How to change user role after subscription

This article explains how to configure a paid membership with a subscription.

Required software #

There is no built-in payment functionality in the Ultimate Member. We recommend using a popular commerce plugin WooCommerce for payments. Install our extension Ultimate Member - WooCommerce to integrate Ultimate Member with WooCommerce and let them work together. 

This is enough for a simple paid membership. But you have to install the plugin WooCommerce Subscriptions if you need the subscription functionality.

How to use #

  • Install plugins;
  • Configure extension settings;
  • Create a product subscription;
  • Select a role to assign on registration;
  • Set redirect after registration.

Install plugins #

You should install these plugins to have a paid membership with the subscription:

Configure extension settings #

Go to the page [Ultimate Member > Settings > Extensions > Woocommerce] and set settings for the extension "Ultimate Member - WooCommerce":

  • Ignore the roles update, if the user has these roles on complete/processing or refund payment - "Administrator"
  • Remove previous roles when changing role on complete/processing or refund payment - "No"
  • Disable subscriptions roles switcher - turn on

Create a product - subscription #

Go to the menu "Products" and create a product with the type "Simple subscription". Select roles you want to assign users when a subscription changes its status.

Note: WordPress users may have multiple roles. Ultimate Member uses settings from the user role with the highest priority. Use role setting "Role Priority" to solve role conflicts.

Subscription Status Guide #
  • Pending Subscription Status - This status indicates that the subscription has been created, but no payments have been processed on the subscription.
  • Active Subscription Status - his status indicates the subscription will renew or expire at a given time in the future. After the initial payment for a subscription has been processed (if any payment is required), it will be transitioned to the Active status.
  • On-Hold Subscription Status - This status indicates that the subscription is awaiting payment or the owner has manually suspended the subscription. It will only reactivate once the payment is processed or the owner manually reactivated it. When the status is on-hold, users/customers cannot have special access.
  • Pending-Cancellation Subscription Status - When a user/customer canceled its subscription manually, it will not be transitioned immediately to a canceled status because of the pre-paid term. When the pre-paid term ends, the subscription’s status will be transitioned to Canceled. When the status is pending-cancellation, users/customers can still have special access.
  • Canceled Subscription Status - If the users/customers' reached the end of the pre-paid term, the subscription status will be canceled.
  • Expired Subscription Status - When the subscription has an expiry date, the subscription status will be expired once it reached the end date.

Read this article for a complete and detailed subscription status guide.

Select a role assigned on registration #

Go to the page "Edit Form" for the Registration form, pay attention to the box "Registration Options". Set options:

  • Apply custom settings to this form = "Yes"
  • Assign role to form = "Subscriber"
  • Primary Button Text = "Register"

Set redirect after registration #

Go to [Ultimate Member > User Roles > Edit Role], pay attention to the box "Registration Options". Set options:

  • Registration Status = "Auto Approve"
  • Action to be taken after registration = "Redirect to URL"
  • Set Custom Redirect URL = a link to the product - subscription you created before


The example of the registration and subscription process

Step 1 - Registration

Step 2 - Redirect to the product-subscription after registration

Step 3 - Cart

Step 4 - Checkout

Step 5 - Checkout complete