ramilbatoy

Hi @jvandeven

To start narrowing this down, could you please confirm the following?

1. Are the affected users marked as “Active”?
   In WP Admin > Restrict > Memberships > Edit Member, please check:
   • The user’s Status is set to Active (not Pending, Expired, or Cancelled).
   • The correct Membership Level is assigned (Bunurong man / Bunurong woman / General restricted access).

Since changing the user role to Administrator resolves the issue, that strongly suggests this is related to membership status or restriction configuration rather than a browser issue.

2. Content Restriction Settings
   On the restricted page:
   • Edit the page.
   • Scroll to the Restrict This Content box.
   • Confirm it is restricted by the correct Membership Level
   • Make sure the correct membership levels are selected.
3. Cache / Plugin Conflict Test
   If everything above looks correct:
   • Clear any caching plugin/server cache.
   • Temporarily deactivate all plugins except Restrict Content and test again.
   • Switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) and test.

Since multiple users are affected and you can replicate it, this is very likely either:

• A membership not truly being marked Active
• A plugin/theme conflict
• Or caching serving the restricted version incorrectly

Best regards,

Hi @askwpgirl

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

Our development team is aware of this behavior and is actively investigating it. We’ve seen this occur in certain environments depending on how outgoing server requests are evaluated and handled.

Since you already have an active support ticket open with us, we’ll continue providing more detailed troubleshooting and updates via that ticket to keep everything consolidated. If there are broader updates or a general fix released, we’ll be sure to share that information here as well.

In the meantime, manually entering the Stripe Publishable and Secret keys (as outlined in the email) is a temporary workaround.

We appreciate you taking the time to outline potential solutions.

Best regards,
Ramil

Hi @3cstudio

I’m sorry for the mixed messaging this caused. To clarify: while the Free version does include some basic membership emails (such as new user and activation emails), expiration and renewal reminder emails are only available in Restrict Content Pro. Those specific reminders aren’t supported in the Free version, which is why no “expired” or renewal notices were sent to your members.

Once Pro is installed, renewal and expiration emails can be configured under Restrict > Settings > Emails. This guide walks through how they work in detail:
https://restrictcontentpro.com/knowledgebase/expiration-and-renewal-reminders/

I completely understand how disappointing this is, especially given the expectations set earlier. I’ll be passing your feedback to the team so the comparison chart can be made clearer and prevent others from running into the same issue.

Best regards,
Ramil

• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by ramilbatoy.

Hi @3cstudio

Thanks for the detailed note and for explaining the situation.

Free vs Pro Functionality
The Free version of Restrict Content supports only very basic membership emails (like New User Notification, Paid Membership Activation). Features such as reminders for upcoming membership expirations or recurring payment reminders are only available in the Pro version. Free doesn’t automatically send renewal emails or track upcoming expirations.

Emails Tab in Free Version
The checkboxes you see under Emails (“Disable for Member/Admin”) control the limited set of emails that Free supports. They do not add renewal or expiration alerts, which is why leaving them unchecked does not trigger the emails you were expecting.

If automated renewal alerts and member notifications are essential, you may check the Pro version. You may test the demo site here. Alternatively, custom development or third-party plugins could provide similar alerts, but these would require additional setup.

Best regards,

Hi @rbdev

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns, I completely understand how frustrating this situation can be. I also appreciate you letting us know that your client is a non-profit; I understand budget constraints are a real consideration here.

To set proper expectations, the free version of Restrict Content does not include built-in subscription renewal reminders or automated reporting for upcoming renewals. These features are part of Restrict Content Pro, where reminder emails and member expiration tools are handled automatically. You can find more details on the differences here:
https://restrictcontentpro.com/why-go-pro/

That said, you can explore a custom code as a workaround. Although the following example is intended for Restrict Content Pro, you may still find it useful as a reference or starting point if you’re comfortable working with code or have access to a developer:
https://github.com/restrictcontentpro/library/blob/master/rcp-expiration-reminders-active-only.php

This snippet demonstrates how expiration reminders can be sent only to “active” members. With some adjustments, parts of this logic may be adaptable for your use case, depending on how subscriptions are handled on your site.

Hope that helps. Best regards,

Hi @naomispirit

Thanks for reaching out and sharing these details!

I’d like to gather a bit more information so we can identify why the Instant Payment Notifications (IPN) aren’t being received.

1. PayPal Version
   Could you please confirm what version or type of PayPal integration you’re using (for example, PayPal Standard, PayPal Express, or another method)?
2. Plugin Version
   Please also confirm whether you’re using the Restrict Content (free) version or Restrict Content Pro.
   The free core version only supports Stripe and Manual Payments as payment gateways.
   PayPal integration is only available in Restrict Content Pro. You can see a comparison here: Why Go Pro.

3. Third-Party Plugin Check
   If you’re using a third-party plugin to handle PayPal payments.

If you do have Restrict Content Pro installed, I recommend opening a support ticket through your account’s Restrict Content Pro support portal. Our Pro team can then review your setup in detail, including logs and IPN handling on your site, to determine what’s preventing the notifications from being processed.

Once you confirm the above, we can help guide the next troubleshooting steps more accurately.

Best regards,

Hi @rococodigital

Apologies for the delayed response.

The error message:
cURL error 60: SSL certificate problem: self signed certificate
indicates that your site’s SSL certificate isn’t being recognized as valid by Stripe’s API. This usually means your web server is using a self-signed or improperly configured SSL certificate, which prevents secure communication between your site and Stripe.

Could you please confirm the following so we can narrow it down:

1. Sandbox Mode Test:
   Try connecting your Stripe account in Sandbox (test) mode under Restrict Content → Settings → Payments → Stripe.
   • If the connection works in Sandbox mode, the issue is likely with your live site’s SSL configuration.
   • If it still fails, it may be a local cURL or PHP configuration issue on your hosting server.
2. SSL Certificate Validation:
   • Visit your website using https:// and check for any SSL warnings in your browser.
   • If the certificate shows as self-signed or incomplete, please contact your hosting provider.

So far, we haven’t received other reports of this issue, so it appears to be specific to your site’s server configuration rather than the Restrict Content plugin itself.

Once you’ve verified your SSL setup or tested Sandbox mode, please let me know what you find.

Best,
Ramil