# Cancel-Save Ladder — Sparkling Creatine (Recharge / Shopify Subscriptions)

> Per Nik Sharma 2026 VMS Play 7. Skip BEFORE discount. 5 steps. Discount is the last resort, not the first answer. Implementation target: Recharge customer portal (or Shopify-native subscriptions if migrating). Build week: Sprint 1, Monday-Wednesday.

## The principle
A cancel-save ladder is OPTIONS, not a trap. FTC's Click-to-Cancel rule means every step must be skippable; "Cancel anyway" link visible at the bottom of every screen, one tap to exit. We win by being more useful than annoying.

**Baseline today:** one-click cancel → gone. Current churn (best estimate): ~12% monthly on creatine sub.
**Target after ladder:** save 35-45% of intent-to-cancel sessions across all 5 steps combined.

## The 5 steps (in order)

### Step 1 — SKIP THIS SHIPMENT (primary CTA — biggest button)
**Headline:** Not feeling it this month? Skip one.
**Body:** Your next shipment is scheduled for {next_charge_date}. You can skip just this one — your subscription stays active, and we'll see you next month.
**Primary CTA (pink, full-width):** Skip this shipment
**Secondary CTA (text-link below):** No thanks, see other options →
**UI notes:** Show the next 3 upcoming charge dates. Let user skip 1, 2, or 3 in a row.
**Expected save rate:** 35-45% of all cancel-intent users land here and stay.

### Step 2 — CHANGE FREQUENCY
**Headline:** Getting too much? Stretch it out.
**Body:** A box of Sparkling Creatine is 25 sachets. If you're not drinking it every day, every 60 or 90 days might fit better. Same price per sachet, less overlap.
**Options (radio buttons):**
- Every 30 days (current)
- Every 45 days
- **Every 60 days** (pre-selected — "Most popular for sippers")
- Every 90 days

**Primary CTA:** Update frequency
**Secondary:** Still want to cancel? →
**Expected save rate:** 15-20% of users who reach this step.

### Step 3 — SWAP SKU
**Headline:** Maybe a different rhythm.
**Body:** Sparkling Creatine in 25-sachet packs not the right fit? Try one of these instead.
**Options (cards with product image):**
- **Trial pack** — 7 sachets, ₹299. Light commitment.
- **Bundle: Creatine + Daily Multi** — ₹1,599. Stack your routine.
- **Unflavoured Sparkling Creatine** — for users who reported Berry Lemonade was too sweet.
- **Pause and we'll send you a sample** of another SETU product to try (free).

**Primary CTA:** Swap to this
**Secondary:** Continue cancelling →
**Expected save rate:** 8-12% of users who reach this step. Higher AOV for the bundle swap.

### Step 4 — PAUSE 30 DAYS
**Headline:** Take a breather. We'll be here.
**Body:** Pause your subscription for 30 days. Nothing happens — no charges, no shipments — until {date_30_days_out}. You can resume early or extend anytime.
**Options:** Pause 30 / 60 / 90 days
**Primary CTA:** Pause my subscription
**Secondary:** I really want to cancel →
**Expected save rate:** 10-15% of users who reach this step.

### Step 5 — DISCOUNT SAVE (LAST resort)
**Headline:** One more thing before you go.
**Body:** We'd love to keep you. Take 20% off your next order. We mean it — this offer doesn't appear in your dashboard, only here, once.
**Primary CTA:** Apply 20% off and continue subscription
**Secondary:** No thanks, cancel anyway →
**UI notes:** Discount is one-time, applies to next order only. If user has already taken this offer in past 6 months, show 25% instead (escalation cap).
**Expected save rate:** 8-12% of users who reach this step.

**Anti-pattern check:** Do NOT lead with discount. Do NOT offer 50%. Discounts say "this is what the product is worth." Skip and pause say "we want you to win."

## Exit survey (Seed-style, doubles as R&D)

After Step 5 declined, before cancel confirms:

**Q1 (required, single select):**
- The product didn't work for me
- It worked, but I have too much left
- Too expensive
- Bad taste / texture / mix
- Found a better alternative
- Health changed (pregnancy, condition, doctor advised)
- Just trying it once
- Other (text field)

**Q2 (conditional):**
- If "didn't work" → How long did you take it? (<30 / 30-60 / 60+ days)
- If "too much left" → How many sachets left? (1-5 / 6-15 / 16+)
- If "taste" → What part — sweetness / flavour / fizz / aftertaste?
- If "alternative" → Which one? (text field)
- If "health" → Optional context (text)

**Q3 (optional, text):** What would have made you stay? One sentence.
**Q4 (single select):** Would you try us again? (Yes / Maybe / No)

**On submit:** Tag user with reason in Klaviyo. Route to recovery sequence.
**Why:** Seed redesigned Sustainable Refill Program purely from "too much left" responses. Real R&D. Trisha + Nihaal review monthly.

## Post-cancel recovery sequence (3 emails, identity-framed)

Triggered on cancel completion. Suppress if user resubscribed within 7 days.

**Email 1 — Day 3 post-cancel**
- Subject: A note from Nihaal (no offer inside)
- Preheader: I read your cancel reason. Here's what I think.
- Body: Personal letter from founder. Reference cancel reason category (without naming user). NO discount, NO CTA except text-link: "If your situation changes, you know where to find us." Signed Nihaal.
- Goal: Identity reinforcement. We are the brand that doesn't beg.

**Email 2 — Day 10 post-cancel**
- Subject: What we learned from {month} cancellations
- Body: Aggregate findings from exit surveys. Honest. "Last month, the #1 reason for cancellation was 'too much left' — so we're launching a 45-day option."
- CTA: Text-link to changelog, not PDP.
- Goal: Position SETU as a brand that listens.

**Email 3 — Day 21 post-cancel**
- Subject: A check-in (and one quiet offer)
- Body: "It's been three weeks. If creatine wasn't right, we have other things — sleep, multivitamin, electrolytes. Or try the new 45-day frequency: one-time 30% off code WELCOMEBACK30. Good for 14 days. After that, no more emails like this."
- CTA: Single button: Browse products / Restart Sparkling Creatine
- Goal: Last call, dignified.

**After Email 3:** Move to quarterly "What's new at SETU" newsletter. No more recovery touchpoints.

## Recharge / Shopify implementation notes

**Recommended stack:** Recharge Pro tier (₹35K/mo, includes Customer Portal customization, retention flows, Bundles API). Migrate to Shopify-native subscriptions Q3 2026 once mature.

**Build sequence (Sprint 1, 3 days):**
1. **Day 1 (Vishal + dev):** Enable Recharge "Cancellation Flow" in admin. Set 5 sequential steps. Map to Recharge's Pause / Skip / Swap / Discount actions.
2. **Day 2 (Vishal + Abir):** Custom Liquid templates per step — SETU brand (pink CTA, NeueMontreal, cream bg). Pull product images from `assets/3d-renders/creatine-glutone/vetted/`.
3. **Day 3 (Vishal + Klaviyo):** Wire exit survey to Klaviyo profile properties. Set up 3-email recovery sequence. QA on 3 test accounts.
4. **Launch:** Soft-launch 25% of cancel sessions for 2 weeks. Full rollout week 3.

**Tracking events (Klaviyo + GA4):**
- `cancel_flow_started`, `cancel_step_completed`, `cancel_saved`, `cancel_completed`, `recovery_email_opened/clicked`, `recovery_resubscribed`

## Success metrics + baselines

| Step | Target save rate | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 — Skip | 35-45% | Highest-converting step in Recharge benchmarks |
| Step 2 — Frequency | 15-20% | Recharge benchmark for "stretch frequency" |
| Step 3 — Swap | 8-12% | Lower volume but higher AOV |
| Step 4 — Pause | 10-15% | Pause-to-resume is ~60% over 90 days |
| Step 5 — Discount | 8-12% | Final-step discount benchmark; do NOT scale higher |
| **Combined** | **35-45% of all cancel intent** | vs current ~0% |

**Month-1 target:** 30% combined save rate. **Month-3:** 40%. **Month-6:** 45% + LTV lift from recovered users.

## Hard rules
1. "Cancel anyway" link visible on every screen (FTC compliance).
2. No dark patterns.
3. Discount is Step 5 only.
4. Exit-survey responses get READ monthly.
5. Recovery sequence is 3 emails MAX.
6. Identity-frame, not price-frame everywhere except Step 5 and Email 3.