You build a WordPress site for a client. They love it. You hand it over. Six months later, they call in a panic, the site is broken, plugins haven’t been updated, and there’s a security warning from their host. Sound familiar?
Most WordPress agencies and freelancers know they should offer ongoing maintenance, but packaging and selling care plans is harder than it sounds. You need to define service tiers, manage client expectations, track what work has been done, and bill consistently. Without a system, maintenance becomes ad-hoc, underbilled, and unsustainable.
WordPress Care Plans is a WooCommerce-based plugin that lets you create, sell, and manage WordPress maintenance packages directly from your website. Clients purchase a care plan, you deliver the services, and everything is tracked in one place.
What Is WordPress Care Plans?
WordPress Care Plans is a premium plugin that turns your WooCommerce store into a maintenance service platform. You create care plan products with defined services, clients subscribe, and the plugin manages the ongoing relationship, service tracking, client dashboards, and automated billing.
Here’s what the plugin provides:
- Care plan products, Create WooCommerce subscription products that represent different maintenance tiers (Basic, Standard, Premium)
- Service tracking, Log every maintenance task performed for each client, creating a transparent record of work done
- Client dashboard, Clients see their active plan, services included, completed tasks, and upcoming maintenance in a dedicated portal
- Automated billing, Monthly or annual recurring payments through WooCommerce Subscriptions integration
- Reports, Generate maintenance reports showing clients exactly what was done during each billing period
The result is a professional maintenance service that runs like a product business, not a chaotic pile of one-off invoices and scattered email threads.
Key Features
Tiered Care Plan Products
Create multiple care plan tiers as WooCommerce products. A typical setup might include:
- Basic ($49/month), Core updates, daily backups, uptime monitoring, monthly security scan
- Standard ($99/month), Everything in Basic plus plugin/theme updates, performance monitoring, monthly report, 30 minutes of edits
- Premium ($199/month), Everything in Standard plus priority support, weekly reports, 2 hours of development time, SEO monitoring
Each tier clearly defines what’s included, making it easy for clients to choose the right level. The plugin displays these as purchasable subscription products on your site.
Service Task Logging
Every maintenance task you perform is logged against the client’s plan. Updated WordPress core? Log it. Ran a security scan? Log it. Fixed a broken contact form? Log it. This creates a detailed record that proves the value of the care plan and protects you if a client ever questions what they’re paying for.
Client Dashboard
Each client gets a dashboard showing their active care plan, what services are included, and a timeline of completed maintenance tasks. They can see at a glance that their site is being actively maintained. This transparency builds trust and reduces “what am I paying for?” conversations.
Maintenance Reports
Generate professional maintenance reports for each billing period. Reports summarize all tasks performed, include before/after metrics (uptime, page speed, security status), and list any issues found and resolved. Send these automatically or on-demand. Reports are your best retention tool, they show clients tangible value every month.
WooCommerce Subscriptions Integration
Care plans are sold as recurring subscriptions through WooCommerce. Clients sign up, their payment method is charged monthly or annually, and the subscription manages itself. You get predictable recurring revenue. Clients get hassle-free billing with no manual invoicing.
Service Catalog
Define a catalog of maintenance services (core updates, backup management, security scanning, performance optimization, content edits, etc.) and assign them to care plan tiers. When you log a task, you select from the catalog, ensuring consistent naming and easy reporting across all clients.
White-Label Ready
The client-facing elements, dashboard, reports, emails, can be branded with your agency’s name and logo. The plugin doesn’t expose “WordPress Care Plans” or “Wbcom Designs” to your clients. It looks like your own custom maintenance platform.
Who Should Use WordPress Care Plans?
WordPress Agencies
Agencies that build WordPress sites for clients are the primary audience. After launching a site, offering a care plan converts a one-time project into ongoing recurring revenue. The plugin gives agencies the infrastructure to manage dozens or hundreds of care plan clients without drowning in spreadsheets.
Freelance Developers
Solo freelancers can use care plans to build predictable monthly income alongside project work. Even managing 10-20 care plan clients at $99/month adds $12,000-$24,000 in annual recurring revenue. The plugin’s tracking and reporting make it manageable as a one-person operation.
Managed WordPress Hosts
Hosting companies that want to add managed maintenance services on top of hosting can use the plugin to package and sell those services. Clients already paying for hosting are natural candidates for maintenance plans.
Digital Marketing Agencies
Marketing agencies that manage client websites as part of their service can formalize their maintenance work into a billable care plan. Instead of absorbing maintenance costs into marketing retainers, the care plan becomes a separate, visible service line.
IT Support Companies
IT companies that manage WordPress sites as part of broader IT support can use care plans to structure and bill for website-specific maintenance separately from their general IT services.
The Real Value of Care Plans
Care plans aren’t just about keeping things running, they deliver essential services that clients genuinely need but rarely handle on their own:
- Regular security checks. WordPress sites are targeted constantly. Automated security scans, malware monitoring, and firewall reviews catch vulnerabilities before they become breaches. Most clients never run a security scan until it’s too late.
- Plugin and core updates. Outdated WordPress core, plugins, and themes are the number one attack vector. Regular updates with compatibility testing keep sites secure and functional. The key word is testing, applying updates without checking for breakage is worse than not updating at all.
- Post-update testing. Every update can introduce conflicts. Care plans should include visual regression checks, form testing, checkout flow verification, and functionality spot-checks after every update cycle. This is the service most DIY site owners skip entirely.
- Automated and manual backups. Daily automated backups with off-site storage, plus manual backups before any major change. When something goes wrong, a recent backup is the difference between a 10-minute recovery and a catastrophic data loss.
- Performance monitoring. Page speed degrades over time as content grows and plugins accumulate. Regular performance audits and optimization keep the site fast, which directly affects SEO rankings and conversion rates.
These aren’t optional extras, they’re the baseline of responsible WordPress management. Packaging them into a care plan means clients get protected and you get paid fairly for essential work.
How to Price WordPress Care Plans
Pricing care plans correctly is critical. Too low and it’s not worth your time. Too high and clients won’t buy. Here’s a framework:
- Calculate your time cost. Estimate how many hours each tier requires per month. Basic maintenance (updates, backups, monitoring) typically takes 30-60 minutes per site. Add time for reports, communication, and any included development hours.
- Set a minimum viable price. Your hourly rate times estimated monthly hours gives you a floor price. Add 30-50% margin for overhead, tools, and profit.
- Research your market. Most WordPress care plans range from $49-$299/month depending on what’s included. Enterprise or complex sites can justify $500+/month.
- Offer annual discounts. Offer 10-20% off for annual prepayment. This improves cash flow and reduces churn, clients who pay annually are far less likely to cancel mid-year.
How to Set Up WordPress Care Plans
Step 1: Install Prerequisites
You need WooCommerce and WooCommerce Subscriptions (for recurring billing). Install both and configure your payment gateway with subscription support (Stripe is recommended for the smoothest subscription experience).
Step 2: Install WordPress Care Plans
Purchase WordPress Care Plans and install through your WordPress dashboard. Activate and navigate to the settings page to configure your service catalog, report templates, and client dashboard options.
Step 3: Define Your Service Catalog
Create the list of services you offer: WordPress core updates, plugin updates, theme updates, daily backups, security scanning, uptime monitoring, performance checks, content edits, and any other services specific to your business. These become the building blocks of your care plan tiers.
Step 4: Create Care Plan Products
Create WooCommerce subscription products for each tier. Use the care plan product type, assign services from your catalog to each tier, set the monthly or annual price, and write a clear description of what’s included. Add a comparison table to your pricing page so clients can easily choose.
Step 5: Set Up Your Sales Page
Create a dedicated care plans page on your site showcasing your tiers. Include the comparison table, testimonials from existing clients, and a clear explanation of why ongoing maintenance matters. Link to this page from your project completion emails and proposals.
Step 6: Onboard Your First Clients
Start with existing clients who already trust you. Offer their first month free or at a discount. Once they see the value through maintenance reports and a well-maintained site, they’ll understand what they’re paying for.
WordPress Care Plans vs. Other Approaches
Client self-serviceYes (dashboard)NoLimitedN/A
Automated billingYes (WooCommerce)Manual each monthSeparate billingN/A
Task trackingBuilt-inSpreadsheet/manualYesN/A
Client reportsAuto-generatedManual creationYesN/A
Tiered pricingWooCommerce productsCustom quotesPlatform pricingN/A
White-labelYesN/AVariesN/A
On your websiteYesSeparate toolExternal platformN/A
Monthly costOne-time purchaseFree (your time)$5-15/site/monthFree
The key advantage: everything lives on your website. Clients purchase care plans, view their dashboard, and see maintenance reports all in one place, your site. No external platforms, no separate logins, and no per-site monthly fees eating into your margins.
Tips for Selling Care Plans
- Pitch during the project, not after. Introduce care plans during the initial proposal or project kickoff. Clients are more receptive to maintenance when they’re investing in a new site than after they’ve already walked away.
- Show the cost of not maintaining. Frame care plans as insurance. A hacked site costs $500-$5,000+ to clean up. Regular maintenance costs a fraction of that and prevents the problem entirely.
- Send monthly reports religiously. The number one reason clients cancel care plans is they don’t see the value. Monthly reports showing every task performed, security threats blocked, and performance improvements make the value undeniable.
- Include a small amount of development time. Plans that include 30-60 minutes of monthly edits or fixes are significantly more valuable to clients than maintenance-only plans. This handles the “can you just change this one thing?” requests that otherwise go unbilled.
- Start every new project with a plan. Make the care plan part of your standard offering. Some agencies won’t launch a site without an active care plan, positioning it as essential for the site’s health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the plugin require WooCommerce Subscriptions?
For recurring billing, yes. WooCommerce Subscriptions handles the automated monthly/annual payments. Without it, you can still create care plan products but would need to handle billing manually or through another recurring payment solution.
Can I manage sites that aren’t on my server?
Yes. The plugin manages the business side of care plans, selling, tracking, and reporting. The actual maintenance work (updates, backups, etc.) is performed using your preferred tools (ManageWP, MainWP, or manual SSH access). The plugin logs what you did, regardless of how you did it.
Can clients cancel their own subscriptions?
This depends on your WooCommerce Subscriptions settings. You can allow self-service cancellation, require a cancellation request, or disable self-cancellation entirely. Most agencies prefer a cancellation request flow so they can attempt to retain the client.
Can I customize the maintenance reports?
Yes. Report templates are customizable, add your logo, adjust the layout, choose which metrics to include, and write custom summary text. You can also add screenshots or performance graphs to make reports more compelling.
Is the client dashboard mobile-friendly?
Yes. The client dashboard is fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Clients can check their maintenance status from any device.
THE %(site_name)s COMMUNITY
-
umkhaloodie
3864140 pt -
Ch
3396455 pt -
jesusmsanchezl
2453003 pt -
weddingblog2011
2205852 pt