We use Zuora for its subscription-based model and billing system. 

Regardless of the business type, if a company wants to run on a subscription-based model, we support them using this tool.

The best feature is product configuration. The automation is also fantastic—it handles everything from customer account creation to payment collection, all without any manual work. In addition, I can say that it is very efficient in pricing. It works effectively in pricing efficiency, especially in calibration. There won't be even a 0.1% difference.

The main area where issues can arise is third-party integrations, particularly payment gateways. Some clients use third-party payment gateways, and problems can occur during these integrations. In my experience with my last two projects, I didn't encounter such issues. However, in my earlier support role, I noticed that some customers faced challenges when using external payment gateways. Specifically, payments were being received but not connecting to the customer accounts.

I have been using the solution for the past two years.

The solution is stable. I’ve not encountered any bugs.

The product is scalable. The number of users depends on the size of the project and the extent of integrations involved. It also depends on the level of support required and the number of developers available. For each project or client, the number of users can range from seven to eight or even 10 to 12. Typically, it falls between eight to 12 users.

If you're an experienced Azure developer with good hands-on skills, the initial setup is a straightforward and simple task.

I recommend introducing Zuora into your work culture. It's a good solution that helps ensure you don't lose revenue. You can recognize all revenue accurately, including revenue recognition and financial production checks. It helps you understand how many appropriate resources you have.

If you’re using it for the first time, it's simple and straightforward to learn. There's not much complexity to it. But, you need to be willing to learn. You don't even need high-level coding skills, although having them would be beneficial. 

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

We use Zuora primarily for finance-related tasks. Once a customer onboards and starts using our products, such as Twilio, SendGrid, or other offerings within Twilio, their details are entered into Zuora and Salesforce. This includes customer information, account status, and usage data. We track details like when they started using our products, company information, and the number of users. 

After this initial phase, account managers engage with the customer to discuss potential upgrades or expansions. If they decide to proceed, we negotiate agreements and handle billing details in Zuora, including premiums, discounts, and agent counts. This comprehensive process ensures that all billing aspects are managed end-to-end within Zuora, facilitating collections as well. For instance, automated emails are triggered through Azure when invoices are due, and once payments are made, Zuora is updated accordingly. This integrated approach streamlines our billing processes and supports effective financial management.

Zuora is user-friendly; anyone can learn it quickly. It is feasible and friendly in many aspects, but the navigation is a bit difficult compared to Zoho. Additionally, Azure allows you to download multiple data in a single location, whereas in Zuora, various features are scattered across the platform, making it challenging to access certain parts.

Unlike Zoho, the main page doesn't contain everything. You have to click a button to reveal multiple options; even within those, there are further layers of options to navigate through. 

Unlike Zoho, there's no straightforward search option to find what you need in Zuora quickly. Apart from the customer search button, there are limited settings changes available. In contrast, Zuora offers comprehensive options; you can easily find what you want using the search function. Additionally, Zuora employs symbols for easy identification and remembrance, making navigation more intuitive than Zoho, where everything is written out, potentially leading to confusion. This difference in approach makes the feature set of Zuora stand out from Zoho.

I have been using Zuora for two years.

The solution's stability is good. However, downloading large amounts of data takes a lot of time. If you have hundreds of records, it is difficult to download them all at once. Comprehensive training would be very helpful. Additionally, providing videos that cover all the hidden features would be beneficial for using Azure effectively.

Five to six people are using this solution.

I have chatted with them multiple times to understand what certain features do, what the users can do, and what we can do. We encountered some technical glitches from our side.

Zuora did not provide training to multiple companies. Its training module is limited, with only a few videos explaining the product's features and hidden functionalities. Unlike Chargebee, which provides an updated review of features, Zuora updates do not allow reverting to older versions. This issue with APIs exists in Zuora but not in Chargebee, where you can revert to older versions if needed. Additionally, customization options in Zuora are lacking compared to other platforms.

Zuora offers a variety of pricing options based on the features. They have a robust product with many features, and the cost depends on which features you choose to utilize. Discounts are also available. Zuora's product is highly recommended, but to fully understand how it works, it is advisable to explore its features or schedule a call with them to learn about the entire end-to-end process.

You can use Zuora. It is a very good product. I suggest you also try other products because some might suit your needs. For instance, Oracle offers a complete package with billing and other features, which you may find beneficial.

I felt comfortable using Chargebee instead of Zuora, but Zuora is still a solid option. Integrating with Power BI and various CRMs, including XML CRM, made it more accessible. However, when using Oracle products like NetSuite or Oracle Fusion, you can handle end-to-end processes, including accounts receivable/accounts payable, internal sales commissions, banking, and energy cancellations.

Zuora can handle many of these tasks. It depends on your specific needs, how you plan to use it, and the cost structure. You might also consider whether you need a separate billing tool or if you want to integrate QuickBooks or NetSuite.

Zuora is easy to use, and you can quickly learn the basics. However, mastering more advanced features and gaining deep expertise takes time and effort. Even someone without prior billing knowledge can learn to use Zuora from scratch.

Zuora is a comprehensive product with multiple features that stand out from competitors. It simplifies the billing process, collections, and email management. Unlike some products that require separate purchases for different components, Zuora allows you to add features to a single product, enabling you to perform multiple tasks seamlessly. It integrates easily with Yara Atlas for end-to-end accounting and works well with QuickBooks, NetSuite, Oracle, and SAP. The cost structure is minimal and offers flexibility in billing and agreement modifications. You can automate processes using DocuSign, making it a good product overall. 

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Companies mostly use Zuora to manage their products using a subscription-based business model. They use it to maintain a customer database, saving all customer information on Zuora’s platform. Importantly, the solution handles recurring invoicing, usually monthly, based on the company's product catalog. In some cases, such as telecommunications, pricing is based on user usage. It offers tools to meet the needs of these customers programmatically.

The tool's most valuable aspect is its evolution. When I first worked on it, it was a simple platform that handled accounts and basic invoicing. Over the years, I've seen many changes that have enabled it to support complex projects. The help desk now provides solutions for these projects, which wasn't initially possible. The most important thing about Zuora is its ability to handle complexity through workflows, essentially automating the invoicing process.

We are in constant communication with the support team. Whenever an issue arises, we text them and usually find a good solution. For example, last week, we had an issue with encoding because one of our customers from Bulgaria used a different encoding than usual. The platform couldn't handle it, but we contacted the support team, and within a few days, they provided a workaround. Importantly, they also informed us that the next version, coming in a few months, will include a solution for this issue so that we won't need the workaround anymore.

I have been working with the product for three years. 

In terms of stability, I wouldn't say I encounter bugs often. Very rarely, maybe once every two months, the platform might be slow for a day or two. We usually receive notifications about these issues, which seem to stem from connectivity errors or similar issues.

The solution provides settings that allow you to add users and work to the platform. We often add technical people from the customer's side to give them an overview of the platform that fits their needs. Zuora has a role system where I can be an admin for different divisions, like reporting, invoicing, or customer overview. When adding a user from the customer side, I can assign them a standard user role with limited permissions. For example, they might be able to read data but not delete it. The scalability is excellent, especially due to this configurable role model. My company has 15-20 users. 

During the project's first year, we didn't have the deployment manager tool they introduced later. Back then, deploying was tricky, and we relied on an external tool. However, about two years ago, they significantly improved the deployment manager tool. Now, the entire deployment process has become much easier and notably faster.Approximately every two months, the tool updates the platform and incorporates all the changes it has made.

The solution is worth the money. Even though I'm not entirely sure about the exact cost of Zuora, it has proven effective for big companies with many customers. We've experienced very few issues, and any that did arise were quickly fixed by the support team without causing significant problems like losing money or data. I would strongly recommend it.

If your project involves subscriptions, I would definitely recommend Zuora. We have used Salesforce in the past, but its subscription features are not very advanced right now. Although Salesforce plans to improve in the future, it cannot compete with Zuora's complexity and capabilities. So, for subscription-related projects, Zuora is the better choice.

Before starting the tool, you'll need to take some initial steps. First, contact someone from the company to understand your project's specific needs. They will provide you with information on the necessary contracts and any required certifications. For instance, if you don't need analytics for your project, you won't need to purchase the analytics package.

Everything in the technical industry can be time-consuming, especially since Zuora has many smaller tools. However, it offers an online academy that is a great starting point. It includes videos, technical examples, and written theory. If you want, you can also earn certificates on the platform. This process opened my eyes to the possibilities and capabilities of the solution. It wasn't overly time-consuming for me; it took about two months. 

I would rate it an eight out of ten as a subscription system tool. Overall, I'm very satisfied working with it, especially because whenever we encounter issues, the support team is quick to help, and we manage to overcome them. The platform is user-friendly and relatively easy to use, not as complex as other large tools like Salesforce.