FS-DOC-01Operations
Launch Plan
Subscription and Recurring Billing
[YourCompany.com] · Finance Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan is your guide to what gets built, how the build unfolds, and what FullSpec needs from you to get the automation live. It is written for the business owner or finance lead, not a technical audience. FullSpec handles all configuration, testing, and deployment end to end. Your role is to provide tool access, confirm one key configuration decision before build begins, and review outcomes once the system is live.
01What you're launching
You are automating your subscription and recurring billing cycle from end to end. Right now, a billing admin manually pulls the active subscriber list from HubSpot, creates up to 120 invoices in Xero one by one, triggers charges in Stripe, chases failed payments by hand without a fixed schedule, and reconciles everything back into Xero before notifying the finance team. That process consumes around six hours per week and depends entirely on one person remembering every step. After this build, three purpose-built agents handle all of that automatically, every billing cycle, with only flagged reconciliation exceptions left for a human to review.
Process
Subscription and Recurring Billing
Trigger
Billing period start date is reached for one or more active subscriptions in HubSpot
Final output
All invoices raised, payments collected or retried, Xero reconciled, confirmation emails sent, and a billing summary posted to Slack
Agents being built
3 agents: Billing Cycle Agent, Failed Payment Recovery Agent, Reconciliation and Notification Agent
Tools involved
HubSpot, Xero, Stripe, Gmail, Slack
Volume
Approximately 120 invoices per month, with daily failed-payment retries as needed
Launch PlanPage 1 of 4
FS-DOC-01Operations
02How the build works
FullSpec builds this automation across four stages: Connect, Build, Test, and Launch. Each stage has a defined set of actions for the FullSpec team and a small set of things your team needs to confirm or provide. You do not need any technical knowledge to participate. The total delivery window assumes prompt tool access and timely responses to any configuration questions raised during Connect.
Complexity: Moderate. Estimated delivery: 4 to 5 weeks from the close of Connect. The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment.
1Connect
Business days 1 to 3
FullSpec
Kick off the project, confirm the automation scope and agent design, map the HubSpot subscriber data structure, verify Xero account codes and tax settings, document Stripe webhook endpoints, and confirm the exact data fields each agent will read and write.
You
Attend the Connect call (typically 30 to 45 minutes), provide admin access credentials for HubSpot, Xero, Stripe, Gmail, and Slack, and confirm the subscription tier and pricing structure in use.
2Build
Business days 4 to 16
FullSpec
Build the Billing Cycle Agent (subscriber fetch, invoice creation, Stripe charge), then the Failed Payment Recovery Agent (Stripe webhook, retry scheduler, recovery emails, HubSpot status updates), then the Reconciliation and Notification Agent (Xero payment matching, confirmation emails, renewal reminder queue, Slack billing summary). Each agent is tested in sandbox before moving to the next.
You
Respond to any clarification questions raised during build, typically by email within one business day. No action is needed unless FullSpec flags a configuration decision that requires your input.
3Test
Business days 17 to 20
FullSpec
Run the full automation end to end in a sandbox environment, covering successful and failed payment scenarios. Validate invoice amounts, retry timing, Xero reconciliation matching, email content, and Slack summary formatting. Produce the QA sign-off report.
You
Review the QA report shared by FullSpec and confirm the output looks correct, particularly invoice amounts and email wording. Approve the parallel run to begin.
4Launch
Business days 21 to 25
FullSpec
Run the automation alongside the manual process for one live billing cycle to verify accuracy in production. Address any data mismatches. Cut over to the automated flow, decommission the manual steps, and hand over the SOP and monitoring setup.
You
Keep the manual billing process running in parallel during this cycle only. Confirm that the automated outputs match what you would have produced manually. Sign off on the cutover once satisfied.
Launch PlanPage 2 of 4
FS-DOC-01Operations
03What FullSpec needs from you
FullSpec needs only access to your existing tools, no technical knowledge is required from your side. All configuration, connection, and testing is handled by the FullSpec team. The table below lists exactly what is needed for each tool and when it is needed. Everything should be ready before the Connect session closes so the build clock can start immediately.
HubSpot
Admin-level login or a private app API key with read access to Contacts and Deals (or your subscription object). Confirm which property stores the active/inactive status and the plan tier.
Before Connect closes
Xero
Xero organisation login with advisor or standard access. Confirmation of which account codes and tax rates apply to each subscription tier.
Before Connect closes
Stripe
Stripe account access (admin or developer role). Confirm whether webhook signing secrets are already in use and provide the Stripe secret key for the relevant account.
Before Connect closes
Gmail
A Google account with Gmail send permissions for the billing address you want invoice and notification emails to send from. OAuth consent will be completed during Connect.
Before Connect closes
Slack
Slack workspace admin access, or permission to install a new app. Confirm the name of the finance channel where billing summaries should be posted.
Before Connect closes
The one configuration decision you must confirm before Connect closes: Which Xero account code and tax rate applies to each subscription tier? If different plan tiers carry different tax treatments (for example, a GST-exempt tier alongside a standard-rated tier), the Billing Cycle Agent must map each tier to the correct code before any invoice is created. Getting this wrong would mean invoices are raised with the incorrect tax treatment and would need to be voided and reissued. Bring your Xero chart of accounts or ask your bookkeeper to confirm the correct codes ahead of the Connect call.
04Your role once live
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner / finance lead)
Review the weekly Slack billing summary posted by the Reconciliation and Notification Agent. Investigate and resolve any unmatched reconciliation items flagged by the system (these are rare but require judgement). Update HubSpot subscriber records if a plan tier changes or a subscriber is paused outside the normal cycle.
Manual invoice creation in Xero, failed payment chasing, ad hoc retry attempts in Stripe, sending individual notification emails, manual Xero reconciliation, updating HubSpot billing status after each cycle, and composing the finance team billing summary.
FullSpec
Monitor the automation for errors or missed triggers, maintain the integration connections and API credentials, apply updates when tool APIs change, and provide ongoing support via support@gofullspec.com for any issues that arise post-launch.
No manual billing actions. FullSpec's role post-launch is entirely technical: keeping the automation running, updated, and reliable.
Launch PlanPage 3 of 4
FS-DOC-01Operations
05What success looks like
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The first automated billing cycle runs alongside the manual process. Invoices are generated and sent automatically. Stripe charges fire without manual input. Any failed payments receive recovery emails within minutes and are queued for a 72-hour retry.
Automated invoice count matches your manual count. No invoices missed. At least one failed payment recovery email sent and retry scheduled without human intervention.
Month 1
The manual billing process is fully decommissioned. Your billing admin is no longer spending time on invoice creation, payment chasing, or Xero reconciliation. The Slack billing summary appears automatically after each cycle. Unmatched reconciliation exceptions, if any, are flagged clearly for review.
Billing admin time on the cycle drops from approximately 6 hours per week to around 30 minutes of exception review. Xero reconciliation completes in under 5 minutes per cycle. Finance team receives the Slack summary without anyone sending it manually.
Month 3
The automation is running reliably across multiple billing cycles. Failed payment recovery is consistent and on schedule. HubSpot subscriber records are accurate and up to date in real time. Any proration or mid-cycle plan changes introduced after go-live are being handled correctly.
Approximately 75 hours of admin time recovered. No billing cycles missed or delayed. Revenue leakage from late or missed retries is eliminated. Finance team has a reliable, hands-off view of each billing run via Slack.
Next step: the FullSpec team will be in touch to schedule your Connect session. Before that call, gather your HubSpot, Xero, Stripe, Gmail, and Slack login credentials, and confirm with your bookkeeper which Xero account codes apply to each subscription tier. That single piece of information is the only thing standing between you and the build clock starting. Questions before the call can go to support@gofullspec.com.
Launch PlanPage 4 of 4