SparkNotes Plus Bulk Subscriptions
Designed a new bulk subscription flow enabling customers to purchase SparkNotes Plus at scale
Impact
$13K
Increased subscription revenue
Streamlined
purchasing
Reduced
support overhead
Overview
Overview
SparkNotes PLUS is a subscription-based suite of premium tools designed to enhance the study of Literature and Shakespeare. Users can buy individual or bulk subscriptions at discounted rates, called group discounts. However, the existing process for purchasing discounted group subscriptions required contacting customer support: a time-consuming and manual process. My role was to streamline this process and create a seamless self-service experience for users.
Constraints
Understanding the challenges
Manual purchasing process. The original process was manual and lacked scalability. To streamline it, we implemented a self-service solution for group (bulk) discounts.
Stripe Checkout integration mid-project. Our current Stripe integration didn't allow for immediate tax calculation at purchase. While Stripe Checkout did calculate tax, it required splitting the checkout flow between SparkNotes and Stripe's website, adding complexity to the user experience.
FERPA compliance. To adhere to FERPA, group discount purchasers couldn't manage or view group members' personal information: group members are minors. This was necessary to avoid legal issues but constrained the management experience.
Three user types. Group discount purchasers, new SparkNotes PLUS users joining a group, and existing PLUS subscribers joining a group each had distinct needs and flows.
Design
Updating the sign up flow
Since Stripe required users to complete payment on their website, I added a "Group Discount" tab and shortened the checkout process. The SparkNotes-hosted steps captured account and group discount information. I included copy to make users aware the next step would take them to Stripe to pay: ensuring a seamless handoff between the two platforms to maintain trust and reduce friction.
The updated sign-up flow guides group organizers from account creation through Stripe payment in a clear, linear sequence.
Management
Creating a Manage Group Discount page
A new self-service management page in the user's My Account section allowed group organizers to view the total number of seats purchased, see how many had been redeemed, and access instructions to share seats without directly managing member information: ensuring FERPA compliance. To maintain privacy, member details were not displayed. Instead, members received unique codes to join the group. This design balanced functionality with legal requirements while providing organizers visibility into their subscription status.
The Manage Group page gives organizers seat visibility without exposing member personal data.
Member Flow
Designing the member joining flow
The joining flow was tailored for two user types: new and existing PLUS users. New users needed to create an account to activate their seat. After existing PLUS subscribers join the group, their existing subscription was extended an additional year. This ensured a seamless transition without disrupting their current benefits.
The join flow branches by user type so each path requires only the steps relevant to that user.
Impact
Impact and tradeoffs
Streamlined Purchasing. The new flow reduced the need for customer support intervention, saving time for both users and the SparkNotes team.
FERPA Compliance. The design maintained full compliance without compromising functionality, protecting user privacy while enabling group purchases.
The main tradeoffs: adhering to FERPA meant not allowing group purchasers to easily see and manage group members. For this initial phase, we also did not include the ability to renew or buy additional group discount seats. That was scoped for the next phase.
Update
Update and next steps
The current SparkNotes PLUS checkout flow has since been redesigned to live entirely on the SparkNotes site: removing the Stripe handoff that added friction in the original design.
Even though I didn't work on the most recent redesign, it's a needed evolution of the base my team and I built. If assigned back to this project, I'd focus on the details that make checkout feel effortless and increase conversion: clearer messaging, tracking customer dropoff at each step, and UI improvements for clarity.