Payment, VAT & Subscription Handling
This page defines the commercial payment architecture for AITP subscriptions: payment provider options, invoice/VAT handling, subscription lifecycle, client status, and future automation between payment events and dashboard access.
Stripe
Strong option for SaaS subscriptions, card payments, customer portal, invoices, webhooks, and automated billing states.
- Monthly subscriptions
- Client billing portal
- Webhook-driven access control
- Invoice and payment records
Paddle
Useful if a merchant-of-record model is preferred, especially for international SaaS sales and tax complexity.
- Merchant of record option
- VAT/tax handling support
- Subscription management
- Global SaaS payment flow
LemonSqueezy
Lightweight option for digital products and early SaaS subscriptions with simpler setup and hosted checkout pages.
- Hosted checkout
- License/subscription workflows
- Digital product sales
- Good early-stage option
Recommended First Architecture
For the first commercial version, AITP should separate product access from owner/admin infrastructure. Billing events should update a client subscription state, but never expose admin controls.
Subscription States
- Trial requested
- Pending onboarding
- Active subscription
- Past due payment
- Suspended access
- Cancelled subscription
Invoice / VAT Handling
- Client billing identity
- Company name and VAT number
- Belgian/EU invoice requirements
- Monthly invoice records
- Export for bookkeeping
- Tax/VAT review before launch
Dashboard Enforcement
- Subscription status checked at login
- Expired users blocked safely
- Client role stays limited
- Enterprise users separated
- Admin layer remains private
Client Edition Billing
Recurring subscription for individual/client dashboard access and platform visibility.
Enterprise Billing
Company access, internal users, optional add-ons, and operational reporting modules.
Corporate Billing
Custom corporate infrastructure, dedicated configuration, onboarding, and support scope.
Future Backend Integration
- Payment provider webhook endpoint
- Client billing table
- Subscription status linked to dashboard login
- Invoice export for bookkeeping
- VAT/company fields in client database
- Automated onboarding email after successful payment
- Suspension workflow for unpaid subscriptions
Billing, VAT, tax treatment, invoice obligations, and commercial launch timing must be reviewed before paid subscriptions are activated.