Skip to main content
All CollectionsFAQ
What happens to your data when my subscription ends/expires?
What happens to your data when my subscription ends/expires?

Data? Privacy? This article explains what happens to your data when you no longer have an active account with Folio.

Joel O'Sullivan avatar
Written by Joel O'Sullivan
Updated over 3 months ago

What can we do if my subscription is about to expire?

As a subscription holder, it's important to know your options when your subscription is about to expire. Fortunately, most subscriptions come with notifications via email and on your billing account as the expiration date draws near. Here are your options before your subscription actually reaches its expiration date:

Option 1: Enable Recurring Billing

If you already have recurring billing turned on, you don't have to do anything. Your subscription will automatically renew for another year or month, depending on your current payment plan. However, if you turned off recurring billing for any reason, you can turn it back on at any time. If you purchased your subscription using a prepaid card, you can also opt-in to recurring billing.

Option 2: Let Your Subscription Expire

If you don't want to continue your subscription, you can simply turn off recurring billing if you pay by credit card or invoice. This way, your subscription will end on its expiration date, and you don't need to pay attention to any email notifications regarding it. If you're an Open Volume Licensing customer working with a partner, you can also let your subscription expire without taking any action.

What happens after my subscription expires?

If you decide to let your subscription expire or if you forget to renew it, it will go through several stages before ultimately being deleted. Here's what you can expect during each stage:

Stage 1—Expired

The Expired stage usually lasts for seven days for most subscriptions. During this stage, users still have normal access to your platform, and as an admin, you can access the member center. You don't have to worry because global or billing admins can reactivate your subscription and restore it to its previous state.

Stage 2—Disabled

If you don't reactivate your subscription during the expired stage, it will go into a disabled stage for 30 days. In this stage, your access to Folio apps will decrease significantly, and users won't be able to access your platform. Folio apps will only operate in a read-only, reduced-functionality mode, and will display "Inaccessible Data" messages. As an admin, you can still log in and access the team space, but you won't be able to assign licenses to users. However, as a billing admin, you can reactivate the subscription and continue using Folio with all of your customer data intact.

Stage 3— Deleted

If you don't reactivate your subscription during the expired or disabled stage, Microsoft will delete your subscription after 30 days. At this stage, there will be no access to your platform, and all customer data will be gone. It is essential to act quickly if you wish to continue using the service. However, as a billing admin, you can still access the Plan&Billings to buy new subscriptions.

In conclusion, as a subscription holder, you have options when your subscription is about to expire. It's important to know these options to avoid any disruption to your workflow. Recurring billing and being aware of the stages of an expired subscription is essential. This way, you can make smooth transitions and avoid any loss of data. And as always, if you need to purchase a new subscription, Folio provides you with plenty of options. Always contact the support team if you need any clarification.

Did this answer your question?