If a subscriber has scheduled their subscription to cancel but it is still active until the end of the period, you can give them a one-click way to undo the cancellation by accepting a discount offer. Drop a special URL into your win-back email and the subscriber lands on a page that both removes the pending cancellation and applies the discount in a single step.
When to use it
The reactivation offer URL is built for win-back campaigns. The classic case is the email you send when a reader has just clicked Cancel: "We are sorry to see you go. Stay with us and get 30% off for the next three months."
The link only does something for subscribers who have a pending cancellation. If the subscriber already changed their mind through some other path, the page will tell them the offer no longer applies.
The two URL formats
You can build the link in two ways. Both work, so pick whichever fits your email tooling.
Short form
Use this when you do not want to embed the contract ID in the URL, for example in a generic email sent to many subscribers.
Example:
After the subscriber logs in, the page picks the first active recurring contract that has a pending cancellation and uses that. If the subscriber has no such contract, they are sent to their normal subscription page instead.
Long form
Use this when you have the contract ID, for example in a personalised email generated per subscription.
Example:
URL parameters
vendor: your vendor slug (for example,
acme). This drives the branding and theme on the page.contractId: the Sesamy contract ID, prefixed with
CH-. Only used in the long form.discountCode: the discount code to apply. Case-insensitive, so
STAY30andstay30both work.
The discount code is part of the path, not a query string. ?code=STAY30 will not work. The code must be the last segment of the URL.
What the subscriber sees
After clicking the link and logging in, the subscriber lands on a clean offer page that shows:
The product cover image and title
The new discounted price (for example, "49 SEK / month")
If the discount runs out at some point, an "until [date]" line showing when the discounted price ends
A short paragraph of explanatory copy
A primary Reactivate subscription button styled in your brand colour
When they click Reactivate subscription, two things happen at once: the pending cancellation is removed, so the contract resumes as a normal recurring subscription, and the discount code is applied to their contract going forward. The subscriber is then taken to their normal subscription page.
When the offer page does not show the button
The page shows an "Offer not applicable" message instead of the button if any of these are true:
The contract no longer has a pending cancellation. The subscriber may have undone the cancellation already through another route.
The discount code is already applied to this contract. We will not let the subscriber apply it twice.
The discount code has expired, belongs to a different vendor, or the subscriber is not eligible for it.
Worked example: a 30% win-back email
You want to send a "stay with us" email to subscribers who have just scheduled a cancellation. Here is how the pieces fit together.
1. Create the discount code.
Set up a discount called STAY30 that gives 30% off for the next three months. Talk to your Sesamy contact if you need help configuring the discount.
2. Build the link.
If your email tool can pull each subscriber's contract ID, use the long form for a fully personalised link:
If it cannot, use the short form. The page will find the right contract once the subscriber logs in:
3. Drop the link into the call to action.
Wire the link to the main button in your email, for example a button labelled "Stay and get 30% off". The destination is the link from step 2.
4. Trigger the email.
Send the email when a subscriber schedules a cancellation. The subscriber clicks the button, lands on the offer page, sees the new price and your branding, and reactivates in one click.
Things to keep in mind
One click does both things. Clicking Reactivate subscription removes the pending cancellation and applies the discount in a single confirmation. There is no separate step.
The cancellation date disappears. After reactivation, the subscription continues to renew normally. Future invoices use the discounted price for as long as the discount is valid.
It only works on subscriptions with a pending cancellation. If the subscriber already undid the cancellation through another path, the offer page will not show the button.
The same code cannot be applied twice. If the subscriber has already used this discount code on this contract, the page shows "Offer not applicable".
Discount codes are case-insensitive.
STAY30andstay30both work.
Common questions
Does the subscriber need to be logged in?
Yes. If they are not logged in, the page sends them through the standard Sesamy login flow first and brings them back to the offer afterwards.
What if the subscriber has more than one cancelling subscription?
The short form picks the first active recurring contract with a pending cancellation. If a subscriber has several, use the long form with the specific contract ID so the offer lands on the right one.
Can I send the same link to lots of subscribers?
Yes. The short form is built for that case. Each subscriber will see the offer applied to their own cancelling contract once they log in.
What happens to the original cancellation date?
It is removed. The subscription resumes as a normal recurring contract and the next renewal will go through as usual, at the new discounted price.
Can I track how many subscribers reactivated through the offer?
Yes. Every successful reactivation through this URL is captured as a "Reactivation offer claimed" analytics event with the vendor, contract, and discount code, so you can measure how the campaign performs.
Can I use this for subscriptions that have already ended?
No. The reactivation offer URL only works while the subscription is still active with a pending cancellation. Once the subscription has fully ended, the subscriber will need to start a new purchase instead.
Need help? If you would like a hand setting up a reactivation offer or wiring the link into your email tool, contact your Sesamy contact and we will help you get it running.