Overview

The Generate Orders workflow allows organizations to automatically create renewal orders for subscribers and optionally send balance due emails containing personalized payment links.

This workflow is commonly used when organizations want to:

  • Prepare renewal orders in advance
  • Reserve preferred seats for subscribers
  • Send patrons directly to a payment page
  • Manage renewal payments through balance due invoices

Depending on the workflow selected, organizations may:

  • Generate renewal orders and immediately send balance due emails
  • Generate renewal orders first and send emails later

Organizations offering multiple subscription price types (Adult, Senior, Student, etc.) are encouraged to use the Renewal Email or Renewal Letter workflows instead. Generate Orders workflows automatically apply the default price configured in the subscription price group when creating renewal orders.

Supported Subscription Types

Generate order workflows are supported for:

  • Online Theatre / Patron Subscriptions (Preferred Seats Required)
  • Regular Theatre Subscriptions
  • Flex Passes
  • Standard Subscriptions

Generate order workflows are not supported for Pick-a-Show subscriptions because patrons must select their own events, dates, and seats during checkout.

For additional information about subscription type behavior and workflow limitations, review the Subscription Renewal Workflow Overview article.

Before You Begin

Before running a Generate Orders workflow, make sure you have:

  • Created a Renewal Email template containing the {BALANCEDUELINK} placeholder
  • Determined which subscription type you want to renew
  • Preferred seating labels and assignments are assigned

Workflow Options

The renewal workflow supports two generate-order actions.

Generate Orders & Send Balance Due Email

The system:
  1. Generates renewal orders
  2. Creates balance due invoices
  3. Sends balance due emails to eligible subscribers

Subscribers receive a personalized payment link allowing them to complete payment online immediately.

Generate Orders Without Sending Email

The system:
  1. Generates renewal orders
  2. Creates balance due invoices
  3. Does not send customer communication

This workflow is commonly used when organizations want to:

  • Review generated orders before contacting patrons
  • Delay customer communication
  • Send balance due emails later

Balance due emails can later be sent from the campaign management tools.

Accessing the Renewal Workflow

Navigate to: CRM > Communications > Renewals



Step 1 – Select the Source Season
The Source Season contains the subscribers you want to renew.

Examples:
  • 2025–2026 Season
  • Spring 2026 Theatre Season

The system uses this season to identify eligible subscribers.



Step 2 – Select the Target Season
The Target Season contains the subscriptions patrons will renew into.

Examples:
  • 2026–2027 Season
  • Fall 2026 Theatre Season

The system uses this season to load available subscription options for mapping.



Step 3 – Select the Subscription Type
If more than one supported subscription type exists in both seasons, a Subscription Type dropdown will appear.


Supported subscription types include:
  • Online Theatre / Patron
  • Regular Theatre
  • Flex Pass
  • Standard Subscription
  • Pick-a-Show

Select the subscription type you want to renew in this campaign. If your organization uses multiple subscription types, create a separate renewal campaign for each.



Step 4 – Map Subscriptions
The workflow displays subscriptions from the Source Season.

For each subscription you want to renew:

  1. Select the source subscription
  2. Choose the matching subscription from the Target Season

This mapping determines:

  • Which subscribers are included in the campaign
  • Which subscription is recommended during online renewal

Multiple source subscriptions may map to the same target subscription.

Note: For Online Theatre / Patron subscriptions, preferred seating labels must match between the source and target subscriptions when using Generate Orders workflows. This allows the system to correctly reserve the patron’s preferred seats during renewal order generation.



Step 5 – Select Renewal Action

Choose one of the following actions:

  • Generate Orders & Send Balance Due Email
  • Generate Orders Without Sending Email
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Step 6A – Generate Orders & Send Balance Due Email
This workflow:

  1. Generates renewal orders
  2. Creates balance due invoices
  3. Sends balance due emails to eligible subscribers

Subscribers receive a personalized payment link allowing them to complete payment online.

Configure the Balance Due Email

Select the Renewal Email template you want to use for the campaign. The email template must contain the {BALANCEDUELINK} placeholder.

The email editor allows organizations to:

  • Edit the email content
  • Review placeholders before sending


Send a Test Email (Recommended)

Before sending live emails, it is strongly recommended to send a test email.

The test workflow allows organizations to:
  • Verify formatting
  • Confirm placeholders
  • Test balance due links
  • Review branding and messaging

To send a test email:

  1. Select a subscriber with a generated renewal order
  2. Enter the test email address
  3. Click: Send Test Email

Test emails:

  • Use real generated order data
  • Include balance due link placeholders
  • Do not update subscriber statuses
  • Do not create CRM communication logs


Send Balance Due Emails

When ready, click: Send Email

The system sends balance due emails to eligible subscribers.


Subscribers must have:

  • A generated renewal order
  • A valid email address
  • A renewal status other than Renewed

Subscribers marked as Renewed are automatically excluded from resend workflows.



Step 6B – Generate Orders Without Sending Email

This workflow:
  1. Generates renewal orders
  2. Creates balance due invoices
  3. Does not send customer communication

This workflow is commonly used when organizations want to:

  • Review generated orders before contacting patrons
  • Delay customer communication
  • Send balance due emails later

Generating orders alone does not update subscriber statuses.

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Sending Balance Due Emails Later

If orders were generated without sending email, balance due emails can later be sent from the renewal campaign management tools.

To send balance due emails later:

  1. Open the renewal campaign (source season)
  2. Locate the subscription
  3. Open the Manage menu
  4. Select: Send Balance Due Email

The Send Balance Due Email workflow allows organizations to:

  • Select a Renewal Email template
  • Edit the subject line
  • Edit the email content
  • Send test emails before sending live emails

When a live balance due email is successfully sent:

  • Subscriber status is updated to Contacted
  • A communication log is added to the patron CRM profile

When the renewal balance is fully paid:

  • Subscriber status is updated to Renewed

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