How are Different Emails Triggered in the circuly Hub?
Introduction
circuly provides a comprehensive set of transactional email templates triggered by specific subscription lifecycle actions such as orders, payments, subscriptions, and returns. These emails are operational (not promotional) and can be customised to reflect your branding. Each email template is linked to a specific event, and when that event occurs, the email is automatically sent from the circuly Hub.
Important: circuly supports only transactional emails. For promotional content (like offers, discounts, or vouchers), use a marketing automation tool.
Email Template Categories and Triggers: Most of the email templates in circuly fall under four categories: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, and Returns. A few templates fall outside these categories but are still essential.
Category: Account
Account - One-Time Password
The “One-Time Password” email is an email that is sent to your customer when the customer is logging in to the Customer Self- Service portal and requests a one-time password to log in.
The email that is sent to the customer (that is the "One time Password" email) contains a code and a link that can be used to sign in to the Self-Service Portal.
- Trigger: When a customer requests login access to the Customer Portal.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
Category: Orders
Order - Buyout Confirmation
The "Buyout Order Confirmation" email template is a confirmation sent to the customer for a buyout order. This email template informs the customer that the buyout request was processed from your side.
- Trigger: When a customer chooses to buy out their subscribed product.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
- Note: Confirms the transaction to the customer.
Order - Cancellation
The "Order cancellation" is an email that is sent to the customer to inform them that their order has been cancelled.
- Trigger: When an order is manually cancelled by a circuly user.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
- Note: If "Fully refund this order" is checked, the customer will also receive the Transaction Refund and Refund Invoice.
Order - Confirmation
The "Order confirmation" email is sent to the customer when a customer goes through your checkout and finalises their order. This email is used to inform the customer that the order has been received by you and is being processed.
Note: A confirmation email will not be triggered from your shop system so as to avoid sending the confirmation email twice to the customer.
- Trigger: When a customer places an order via the circuly checkout.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
- Note: Skip this email if your shop system already sends an order confirmation.
Order - Fulfilment Completed
The “Order Fulfilment Completed” email is sent to your customer to inform the customer that their order has been fulfilled (aka Shipped).
- Trigger: When an order is manually marked as completed in the circuly Hub.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
Order - Offer
The "Order Offer" is an email that contains the offer for a manually created order and has an quote attached to it. The quote that is attached in the "Order offer" email is created from the "Order offer pdf" email template.
- Trigger: When a draft order is created manually from the circuly Hub.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
- Note: Email sent to the customer with a PDF attachment summarizing the order.
Order - Offer PDF
The "Order Offer pdf" is also a pdf invoice that is sent to the customer along with the "Order offer" email template.
- Attachment: Sent with the "Order Offer" email.
- Content: Includes order details, product, pricing, and subscription terms.
Order - Swap Confirmation
The "Swap confirmation" is an email that is sent to the customer when a product swap request is made. This email informs the customer that the request to replace the order has been received and is being processed.
- Trigger: When a swap is initiated (manually or via the customer portal).
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Category: Payments
Payment - Failed
The "Payment has failed" email is an email that is sent to the customer every time a payment (initial, recurring and one-time) fails. This email informs the customer that their payment has failed.
- Trigger: When a payment attempt fails.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
- Note: Payment retries are configurable in Settings > Recurring Payments. You can define retry attempts and intervals, and whether to send a failed email for each or just the final attempt.
Payment - Invoice
The "Your Invoice" is an email that is sent to your customer when a payment is to be charged but hasn't been charged yet. This email template is used just to inform the customer about the upcoming charge.
The "Invoice" email requires an invoice and is therefore sent in combination with the "Invoice" email template, attached as a PDF (if it's a recurring payment) or with the "One-time transaction" email template, attached as a PDF (if it's a one-time payment).
- Trigger: When a recurring or one-time payment is initiated (before charge).
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
- PDF Attachments: "Invoice" or "One-Time Transaction"
- Legal Note (Germany): Include the variable {{current_period}} to show the "Leistungszeitraum" (service period). Use:
{% if initial_invoice == false %}
<p>Service period: {{current_period}}</p>
{% endif %}
Payment - Invoice (pdf)
The "Invoice" email template is simply an invoice that is sent as a PDF attachment in combination with emails that require an invoice.
Trigger: When an initial payment is successfully charged, the "Payment was successful" email is triggered. The "Payment was successful" email contains an invoice that is attached as PDF. For the PDF attachment the "Invoice" email template is triggered and used.
When a recurring payment is to be charged (on the upcoming billing date), the "Your Invoice" email template is triggered. The "Your Invoice" email contains an invoice that is attached as PDF. For the PDF attachment the "Invoice" email template is triggered and used.
Settings:
Payment - One-Time Transaction
The "One-time transaction" email template is also an invoice that is sent as a PDF attachment in combination with the "Your invoice" email to inform the customer that a one-time transaction will be charged from their saved payment method due to xyz reason.
- Trigger: When a one-time transaction is charged.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Order notifications
- Note: Sent with the "Your Invoice" email and includes the invoice as a PDF.
Payment - Refund Invoice
Like the "Invoice" and "One-time transaction" email template, the "Refund Invoice" email template is simply an invoice that is sent to the customer in combination as a PDF attachment with the "Transaction refund" email template to inform the customer that a payment has been refunded.
- Trigger: When a refund is processed, especially when "Fully refund this order" is checked during cancellation.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
Payment - Successful
The “Payment was successful” email is an email that is sent to your customer when a payment goes through or in other words is successfully charged.
- Trigger: After a payment is successfully charged.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
Payment - Transaction Refund
The "Transaction Refund" is an email that is sent to the customer when a payment is refunded from the circuly Hub. The "Transaction Refund" email requires an invoice and is therefore sent in combination wih the "Refund Invoice" email template, attached as a PDF.
It is sent to the customer for both full and partial refunds.
- Trigger: When a refund is manually processed.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
- Note: Sent together with the "Refund Invoice" email.
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Return Unpaid Product
The "Return unpaid product" is an email that is sent to tell the customer that they need to return the product because there is an issue with their payment method and the payments cannot be charged after multiple payment attempts.
- Trigger: After two full failed payment cycles.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Payment notifications
- Note: Configure payment retry logic in Settings > Recurring Payments > Payment Tries & Intervals.
Category: Subscriptions
Subscription - Activated
The "Subscription activated" is an email that is sent to the customer to inform the customer that a subscription has been created and has started for their order. It also informs the customer that a recurring payment schedule has started and the payment will be deducted on the next billing date.
- Trigger: On the subscription start date.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
- Note: Separate from Order Confirmation because fulfillment and start can be days/weeks apart.
Subscription - cancellation received
The "Subscription cancellation received" is an email that is sent to the customer to inform them that the request that they have made from the Customer Self Service portal to cancel the subscription has been received by you and is being processed.
- Trigger: When your customer makes a cancellation request from the Customer Self-Service Portal.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Subscription - Ended
The "Subscription has ended" is an email that is sent to the customer to inform them that their subscription has ended, the product has been received by you and the recurring payments will be stopped.
- Trigger: When the product is marked as returned.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Subscription - Ending soon reminder
The "Subscription almost over" is an email that is sent to the customer x days before the subscription end date. This email informs the customer that their subscription is about to end.
Note: You can define the value for x in the Settings.
Note: The email is not triggered if the "Notify if auto renew is active" setting is disabled
- Trigger: X days before the end date (customisable). This email is automatically triggered by the system based on the value in the "Days calculation before ending" setting.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
- Advanced Options:
- Email only sends if auto-renew is OFF.
- To send for short subscriptions (≤1 month), enable "Subscription is almost over for 1-month subscriptions".
- To send even if auto-renew is ON, enable "Subscription is almost over also if auto-renew is active".
Subscription - Pending Return
The "Subscription pending return" is an email that is sent to the customer to inform them the return request has been received.
This email is normally manually triggered but can also be automated.
The "Subscription pending return" email can also be used to inform the customer about the return procedure for the product.
- Trigger: When marked manually as "Pending Return" or when a customer cancels via the portal and auto-cancel is enabled.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Subscription - Reactivated
The "Subscription reactivated" is an email that is sent to the customer to inform the customer that their subscription has been reactivated.
- Trigger: When a circuly user manually reactivates a subscription from the circuly Hub by clicking on the Reactivate Subscription option.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Subscription - Return Reminder
The "Return Reminder" email is sent to the customer to remind the customer that they need to return their subscription product as their subscription has ended and is pending return.
- Trigger: Triggered by the circuly system when the product has not been returned by the customer within the “Return until period”. If the product is returned however, the email is not triggered.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Subscription - Return Unpaid Product
The "Return unpaid product" is an email that is sent to tell the customer that they need to return the product because there is an issue with their payment method and the payments cannot be charged after multiple payment attempts.
- Trigger: Triggered automatically by the circuly system when there has been “x” number of failed payment attempts already.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Subscription - Swap Pending Return
Sent automatically when a customer requests a swap or when a swap is initiated manually by a circuly user. This email refers to the original product that is being swapped and is awaiting return.
- Trigger: Sent automatically when a customer requests a swap or when a swap is initiated manually by a circuly user. This email refers to the original product that is being swapped and is awaiting return.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications
Category: Returns
Return Instruction
The "Return instruction" is an email template that is sent to the customer to inform them about how to return the subscription product.
- Trigger: Sent manually by support or automatically after a cancellation request from the Customer Portal.
- Settings: Settings > Emails > Subscription notifications > Return instructions
Other Emails
Refer a Friend
The "Refer a friend" is an email that is sent automatically when your customer use the Refer a friend feature in the Customer Self Service portal.
- Trigger: When an existing customer uses the refer-a-friend feature via the Customer Portal and sends referral codes.
- Settings: Not tied to the categories above but can be enabled in the Emails tab.
- Note: Email is sent to the referred person when email addresses are added in the referral input field.
How to enable email templates
- Go to Settings > Emails
- Select the relevant tab: Orders, Payments, Subscriptions, or Returns
- Enable the switches for the email types you wish to activate
How to edit email templates
Follow this guide to learn more about setting up email templates.
circuly’s transactional email system ensures customers are notified clearly and promptly at each step of their subscription journey. With full template customisation and precise triggers, you maintain control over your brand voice while meeting compliance standards like invoice formatting.