Spring is the time when we dust off the lawnmower, uncover the patio furniture, and wash the windows (I’m tired already). It’s also the time when we at Recurly launch our Spring product release. So what’s new?

Manage Recurly users and roles directly through Okta

We’re taking Okta SSO functionality to a new level by adding the ability to create and deactivate Recurly users and roles—and manage which users are assigned to which roles through Okta—bolstering your focus on security.

What it means for you:

• World-class security: By using the System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM), a standardized, secure method of exchanging user information between systems, you benefit from industry-leading security protocols
• Streamline user management: Allow IT and corporate engineering teams to efficiently manage users and roles directly through their preferred Okta tools and interfaces instead of Recurly’s user administration interfaces to streamline user management tasks
• Reduce complexity: The new functionality simplifies Recurly user setup and minimizes potential errors in provisioning users and managing role assignments

The new functionality is available to merchants on the Recurly Professional and Elite plans. Learn more here.

Automatic invoice terms

In the subscription business, there are times when separating invoice creation and payment collection for automatic invoices is essential to compliance with industry mandates and best practices. The new automatic invoice terms feature gives you the flexibility to do this easily.

How you might use it:

• Communicate final invoice amounts before charge: If you use Recurly's “usage-based billing” feature, after all usage is logged, Recurly will create the invoice so you can inform your customers of the final invoice amount before they are billed
• Ensure compliance: Customer communication is essential to complying with strict payment regulations, some of which require customers to be informed of the final invoice amount a certain number of days before their payment method is charged
• Charge customer upon shipment or delivery: If you ship physical goods, you may want to create the customer invoice when a subscription renews but delay charging the customer until their box ships or is delivered

If any of these common scenarios sound familiar, we’ve got you covered. Automatic invoice terms are available to all Recurly users. Learn more here.

Built-in benchmarks

In the competitive subscription landscape, merchants continually try to gauge their performance against industry cohorts. Recurly is adding these comparisons as part of the platform in the form of new dashboards with built-in benchmarks. Use them to compare your key performance metrics against industry peers over a selected timeline.

What it means for you:

• Industry comparison: Compare key subscription metrics with industry benchmarks to understand performance relative to peers and identify areas of strength and weakness
• Competitive insights: Uncover areas to differentiate and improve to gain a competitive edge
• Data-driven decisions: Develop informed strategies with real-world data to help set realistic goals and expectations for subscription growth and customer retention
• Forecasting and planning: Enable more accurate forecasting and long-term planning to help businesses set reachable growth targets and allocate resources effectively

We’re pleased to make built-in benchmarks available to all Recurly users. Learn more here.

Braze integration updates

In our Winter product release, we announced the new Braze-Recurly integration, and we’re back with updates and improvements. The Braze integration now supports the use of custom attributes from Recurly for subscription and account-level data within Braze. These custom attributes allow merchants to create deep segmentation within Braze to craft automatic communications throughout the entire subscriber lifecycle to create dynamic and personalized journeys that adapt to individual preferences and behaviors.

What it means for you:

• Enhanced engagement: Personalized communication with real-time data
• Real-time synchronization: Ensures up-to-date subscriber information flow
• Scalable marketing: Supports advanced, data-driven marketing strategies

To take advantage of this feature, you must be enrolled in the Recurly Elite plan and have an active Braze account. Learn more here.