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Upsells (adding products, increasing quantities, moving to a higher plan) and downsells (removing products, decreasing quantities, moving to a lower plan) are common changes on active subscriptions. Hyperline provides two ways to apply them, depending on whether the change needs customer approval:
  • Advanced update — apply the change directly from the subscription details page, with full control over the effective date and the transition invoice.
  • Quote for subscription update — send the customer a quote for signature; the change only takes effect once the quote is signed, or at the specified date after quote signature.
This guide walks you through both flows, then explains how the effective date (Next renewal, At last renewal, Immediately, Scheduled date) and the transition invoice mode (Waive, Generate transition invoice, Refund and re-invoice) drive the pro-rata logic on the resulting invoices.

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Choose the right flow

Advanced update

Best when you’re applying the change on your side — no customer signature required. Use it for internal amendments, corrections, or upsells and downsells agreed on outside of a quote.

Quote for subscription update

Best when the customer must approve the change. The upsell or downsell is materialised in a signed document, and only applied once the quote is signed.
Both flows expose the same transition settings (effective date, billing cycle alignment, transition invoice mode) — so the pro-rata logic described below applies identically to both.

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Upsell or downsell with the advanced update flow

The advanced update flow gives you a multi-step process to configure exactly when and how the upsell or downsell is applied.
1

Open the subscription and start an update

From the customer’s subscription details page, click Actions then Update subscription, and choose Advanced update.
2

Choose when to apply the update

Pick the effective date of the change:
  • Next renewal — Applied when the current billing cycle ends. Recommended for upsells or downsells that should only impact future periods, with no pro-rata on the current one.
  • Immediately — Applied right now, mid-period. Recommended for a live upsell or downsell that must take effect today, with a pro-rated transition invoice for the remainder of the period.
  • At last renewal — Applied retroactively as of the start of the current period. Recommended when the change should have been in place from the start of the current period (see Retroactive subscription update).
  • Scheduled date — Applied at a specific date in the future.
3

Choose the update source

Select Update current subscription to edit the existing configuration (add or remove products, adjust quantities, change prices), or Update to a template or a plan to move the customer to a pre-configured upsell or downsell plan.
4

Configure transition options

Under Billing cycle alignment, choose whether to Keep current period or Start new period from the update date. Then, under Transition invoice, pick how the current period should be settled:
  • Waive transition invoice — No transition invoice is issued.
  • Generate transition invoice — A transition invoice settles the current period based on the pro-rata logic described below.
  • Refund and re-invoice — The current period’s invoice is refunded and re-issued to reflect the new configuration (only available with At last renewal).
Use the invoice preview at this step to review both the transition invoice and the following invoice before confirming — this is the safest way to validate the financial impact of the upsell or downsell.
5

Review and confirm

Review the update summary and confirm. The subscription is updated according to your effective date, and the corresponding invoices are generated.

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Upsell or downsell with a quote for subscription update

Use a quote for subscription update when the customer needs to approve the upsell or downsell before it takes effect. The transition settings you configure on the quote (effective date and transition invoice mode) behave identically to the advanced update flow — the only difference is that the change is applied on quote signature (or on the scheduled date after signature) rather than immediately.
1

Create the update quote

From the subscription details page, click Actions then Create update quote. Alternatively, from the Quotes page, click New quote and select Quote for subscription update.
2

Select the update effective date

Choose between:
  • On quote signature — The upsell or downsell is applied when the customer signs the quote.
  • On selected date — The upsell or downsell is applied on a future date, provided the quote is signed by then.
3

Configure the new subscription

Keep the current configuration and adjust it (add or remove products, edit quantities and prices, add or remove coupons or phases), or start from a template for pre-configured upsell and downsell scenarios.
4

Select the transition settings

Click Revise transition to choose the billing cycle alignment (Keep current period or Start new period) and the transition invoice mode (Waive transition invoice or Generate transition invoice). The pro-rata logic on the transition invoice is the same as with the advanced update flow.
5

Send the quote and wait for signature

Finalise, review and send the quote. Once signed, Hyperline applies the change automatically — either immediately or on the scheduled date — and generates the transition invoice according to your settings.
While a quote for subscription update is pending signature, the source subscription cannot be edited directly. You can still create additional open quotes on the same subscription — useful when negotiating several upsell scenarios in parallel.

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Effective date and pro-rata logic on the transition invoice

The effective date you pick controls both when the new configuration starts and what the transition invoice looks like. Below is how each option impacts the transition invoice for a typical upsell or downsell.

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Next renewal

  • The current period runs to its scheduled end date, invoiced as originally configured.
  • The new configuration starts at the next renewal — the first invoice under the new pricing is the regular period invoice.
  • No transition invoice is generated (no pro-rata is needed).
  • Best for upsells and downsells that shouldn’t disturb the current period.

Example 💡

A customer is on a monthly plan at €100, renewing on the 1st of each month. On March 15th, you upsell them to a €150/month plan with Next renewal as the effective date.
  • March 1st–31st: invoiced €100 as originally scheduled.
  • April 1st: the new plan starts and the customer is invoiced €150 for April.
  • No transition invoice.

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Immediately

  • The new configuration takes effect on the update date, mid-period.
  • The transition invoice settles the current period on a pro-rata basis:
    • The removed or downgraded products are credited for the unused portion of the period (elapsed days are billed at the old price, remaining days are credited).
    • The added or upgraded products are charged for the remaining portion of the period.
  • Best for live upsells and downsells that should apply from today.

Example 💡

Same customer on a €100/month plan renewing on March 1st. On March 16th (half of a 30-day period elapsed), you upsell them to a €150/month plan Immediately with Generate transition invoice.
  • The old plan is billed for the first 15 days: €100 × 15/30 = €50.
  • The new plan is billed for the remaining 15 days: €150 × 15/30 = €75.
  • The €100 already invoiced on March 1st is offset. The transition invoice charges €25 (€75 for the new plan minus the €25 credit for the unused half of the old plan).
  • On April 1st, the customer is invoiced €150 for the full April period.
If it were a downsell to a €60/month plan instead, the transition would produce a credit on the transition invoice (unused portion of the old plan is worth more than the pro-rated new plan).

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At last renewal

  • The new configuration is applied retroactively, as if it had been in place from the start of the current period.
  • Two transition invoice modes are available:
    • Generate transition invoice — The original invoice for the current period is kept as-is. A transition invoice is issued for the delta between what was originally billed and what should have been billed for the full period under the new configuration.
    • Refund and re-invoice — The original invoice for the current period is fully refunded via a credit note, and a new invoice is issued reflecting the new configuration for the full period.
  • Best when the upsell or downsell was agreed on retroactively and should cover the current period entirely. See Retroactive subscription update for the full walkthrough.

Example 💡

Customer on a €100/month plan, March invoice of €100 already issued and paid. On March 20th, you upsell them to €150/month At last renewal.
  • With Generate transition invoice: the €100 March invoice is kept, and a second invoice of €50 is issued to cover the delta for March.
  • With Refund and re-invoice: a credit note of €100 cancels the original invoice, and a new €150 invoice is issued for March.

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Scheduled date

  • The upsell or downsell is applied on a specific future date.
  • Between now and the scheduled date, the subscription continues under the current configuration and is invoiced normally.
  • On the scheduled date, the transition follows the same pro-rata logic as Immediately if the date falls mid-period, or as Next renewal if it aligns with a renewal.
  • Best for planned upsells (for example, a customer confirms today that they’ll expand on the 1st of next quarter).

Example 💡

Customer on a €100/month monthly plan renewing on the 1st. You schedule an upsell to €150/month on April 15th.
  • March and early April: invoiced normally on the €100 plan.
  • April 1st: invoiced €100 for the April period as usual.
  • April 15th: the upsell takes effect, and a pro-rated transition invoice is generated for the second half of April (charging the delta between the new and old plan for the remaining days).
  • May 1st: invoiced €150 for the full May period.

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Billing cycle alignment

Alongside the effective date, the billing cycle alignment on the transition options step controls whether the customer’s renewal date changes after the upsell or downsell:
  • Keep current period — The renewal date stays the same. The transition invoice covers the remainder of the existing period (if applicable), and the next invoice lands on the original renewal date.
  • Start new period — A fresh billing cycle starts on the effective date. The customer’s future renewal date shifts to align with the update.

Example 💡

Customer renews monthly on the 1st. On March 16th, you apply an upsell Immediately.
  • With Keep current period: April 1st stays the next renewal date, and the customer is invoiced for the second half of March on the transition invoice.
  • With Start new period: a new monthly period starts on March 16th, and the next renewal is April 16th.

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Choosing the right combination

Whenever you’re unsure, use the invoice preview at the Configure transition options step (advanced update) or the Revise transition modal (quote for subscription update) to confirm the transition invoice matches what you expect before confirming or sending the quote.

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What happens after the upsell or downsell

  • The subscription reflects the new configuration from the effective date.
  • Any transition invoice, credit note, or refund follows your usual payment collection rules.
  • Previous configurations are preserved on the Versions tab of the subscription details page, providing a full audit trail of the upsell or downsell.
Is something still unclear? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team via the in-app chat if you need additional support.