Pricing & Sales

Setting Up a Subscription Model

Updated: 2026-05-27 Holdwise editorial team Subscription Recurring Revenue Pricing

With a subscription, customers pay you a fixed amount every month, so your revenue is predictable. Your business then becomes steadier and more valuable. If you rush the set-up, you get extra work and little in return. At Holdwise, we updated this answer on 27 May 2026 and change it when the rules change.

Why subscriptions are attractive

With a predictable monthly income, you can plan and hire with more confidence. Customers pay smaller amounts more often, which can be easier for them than a single large bill. The business itself becomes more valuable, because future revenue is partly known.

What suits a subscription

Anything used or needed repeatedly.
Ongoing support, access or maintenance.
Content that you update regularly.
Services where customers benefit from continuity.

What to avoid

One-off purchases with one-time value only.
Things customers only need once a year or less.
Products or services where customers often ask themselves whether to renew or stop.

Set the price for customers who stay

Use an attractive entry price to win customers and a fair ongoing price to keep them. A subscription only succeeds when customers stay. What you offer each month must therefore stay worth the price. Each customer who leaves costs you the effort you put into winning that customer.

Watch how many customers leave (churn rate)

Churn is the percentage of customers who leave each month. Small differences add up quickly. With a churn of 2% per month, you lose about a fifth of your customers in a year. With 10% per month, you lose almost three quarters. Track your churn and treat it as your most important number.

The practical work

Billing: use software that handles recurring payments, failed payments and reminders.
Customer service: active subscribers expect you to stay responsive month after month.
Updates: you usually need to keep improving the product or service, so that it stays worth the subscription.

Tip: some businesses combine a basic subscription with one-off extras. You then have a predictable income from the subscription, and you earn larger one-time amounts from the extras when customers need more.

Do you want to set up a Dutch BV from abroad? See setting up a BV in the Netherlands for the costs, the steps and the timeline. We arrange the notary and the KVK registration for you.

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Frequently asked questions

Can any business become a subscription? +

Only a business with a product or service of real ongoing value. If you force a subscription on a one-off product, you usually damage the confidence of your customers and your reputation.

What is a healthy churn rate? +

It depends on the industry. A few percent per month is common for stable consumer subscriptions. Subscriptions for business customers (B2B) often have lower churn. Compare your churn with similar businesses, because the number on its own means little.

How do I reduce churn? +

Give customers visible value every month, tell them about improvements, respond quickly to problems and contact customers who become inactive before they cancel. You have to earn each customer's loyalty again every month.

Sources Belastingdienst · KVK · wetten.overheid.nl Last updated: 2026-05-27