The discussion revolves around whether a login is required for Discourse subscriptions. jhants is having trouble with the subscription process, as the instructions seem to imply that users can subscribe without logging in, which doesn’t match their experience. JammyDodger suggests that sites often have at least one category visible to non-subscribers, allowing them to sign up and then subscribe for greater access. JammyDodger also offers to update the guides to make them clearer. jhants concludes that the subscription plugin must be accessed from within Discourse and suggests adding an explanation to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
As far as I can tell I have been through this process - I also tried all the things in the string from earlier, using a Stripe product that I had created from Discourse and that didn’t produce a subscription in Discourse.
Given it doesn’t say you have to use a discourse link to ask people to subscribe and there is a Stripe product I’m surprised this is a requirement. I tried using the link directly https://endurancebikeandrun.discourse.group/s/prod_Q7HmrlJPQP21K6 but when I try to subscribe from there I get an error message, invalid coupon code, please try again.
Are you saying that people have to be able to login to discourse so that they can subscribe? I am on another site that uses Discourse and I am sure that isn’t how I joined the group. I subscribed and then got access.
I am a paying user of Discourse so a bit unhappy that the instructions don’t appear to match my experience, although I am not a professional developer.
I think sites have the setup where most of the categories have their permissions changed to be only accessible to the various subscription groups, but have at least one that’s visible to non-subscribers to allow for people to sign up and then subscribe for greater access.
We’re always looking for ways to make our guides easier to follow. If you have any suggestions for how we can make this one clearer we’re definitely happy to make changes.
It’s a bit awkward as I don’t like directing people to a resource and then asking them to pay. I’d rather make it clear they have to pay up front before joining.
I don’t have any suggestions apart from perhaps an explanation that says the subscription plugin has to be accessed from within Discourse, as I am not the first to make this mistake.
