Get current billing cycle number for a subscription contract

What is a Billing Cycle? A billing cycle represents one completed billing period in a subscription’s lifetime. Each successful billing attempt increments the cycle count. This number is crucial for:

• Tracking subscription progress towards minimum/maximum cycle limits
• Applying cycle-based pricing adjustments (discounts after N cycles)
• Determining eligibility for cancellation (minimum cycles requirement)
• Calculating customer lifetime value
• Analyzing subscription retention metrics

How Cycle Counting Works:

Initial Order:

• Cycle 1 starts when subscription is first created
• Initial order counts as the first billing cycle
• Includes origin order that created the subscription

Subsequent Orders:

• Each successful billing attempt increments cycle by 1
• Only SUCCESS status billing attempts are counted
• Failed/skipped billing attempts do NOT increment cycle
• Paused subscriptions maintain their current cycle number

Calculation Formula:

Current Cycle = 1 + (Number of Successful Billing Attempts)

Example Timeline:

• Day 1: Subscription created, initial order → Cycle 1
• Day 30: First recurring order successful → Cycle 2
• Day 60: Second recurring order successful → Cycle 3
• Day 90: Billing fails (payment declined) → Still Cycle 3
• Day 95: Retry successful → Cycle 4

Use Cases:

1. Cancellation Eligibility:

• Verify customer has met minimum cycle requirement
• Enforce contract terms (e.g., “3 month minimum”)
• Display “Can cancel after N more orders” messaging
• Block premature cancellations

2. Pricing Adjustments:

• Apply introductory pricing for first N cycles
• Trigger loyalty discounts after X cycles
• Calculate when pricing changes take effect
• Implement “First 3 months 50% off” promotions

3. Customer Retention:

• Identify subscriptions at risky cycle counts
• Send retention campaigns at specific milestones
• Track average cycles before churn
• Celebrate subscription anniversaries

4. Analytics & Reporting:

• Calculate customer lifetime value (cycle × price)
• Analyze subscription duration distribution
• Track retention curves by cohort
• Measure success of lifecycle campaigns

5. Customer Portal Display:

• Show “Order #X of Y” progress indicators
• Display remaining cycles until cancellation allowed
• Show subscription tenure/loyalty status
• Calculate and display subscription value earned

Response Format:

Returns a single integer representing the current cycle number:

3

Response Examples:

New subscription (just created):

1

After 5 successful billing attempts:

6

Note: Initial order (1) + 5 successful renewals = Cycle 6

Important Considerations:

Cycle vs. Billing Attempts:

• Failed billing attempts don’t increment cycle
• Skipped orders don’t increment cycle
• Manual order creation may not increment cycle
• Cycle represents successful billing events only

Paused Subscriptions:

• Cycle number remains frozen while paused
• Resumes at same cycle when un-paused
• Pause duration doesn’t affect cycle count

Minimum/Maximum Cycles:

• minCycles: Minimum cycles before cancellation allowed
• maxCycles: Subscription auto-expires after this many cycles
• Use this endpoint to check progress towards these limits

Data Source:

• Queries Appstle database (not Shopify API)
• Counts records in subscription_billing_attempt table
• Filters by SUCCESS status only
• Fast response time (< 100ms typically)

Integration Example:

Check if customer can cancel:

// Get subscription details
const contract = await getSubscriptionContract(contractId);
const currentCycle = await fetch(
  `/api/external/v2/subscription-contract-details/current-cycle/${contractId}`,
  { headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'your-key' } }
).then(r => r.json());

const minCycles = contract.minCycles || 0;

if (currentCycle >= minCycles) {
  console.log('Customer can cancel now');
  showCancelButton();
} else {
  const cyclesRemaining = minCycles - currentCycle;
  console.log(`Must complete ${cyclesRemaining} more orders before canceling`);
  showMinimumCommitmentMessage(cyclesRemaining);
}

Display progress to max cycles:

const currentCycle = await getCycleNumber(contractId);
const maxCycles = contract.maxCycles;

if (maxCycles) {
  const progress = (currentCycle / maxCycles) * 100;
  console.log(`Subscription ${progress.toFixed(0)}% complete (${currentCycle}/${maxCycles})`);
  
  if (currentCycle === maxCycles) {
    console.log('This is the final cycle - subscription will expire after this order');
  }
}

Performance Characteristics:

Fast Query:

• Simple database count query
• Indexed by shop and contractId
• Typical response time: 50-150ms
• Suitable for real-time UI updates

Best Practices:

1. Cache Results: Cache cycle number briefly (few minutes) to reduce API calls
2. Combine with Contract Data: Fetch contract details simultaneously for min/max cycles
3. Handle Edge Cases: Account for subscriptions with no successful billings yet
4. Display Progress: Show cycle number in customer-friendly format (“Order 3 of 12”)
5. Sync with Billing: Update cycle number after each billing attempt completes

Common Misunderstandings:

Myth: Cycle = Months Subscribed

• Reality: Cycle = Successful billing attempts, not time elapsed
• A paused subscription stays at same cycle for months
• Failed payments don’t advance the cycle

Myth: First order is Cycle 0

• Reality: Cycles start at 1, not 0
• Initial/origin order is Cycle 1

Related Fields:

• minCycles: Minimum cycles before cancellation (from contract)
• maxCycles: Maximum cycles before auto-expiry (from contract)
• billingInterval: Frequency between cycles (from contract)

Authentication: Requires valid X-API-Key header