Subscription Analytics glossary

This glossary defines common terms you might encounter in ChartMogul Subscription Analytics or our Help Center.

For definitions of common terms you might encounter while using ChartMogul and our Help Center, review our ChartMogul glossary.

For definitions of common terms you might encounter while using ChartMogul CRM and our Help Center, review our ChartMogul CRM glossary.

Active

The status of a subscription that has generated billings of more than $0.00 in its most recent billing period. An Active Subscriber has at least one active and no past-due subscriptions. Learn about Customer and subscription statuses.

Annual Run Rate (ARR)

An estimate of the revenue you will earn in the next 12 months from a subscription at its current MRR. Calculated as MRR × 12. See also Monthly Recurring Revenue.

Billing System

The system(s) you use to generate and issue invoices to customers and track and collect payments. This could be a third-party system such as Stripe or Reculy, your custom-built solution, or a set of manual processes. ChartMogul may have an integration with your billing system. Add each of your billing systems to ChartMogul as a source.

Cancelled

The status of a subscription that has expired or been terminated. A Cancelled Subscriber has all their subscriptions expired or terminated. Learn about Customer and subscription statuses.

Churn

When a subscriber stops doing business with you, i.e., cancels all of their subscriptions. Most commonly expressed as a rate (percentage of customers lost in a given period). For a SaaS business to grow, churn must be outpaced by growth. Review ChartMogul’s churn metrics.

Committed Monthly Recurring Revenue (CMRR)

A projection of MRR into the future, based on expected or scheduled changes to a subscription, e.g., a future cancellation a customer has already communicated. Learn more about CMRR.

Contraction

A decrease in a subscriber’s MRR, usually due to a downgrade or a cancellation of some (but not all) subscriptions. Contraction can also result from applying a discount. Learn about MRR Movements.

Credit

A positive amount issued or applied to a customer’s account balance. For example, when the customer switches to a lower cost plan and receives a prorated credit for their existing subscription’s already paid for service period.

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

The total estimated gross margin you’ll collect from an average customer over their lifetime. Review LTV in ChartMogul.

Expansion

An increase in a subscriber’s MRR most often the result of upgrading an existing subscription or purchasing an additional subscription. Expansion can also result from a discount expiring. Learn about MRR Movements.

Invoice 

A document that records the sale of products and services to a customer and used to collect payment. Invoices have one or more invoice line items. Invoices can be open, paid, refunded, voided, or written off. ChartMogul uses invoice data to generate MRR calculations. ChartMogul classifies invoices as open, paid, or refunded based on an invoice’s transactions. Mark an invoice as voided or written off to exclude it from MRR calculations.

Invoice Line Item

Defines the product or service sold to and purchased by the customer. The type of each line item is either subscription (i.e., recurring) or non-recurring (one-time). When the type is subscription, the invoice line item includes a plan and a service period.

Lifetime Value

See Customer Lifetime Value.

Manual subscription

A subscription created in ChartMogul and not imported from a billing system. Learn more.

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

An estimate of the revenue earned each month from a product or service sold on a subscription basis. For monthly plans, MRR is the price paid for each month of the subscription. When a customer pays for more than one month up-front (e.g., 12 months), ChartMogul divides the amount paid for the subscription by the number of months in the service period. Learn more about Monthly Recurring Revenue.

MRR Movement

The increase or decrease in a subscription’s MRR. View MRR movements on a customer record or in the Chart Data table. Learn more about MRR Movements.

New Business

When a customer becomes a paying subscriber for the first time. Learn about MRR Movements.

Past due

The status of a subscription for which a payment or cancellation has not been received since the end of the subscription’s most recent billing period. A Past-due Subscriber has one or more past-due subscriptions. Learn about Customer and subscription statuses.

Plan

A product or service (or set thereof) you offer on a subscription (recurring) basis, e.g., Gold Monthly Plan. Learn more about creating and managing plans.

Reactivation

When a formerly paying customer re-subscribes. Learn about MRR Movements.

Service Period

The period of time when a product or service is available for use by a customer. Subscriptions have a recurring service period, and payment is collected at the start of each period. ChartMogul determines a subscription’s service period using invoice line items.

Smart Activity Classification

When ChartMogul groups certain subscription changes that take place within a specified period of time (e.g., 60 minutes) of each other. For example, when a new customer purchases multiple new subscriptions at the same time. Learn about Smart Activity Classification.

Subscriber

The individual or company who has purchased a subscription.

Subscription

A specific instance of a plan a customer has purchased and agreed to pay for on a recurring basis. ChartMogul generates subscriptions using invoice line items or manual subscriptions.

Subscription Event

A change to a subscription, either resulting from a billing activity or scheduled to take place in the future. When the change impacts the subscription’s MRR, ChartMogul creates an MRR movement. Learn more about subscription events in ChartMogul.

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