Service Plan Basics
Service plans (sometimes called "memberships" or "maintenance plans") are recurring subscriptions where customers pay you regularly in exchange for ongoing service or perks. They're one of the highest-leverage moves a service business can make — predictable revenue, deeper customer relationships, easier cash flow.
Why service plans
- Predictable revenue — know your MRR (monthly recurring revenue) at the start of each month
- Higher LTV — plan members typically spend 3-5x more lifetime than one-time customers
- Better cash flow — paid in advance, smoother than chasing project payments
- Customer loyalty — they're "in your system," far less likely to call a competitor
- Operational efficiency — schedule plan visits during slower weeks to fill capacity
Common plan models
Maintenance plan
- Monthly visits (lawn care, cleaning) or quarterly (HVAC, pest)
- Fixed fee covers the visits + small perks
- Example: $89/mo for monthly cleaning
Priority service
- No scheduled visits, but plan members get same-day priority and discounted rates
- Example: $19/mo for emergency-priority + 10% off any work
Service package
- A bundle of services delivered annually for a flat fee
- Example: $349/yr for "Annual Home Health Check" — gutters, dryer vent, smoke alarms, HVAC tune-up, etc.
Tiered membership
- Bronze / Silver / Gold tiers at different prices, escalating perks
- Customer chooses
What's included in a HandyBook plan
Each plan you create at Service plans (/dashboard/plans) has:
- Name (required) — what members see, e.g. "Annual Maintenance Plan"
- Description — a short summary of what's included
- Price (USD) — the amount billed each cycle
- Interval — Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly
- Visits included — how many service visits the plan covers per cycle (at least 1)
The starter templates (Use sample plan) give you Annual ($299/yr), Quarterly ($99), or Monthly ($49) plans to edit.
Service plans is a Business feature
Service Plans require the Business tier. Lower tiers see a locked preview and an upgrade prompt.
How customers join a plan
You enroll customers yourself. Open a plan's detail page and click Add subscriber (or Enroll a customer on an empty plan), then search for and pick the customer. Their status shows as active once enrolled, and the plan tracks visits used against visits included.
Billing
- Stripe handles recurring billing automatically once Stripe is configured for your account.
- Members are billed on the Interval you set (monthly, quarterly, or yearly).
- If Stripe billing isn't wired up yet, the plan still saves and you can track members manually — HandyBook shows a "Stripe not configured" note and the plan stays in draft until billing is active.
Subscriber status
On the plan detail page each subscriber shows a status:
- active — enrolled and (when Stripe is live) being billed
- canceled — no longer a member
FAQ
How do I price a service plan? A common starting point is 60–70% of the standalone price for the included visits. Tweak based on your margin and what customers will pay.
Can a customer have multiple plans? Yes — enroll the same customer in more than one plan (e.g. an HVAC plan and a cleaning plan). Each is tracked independently.
Why is my new plan a "draft"? Stripe billing isn't configured for your account yet. The plan is saved and you can enroll members and track visits, but automatic charging starts once Stripe is connected.
Where do I see MRR from plans? Add the Recurring revenue (MRR) widget to your Owner Dashboard — it totals monthly recurring revenue from active subscribers.