get their online stores up and running in the most efficient and quickest way possible,” GoDaddy SVP and GM of Global Hosting Patrick Pulvermüller said in an announcement. “GoDaddy and WooCommerce share the same goal of helping users succeed online, and we’re thrilled to be working with the WooCommerce community to help our WordPress users do this in the easiest, simplest way possible.”