Reactivation (Win-back)
Reactivation is recurring revenue from customers who churned and then subscribed again. It is its own line in MRR movements.
Updated October 1, 2026
Reactivation (win-back) is the recurring revenue you regain when a customer who fully canceled subscribes again. It is the reverse of churn. MRR reports usually list it on its own line, apart from new and expansion revenue, because the customer is not new.
How reactivation is measured
Reactivation MRR is the monthly value of subscriptions from customers who were active, churned, and came back during the period.
Reactivation MRR = sum of monthly MRR from returning, previously churned customers in the period
If three customers who canceled months ago each resubscribe to a $24/month plan, reactivation MRR for the period is $72. It is a positive MRR movement, tracked apart from new customers so new-customer numbers stay accurate.
Why it matters
- A former customer already knows the product, so win-back campaigns often cost less per conversion than cold outreach.
- High reactivation suggests some churn was temporary, such as a paused project or a budget freeze.
- Keeping reactivation apart from new revenue stops returning accounts from inflating cohort analysis and acquisition metrics.
Driving reactivation
Follow up soon after a customer returns. A new subscription in Stripe fires a subscription-created event. ChargeBell posts it to Slack with the MRR added, so your team sees the comeback when it happens.