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# Subscription Recording Flow - Fixed Architecture
## 🎯 Problem We Fixed
**Before:** Subscriptions were ONLY recorded via webhooks. If webhooks failed or were delayed, subscriptions never appeared in the database.
**After:** Subscriptions are recorded **immediately at checkout completion** with webhooks as backup/sync mechanism.
---
## ✅ Current Flow (Fixed)
### 1. User Initiates Subscription
- User clicks "Subscribe Now" on `/subscribe.php` or `/subscribe_essential.php`
- Checkout session is created in Stripe
- User is redirected to Stripe Checkout
- **What we record:** Nothing yet (just redirect)
### 2. User Completes Payment
- User enters payment info and completes checkout
- Stripe processes payment
- User is redirected to `/subscription_success.php?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}`
### 3. **IMMEDIATE RECORDING** (Primary Method)
**Location:** `subscription_success.php`
**What happens:**
1. Fetches checkout session from Stripe (with subscription expanded)
2. Fetches subscription details from Stripe
3. **IMMEDIATELY records in database:**
- Creates record in `user_subscriptions` table
- Updates user's plan in `users` table
- Saves Stripe customer ID
- Initializes `monthly_track_usage` record
4. Shows success message to user
**Why this is critical:**
- ✅ User sees subscription immediately
- ✅ No dependency on webhooks
- ✅ Works even if webhooks fail
- ✅ User can use subscription right away
### 4. Webhook Backup (Secondary Method)
**Location:** `webhooks/stripe.php`
**Events handled:**
- `customer.subscription.created` - Creates/updates subscription (idempotent)
- `checkout.session.completed` - Backup handler if redirect fails
- `customer.subscription.updated` - Updates subscription status
- `customer.subscription.deleted` - Handles cancellation
**Why webhooks are still important:**
- ✅ Backup if user closes browser before redirect
- ✅ Syncs subscription changes (upgrades, cancellations)
- ✅ Handles renewals and status changes
- ✅ Ensures data consistency
---
## 📊 Database Tables Used
### `user_subscriptions`
Records subscription details:
- `user_id` - Links to user
- `stripe_subscription_id` - Stripe subscription ID
- `stripe_customer_id` - Stripe customer ID
- `plan_name` - Plan (essential, starter, pro, etc.)
- `status` - active, canceled, past_due, etc.
- `current_period_start` - Billing period start
- `current_period_end` - Billing period end
### `users`
Updated fields:
- `plan` - User's current plan
- `stripe_customer_id` - Stripe customer ID
### `monthly_track_usage`
Tracks monthly usage:
- `user_id` - Links to user
- `subscription_id` - Links to subscription
- `subscription_period_start` - Current billing period
- `tracks_created` - Tracks used this period
- `track_limit` - Limit for this plan
---
## 🔍 How to Verify Recording
### Check if subscription was recorded:
```sql
SELECT * FROM user_subscriptions WHERE user_id = ?;
```
### Check user's plan:
```sql
SELECT plan, stripe_customer_id FROM users WHERE id = ?;
```
### Check monthly usage:
```sql
SELECT * FROM monthly_track_usage WHERE user_id = ?;
```
---
## 🚨 Error Handling
### If `subscription_success.php` fails:
1. Error is logged to error log
2. User sees warning message
3. Webhook will catch it and record subscription
4. User can manually sync using `/sync_subscription_from_stripe.php`
### If webhook fails:
1. Subscription is already recorded in `subscription_success.php`
2. User can still use subscription
3. Webhook will sync on next event (renewal, update, etc.)
---
## 📝 Key Files
1. **`subscribe.php`** - Creates checkout session
2. **`subscription_success.php`** - **PRIMARY** - Records subscription immediately
3. **`webhooks/stripe.php`** - **BACKUP** - Handles webhook events
4. **`sync_subscription_from_stripe.php`** - Manual sync tool (for recovery)
---
## ✅ Benefits of This Approach
1. **Immediate Availability** - Subscription appears instantly
2. **Reliability** - Doesn't depend on webhooks
3. **User Experience** - No waiting for webhook processing
4. **Redundancy** - Webhooks provide backup
5. **Audit Trail** - All interactions logged
---
## 🔧 Testing
To test the flow:
1. Create a test subscription
2. Complete checkout
3. Check database immediately - subscription should be there
4. Verify webhook also processes it (idempotent, won't duplicate)
---
## 📌 Important Notes
- **Always record at checkout completion** - This is the primary method
- **Webhooks are backup** - They sync but don't replace immediate recording
- **Idempotent operations** - Both methods can run without creating duplicates
- **Error logging** - All failures are logged for debugging