New research from Clarasys and Stripe explores how AI, rising expectations and the demand for greater control are reshaping the subscription customer journey.
The subscription economy is changing. Consumers are becoming more deliberate about what they buy, how they pay and whether they are getting enough value to keep their subscription.
AI is accelerating this shift by helping people discover, compare and manage subscriptions, while amplifying new expectations around flexibility, transparency and control.
This report examines what these changes mean for subscription businesses in media, news, SaaS, entertainment and retail.
What you’ll learn
- How AI is influencing subscription discovery, comparison, renewal and cancellation
- Why pause, downgrade, upgrade and feature-level options are becoming important parts of the customer journey
- What consumers expect from flexible and usage-based pricing — and where transparency matters most
- Why measuring log-ins alone is not enough to understand customer value
- How businesses can prepare for AI agents that recommend, negotiate and manage subscriptions on customers’ behalf
Key highlights
- 54% of consumers use AI weekly
- 41% prefer pricing models that are not fixed per month
- 90.7% of software subscribers want flexible subscription options