Perform A/B tests using the A/B test node to identify the most effective email for customers encountering a failed payment.

This guide explains how to A/B test an Advanced Failed Payment Recovery strategy.

Before you start

• Advanced Failed Payment Recovery is part of the Retain package.

How it works

Failed Payment Recovery Strategies use Recharge’s flow technology to automate the customer experience. To simplify the setup process, Recharge provides a strategy builder for Failed Payment Recovery strategies. All other flows typically use a canvas to build the subscription experience. You must use the flows canvas to A/B test your Failed Payment Recovery notifications.

With the A/B test node, you can test the following to determine how to best communicate with your customers:

• Subject lines
• Content
• Styling
• Call-to-actions

Best practices

It is important to test one variable at a time. For example, start by running an A/B test with two different subject lines. Once you've identified the winning subject line, use it in a subsequent A/B test to evaluate different notification content. Use a tool like A/B Split Test Calculator to determine the efficacy of your tests.

Step 1 - Build your advanced Failed Payment Recovery strategy

Follow the instructions listed above to configure your Failed Payment Recovery strategy. Do not activate the strategy.

Step 2 - Add the A/B test node

1. On the Customize and review notifications (optional) page, select Go to the canvas under Looking to A/B test your emails.
2. Drag the A/B test node to a notification branch to auto-duplicate the branch and create the testing environment. You can add one A/B test node per branch.
3. Update the notification for each branch.
4. Save the canvas.

Step 3 - Activate the strategy

Click Activate strategy when you are ready to go live.

After activation, you can use your A/B tests to send out two different notifications, and then analyze your email analytics to determine the best notifications to fully optimize your recovery strategy. 

Implement your winning strategy

After reviewing your email analytics and determining which path leads to the best results, you can implement the winning strategy as your primary recovery strategy:

1. Click Retain in the merchant portal and select Failed Payment Recovery.
2. Find your A/B test strategy from the list of strategies.
3. Click the vertical dot menu and select Duplicate.
4. Open the duplicated strategy.
5. Click the vertical three-dot menu next to the path you want to remove, then select Delete.
6. Save and activate the strategy.
7. Navigate back to the list of Failed Payment Recovery Strategies. Click the vertical dot menu for the initial A/B testing strategy, and select Deactivate.

Use cases

Testing various email notifications through A/B testing reveals how customers respond to different communication styles, allowing you to determine and implement the most effective messages for your Failed Payment Recovery strategy.

See the chart below for A/B test ideas, plus examples you can implement for each path.

Considerations

Consider the following when creating and maintaining a Failed Payment Recovery strategy: