We just got back from SubSummit 2025, where we had dozens of conversations with subscription brands ranging from media giants to emerging DTC players. While their verticals and business models varied, a few clear themes emerged around payments, especially the operational headaches and hidden inefficiencies that are costing them revenue.
Here are the top 5 payments challenges we heard from subscription businesses at SubSummit:
1. Involuntary Churn from Failed Payments Is Still a Massive Unsolved Problem
Never before had we heard someone cite payment failures as the primary source of subscriber churn. Although that is not the norm, it speaks to the significance of this issue that continues to plague so many billers. These are not one-off declines. These are persistent failures that go unsuccessfully addressed and result in lost customers. Brands are increasingly looking for preemptive, proactive solutions that reduce the likelihood of a payment failing in the first place, rather than reacting after the fact with retry logic.
2. Retry Logic Isn’t Flexible Enough
Subscription companies want more than just basic retry attempts. Terms like “retry cascades,” “timing control,” and “multi-provider fallback” came up repeatedly. What they really need is the ability to fine-tune retry sequences based on behavior, geography, or provider performance. The reality is that many of the platforms in place do not deliver that today.
3. Legacy Systems Are Blocking Progress
Whether it was an in-house platform or a billing provider that doesn’t play nice with others, tech stack limitations were a recurring (no pun intended) pain point. Product and marketing teams often have to file dev tickets just to test new ideas or update payment flows, creating long delays and missed optimization opportunities.
4. Orchestration Without Billing Disruption Is the Goal
Many teams are loyal to their billing platforms and other billing systems, and they are not looking to replace them. But they do want more flexibility and optionality when it comes to payment providers, tokenization, routing, and retries. The ask: let us keep our billing platform, but unlock smarter payment flow control.
5. Global Reach and Risk Management Are Top of Mind
Whether it’s handling international volume, avoiding fraud flags, or managing merchant account volatility in regulated categories like nutraceuticals, subscription brands want routing strategies that adapt to risk and geography. Single-provider dependencies are increasingly seen as too risky.
Closing Thought:
It’s clear that subscription businesses are ready to take more control over their payments infrastructure, but without burning down their existing stack. They’re looking for flexible, interoperable tools that empower them to reduce churn, lower fees, and deliver smoother subscriber experiences.
Want to chat about what smarter orchestration could look like for your subscription business? Let’s talk.