How to Set Up Chargebee: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide will walk you through setting up Chargebee, configuring subscription plans, integrating payment gateways, automating invoicing, and managing revenue tracking for your business.

Step 1: Create a Chargebee Account

1. Go to Chargebee’s website
   • Visit Chargebee and click “Sign Up”.
2. Enter Business Information
   • Provide your company name, email, and password.
   • Select your business type (SaaS, e-commerce, services, etc.).
3. Verify Your Email
   • Check your inbox for a confirmation email from Chargebee.
   • Click the link to activate your account and log in.

Step 2: Configure Business Settings

1. Set Your Business Currency
   • Go to Settings > Configure Chargebee > Currencies.
   • Select default currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.).
   • Enable multi-currency if you have global customers.
2. Set Up Your Business Address & Tax Settings
   • Go to Settings > Taxes.
   • Enable tax automation (VAT, GST, Sales Tax) based on customer locations.
   • Configure tax-exempt customers if needed.

Step 3: Set Up Subscription Plans & Pricing

1. Go to Product Catalog > Plans.
2. Click “Create New Plan” and enter:
   • Plan Name (e.g., "Pro Plan").
   • Billing Frequency (monthly, yearly, custom cycles).
   • Price per cycle (e.g., $49 per month).
   • Trial Period (optional).
   • Setup Fees (if applicable).
3. Save the plan and repeat for different pricing tiers.
4. Add Discounts & Coupons (Optional)
   • Go to Product Catalog > Coupons.
   • Create percentage-based or fixed-amount discounts.

Step 4: Integrate Payment Gateways

1. Go to Settings > Configure Chargebee > Payment Gateways.
2. Select and connect a gateway:
   • Stripe (recommended for credit cards).
   • PayPal (for PayPal payments).
   • Authorize.Net, Braintree, Adyen, etc.
3. Enable Payment Methods
   • Choose Credit Card, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Bank Transfer.
4. Save and Test Transactions.

Step 5: Customize Checkout & Customer Portal

1. Go to Settings > Hosted Pages.
2. Enable the self-service customer portal where users can:
   • Upgrade/downgrade subscriptions.
   • Update payment details.
   • View past invoices and receipts.
3. Customize branding:
   • Add your company logo and colors.
   • Configure email notifications for billing events.

Step 6: Automate Invoicing & Dunning (Payment Recovery)

1. Enable Automated Invoicing
   • Go to Settings > Invoices & Credit Notes.
   • Choose invoice generation rules.
   • Enable email notifications for failed payments.
2. Set Up Dunning (Failed Payment Recovery)
   • Go to Settings > Dunning Management.
   • Set up automatic payment retries (e.g., retry every 3 days, up to 3 attempts).
   • Enable card expiry reminders to reduce payment failures.

Step 7: Integrate with Accounting & CRM Tools

1. Go to Settings > Third-Party Integrations.
2. Connect Chargebee to:
   • QuickBooks/Xero – Automates financial reconciliation.
   • Salesforce/HubSpot – Syncs customer subscriptions with CRM.
   • Zapier – Automates custom workflows.
3. Enable automatic invoice sync with accounting software.

Step 8: Set Up Analytics & Reporting

1. Go to Reports > Revenue & Subscription Analytics.
2. Monitor key metrics like:
   • Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR).
   • Churn rate and customer retention.
   • Payment failures and revenue recovery.
3. Set up automated reports for financial insights.

Step 9: Test Your Checkout & Subscription Flow

1. Go to Hosted Pages > Checkout Page.
2. Test a Subscription Purchase:
   • Use a test credit card to simulate transactions.
   • Verify invoice generation and payment capture.
3. Fix any UI or pricing errors before launching live.

Final Checks Before Going Live

✔ Confirm payment gateway integration is working.
✔ Test subscription upgrades, downgrades, and cancellations.
✔ Verify automated invoices and tax settings.
✔ Set up customer notifications and dunning emails.
✔ Monitor real-time analytics for billing insights.