Preparing for a subscription change
When you move to a lower plan, whether from a trial to a paid plan or from one paid plan to another, Flexmail checks whether your account is using features that aren't available on the target plan. If any are found, the subscription change is blocked until you resolve them.
This article tells you exactly what to check and what to do before switching, so the change goes smoothly. Use the section for your target plan as a checklist.
You can compare features across all plans at flexmail.be/en/pricing.
Support tip Your contacts, campaigns, reports, and message history are never deleted when you change plans. Only your access to certain features changes going forward.
Moving to a Start subscription
The Start plan is suited to organisations sending a monthly newsletter without complex personalisation or automation. If your account currently uses any of the following features, you'll need to resolve them before switching.
Custom contact fields: maximum 5
Start allows up to 5 custom contact fields. If you have more than 5, delete the extras before switching. Go to Settings > Manage custom fields and remove the fields you no longer need.
Attention Deleting a custom field removes that data from all contact records permanently. Export your contacts first if you need to preserve any of the data stored in those fields.
Private interests: not available
Private interests are a Pro and Premium feature. Before switching to Start, either delete your private interests or convert them to public interests. Go to Contacts > Interests to manage them.
AB testing: not available
You don't need to delete anything. The AB testing option simply won't appear on Start. You can still view the results of any AB tests you've already run in your campaign reports.
Forms: not available
Forms are not included in the Start plan. Delete any forms you created before switching. Go to the Forms section and remove them.
Surveys: not available
Surveys are not included in the Start plan. Delete any surveys you created before switching. Go to the Surveys section and remove them.
Dynamic content: not available
Dynamic content personalisation is not available on Start. Before switching, manually remove any dynamic content blocks from your saved messages. Go to Messages and edit any messages that use dynamic content.
Automation workflows: not available
Workflows are not available on Start. Stop any active workflows before switching. Note that workflow reports will no longer be accessible once you move to Start.
Additional users: not available
The ability to add additional users and manage their access rights is not available on Start. Any additional users in your account will lose access when you switch.
Moving to an Essential subscription
The Essential plan covers straightforward email marketing without advanced personalisation or A/B testing. Resolve any of the following before switching.
Custom contact fields: maximum 25
Essential allows up to 25 custom contact fields. If you have more than 25, delete the extras before switching. Go to Settings > Manage custom fields and remove the fields you no longer need.
Attention Deleting a custom field removes that data from all contact records permanently. Export your contacts first if you need to preserve any of the data stored in those fields.
Private interests: not available
Private interests are a Pro and Premium feature. Before switching to Essential, either delete your private interests or convert them to public interests. Go to Contacts > Interests to manage them.
AB testing: not available
You don't need to delete anything. The AB testing option simply won't appear on Essential. You can still view the results of any AB tests you've already run in your campaign reports.
Surveys: not available
Surveys are not included in the Essential plan. Delete any surveys you created before switching. Go to the Surveys section and remove them.
Dynamic content: not available
Dynamic content personalisation is not available on Essential. Before switching, manually remove any dynamic content blocks from your saved messages. Go to Messages and edit any messages that use dynamic content.
Moving to a Pro subscription
When you move to Pro, whether from a lower plan or from a trial, all the features available in Pro remain accessible. You don't need to remove or change anything. Proceed with the plan change directly.
Moving to a Premium subscription
Same as Pro: all features stay intact and no cleanup is needed. Proceed with the plan change directly.
How to change your plan
Once you've completed any necessary cleanup:
- To upgrade: go to the dashboard and click Upgrade my subscription. Select your new plan and contact tier, review the payment details, and confirm. Upgrades take effect immediately.
- To downgrade: contact sales@flexmail.be or make the change from your account settings. Downgrades take effect at your next renewal date, your current plan remains active until then.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Trying to switch without cleaning up first: if your account still has features that exceed your target plan's limits (too many custom fields, active surveys, private interests), the subscription change will be blocked. Work through the checklist for your target plan before attempting the switch.
- Deleting custom fields without exporting first: if you need to reduce your custom field count, export your contacts before deleting any fields. Deleted fields and their data cannot be recovered.
- Forgetting dynamic content in saved messages: dynamic content blocks in saved messages don't disappear automatically when you switch to a plan that doesn't support them. They'll render incorrectly in future sends. Go through your message library and remove them manually.
- Not stopping workflows before downgrading: if you move to a plan without automation, active workflows stop running and workflow reports become inaccessible. Stop and document any workflows you want to rebuild later before making the switch.
GDPR considerations
GDPR Changing your subscription plan does not affect your contacts' data or consent records. All consent history, opt-in timestamps, and contact field data remain intact. The only exception is custom fields you choose to delete as part of the cleanup, that data is removed permanently and cannot be recovered.
Next steps
- See 'About the Flexmail subscriptions' for details on auto-renewal, downgrade timing, and cancellation.
- See 'How does Flexmail pricing work?' for a comparison of plan features and contact tier pricing.