Build a Streaming Service Billing Backend

Tables: subscription_plans (name, price, quality, concurrent_streams, paystack_plan_code), user_subscriptions (user_id, plan_id, status, paystack_subscription_code, current_period_start, current_period_end), content (title, min_plan_tier, video_url_sd, video_url_hd, video_url_4k).

var PLANS = {
  basic:    { tier: 1, quality: 'SD',  streams: 1, price: 120000 }, // NGN 1,200/month
  standard: { tier: 2, quality: 'HD',  streams: 2, price: 250000 }, // NGN 2,500/month
  premium:  { tier: 3, quality: '4K',  streams: 4, price: 450000 }, // NGN 4,500/month
};

async function subscribeUser(userId, userEmail, planName) {
  var plan = await db.subscriptionPlans.findByName(planName);

  var res = await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      email: userEmail, amount: plan.price, plan: plan.paystack_plan_code,
      metadata: { user_id: userId, plan_id: plan.id },
    }),
  });
  return (await res.json()).data.authorization_url;
}

// Content access gate
async function getStreamUrl(userId, contentId) {
  var sub = await db.userSubscriptions.findActiveByUser(userId);
  if (!sub) throw { status: 403, message: 'Subscribe to watch this content.' };

  var content = await db.content.findById(contentId);
  var userPlan = PLANS[sub.plan_name];

  if (userPlan.tier < content.min_plan_tier) {
    throw { status: 403, message: 'Upgrade to ' + content.required_plan + ' to watch this.' };
  }

  // Return appropriate quality URL based on plan
  if (userPlan.quality === '4K') return content.video_url_4k;
  if (userPlan.quality === 'HD') return content.video_url_hd;
  return content.video_url_sd;
}

if (event.event === 'subscription.create') {
  var meta = event.data.metadata;
  await db.userSubscriptions.upsert({
    user_id: meta.user_id,
    plan_id: meta.plan_id,
    paystack_subscription_code: event.data.subscription_code,
    status: 'active',
    current_period_end: new Date(event.data.next_payment_date),
  });
}

if (event.event === 'invoice.create' && event.data.status === 'success') {
  // Subscription renewed — extend period
  var code = event.data.subscription.subscription_code;
  await db.userSubscriptions.update({ code }, {
    status: 'active',
    current_period_end: new Date(event.data.next_payment_date),
  });
}

if (event.event === 'invoice.payment_failed') {
  // Grace period — do not cut access immediately
  var code = event.data.subscription.subscription_code;
  await db.userSubscriptions.update({ code }, { status: 'grace_period' });
  await sendPaymentFailedEmail(code);
}

if (event.event === 'subscription.not_renew' || event.event === 'subscription.disable') {
  var code = event.data.subscription_code;
  await db.userSubscriptions.update({ code }, { status: 'cancelled' });
  await sendCancelledEmail(code);
}

// Plan upgrade: cancel old, start new
async function upgradePlan(userId, userEmail, newPlanName) {
  var currentSub = await db.userSubscriptions.findActiveByUser(userId);
  if (currentSub) {
    // Disable old subscription
    await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/subscription/disable', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      body: JSON.stringify({ code: currentSub.paystack_subscription_code, token: userEmail }),
    });
  }
  return await subscribeUser(userId, userEmail, newPlanName);
}

See build a podcast membership platform for a simpler single-tier subscription access model.

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