Leaky Paywall Updates: October 2026

Here’s what went out from October through the first week of November, across the core plugin and fourteen add-ons. The biggest additions: trial reminder emails, a new way to choose how posts are locked, redesigned invoices, MultiPass level matching, and answers for AI assistants connected to your site.

Existing sites keep the restriction method they had (sites using the Server method will see their teaser change, see details below), and existing subscriptions on month-based delay trials keep their current dates. Here’s what’s new, the fixes worth knowing about, and what to update first.

What’s new?

Trial reminders, conversion tracking and multi-payment discounts (Trials 1.9.9, 1.10.0). A new Trial Ending Reminder Email under Leaky Paywall > Settings > Emails sends a set number of days (default 7) before a free trial, delay or introductory discount ends, with the date, the full price and a link to cancel. It’s off until you turn it on. A Trial Conversion card on your dashboard shows how many trials that ended in the selected period went on to pay the full price. Paid – Discount trials can now apply the discount to the first several payments, for example $7 a month for 3 months, then $20 a month.

A Restriction Method setting (Leaky Paywall 5.3.0). Under Leaky Paywall > Settings > Restrictions, choose Automatic, JavaScript or Server. Automatic restricts posts only paid levels can read on the server, so their full text never reaches the page source, and checks metered posts in the browser so the meter keeps working with page caching. New installs start on Automatic. Existing sites keep the method they had.

Redesigned invoices with tax and payment status (Invoices 1.4.0). Invoice links download the PDF in one click. The redesigned PDF has your logo, a status badge, an itemized table and totals, and shows subtotal, tax and Paid, Partially refunded or Refunded status. Billing details are saved with each invoice when it is first generated, so later profile changes no longer alter issued invoices. Purchase History now lists all transactions (previously capped at 5) and shows gifts the subscriber bought.

MultiPass level matching (MultiPass 1.2.3). A new “Match their level on the other site” option for Default Level for Incoming Users gives subscribers the same level they hold on the other site, kept up to date each time they log in. First and last names, password changes and email changes now carry over to your other MultiPass sites. A name already set on a site is never overwritten.

IPv6 support and a display message for IP exceptions (IP Exceptions 1.6.0). Allowed addresses now support IPv6, including single addresses, ranges and CIDR blocks. Each IP exception can have a Display Message, shown to readers from those addresses in a slim bar at the top of every page. Display messages can include links and basic formatting.

Answers for AI assistants connected to your site (Leaky Paywall 5.3.5). Leaky Paywall can now answer questions from AI assistants connected to your site through the WordPress Abilities API (WordPress 6.9 or later), such as “why can’t this reader see paid content?” and “what subscription levels do we sell?” It’s read-only and admin-only. Turn it on under Leaky Paywall > Settings > General > AI Assistants (off by default).

Which fixes should you know about?

Security: Stripe subscription signups no longer activate before the first payment is confirmed (Leaky Paywall 5.2.1), and a Stripe signup now gets access only once its own subscription is paid (Leaky Paywall 5.3.1). Recurring Stripe levels are always charged the level’s own price, so editing the registration form can no longer change the amount billed (Leaky Paywall 5.3.1). A free registration can no longer skip the reCAPTCHA check by sending a price with the form (Recaptcha 1.4.7). Visitors on IPv6 can no longer bypass the paywall when an active exception contains an IPv6 range (IP Exceptions 1.6.0). Subscribers can only generate invoices for their own transactions (Invoices 1.4.0).
Checkout errors: Authorize.net recurring signups no longer fail with an “Amount is invalid” error (Coupons 2.4.11). A declined card on a recurring level no longer causes a critical error at checkout, and the reader now sees why the payment failed (Authorize.net 1.3.5). Stripe signups no longer get stuck on “Processing” after clicking Next when the Billing Address option is turned on (Leaky Paywall 5.3.4). When a reader’s browser blocks the Stripe payment form, the registration form now explains the problem instead of leaving a Next button that does nothing (Leaky Paywall 5.3.5).
Wrong charges or lost access: Readers who choose their own amount on a recurring level are now billed that amount, instead of the level’s full price (Name Your Price 1.2.3). A partial refund in Stripe no longer removes a subscriber’s access, and only a full refund ends access (Leaky Paywall 5.3.4). A Stripe subscriber who is refunded now stays deactivated, instead of getting access back the next time they or an admin open their account (Leaky Paywall 5.3.1). Subscribers who already have an account are no longer set back to pending when they upgrade or switch to a level with double opt-in enabled (Double Opt In 1.5.2). Orders sent to SFS Data now carry the amount the reader actually paid instead of the level’s regular price (SFS Data 1.2.1).

What should you update first?

Leaky Paywall 5.3.5. Security fixes in 5.2.1 and 5.3.1 stop Stripe signups from getting access before their payment is confirmed, and stop anyone from changing the amount billed on a recurring level. 5.3.5 is the latest release.
Coupons 2.4.11. Core 5.3.1 needs Coupons 2.4.10 or later to keep a forever coupon when a subscriber switches plans, and 2.4.11 also fixes an “Amount is invalid” error on Authorize.net recurring signups.
Name Your Price 1.2.3, if you use it on a recurring level. Core 5.3.1 needs it to bill the amount the reader chose.

One setting to check: 5.3.0 removes Custom Excerpt Length, so sites using the Server method will see their teaser change. Check a restricted post after updating and adjust Lead In Elements if needed.

Every update at a glance

Leaky Paywall 5.2.1 and 5.3.1: Stripe security and payment fixes. Read the 5.2.1 and 5.3.1 rundowns.
Leaky Paywall 5.3.0: Restriction Method setting, excerpts instead of full text for restricted posts in RSS feeds, and fixes for checkout, page caching and the registration wall.
Leaky Paywall 5.3.4: Partial refunds no longer remove access, Billing Address signups no longer get stuck on “Processing,” and a delayed trial with a setup fee stays on trial until it converts.
Leaky Paywall 5.3.5: Answers for connected AI assistants, a clear message when a browser blocks the Stripe payment form, and reading subscribers through the REST API no longer changes their status.
Ad Dropper 2.0: Impressions are counted in the browser only for ads that are displayed (bots filtered out), every click is recorded through a secure redirect, and scheduled ads, device targeting, and third-party tracking tags are supported. See the full release.
Authorize.net 1.3.5: A declined card on a recurring level no longer causes a critical error at checkout, and the card authorization hold is released when the subscription can’t be created.
Basic Shipping 1.9.3: Shipping fields use the same layout and styling as the other Leaky Paywall fields and follow the CSS Style setting.
Coupons 2.4.10 and 2.4.11: A 100% off coupon completes as a free signup on Stripe Checkout and multi-gateway sites, and Authorize.net recurring signups no longer fail with an “Amount is invalid” error.
Double Opt In 1.5.2: Existing subscribers are no longer set back to pending when they upgrade or switch to a level with double opt-in enabled.
Gift Subscriptions 3.3.2 and 3.3.3: The gift checkout form matches the Leaky Paywall registration form, and several gift coupon issues are fixed.
Invoices 1.4.0: Redesigned invoice PDF with subtotal, tax, payment status and one-click download.
IP Exceptions 1.6.0: IPv6 support, a Display Message for each exception, and all active exceptions now grant access instead of only the 5 most recently added.
MultiPass 1.2.3 to 1.2.6: Names, password and email changes, and levels carry over to your other MultiPass sites, and readers who stay logged in have their MultiPass subscription checked again every 12 hours.
Name Your Price 1.2.3: Readers who choose their own amount on a recurring level are billed that amount, and a site whose only paid offering is Name Your Price now offers free readers an upgrade.
Recaptcha 1.4.7: Signups with a 100% off coupon and slow signups no longer fail verification, and a free registration can no longer skip the check.
Recurring Payments 1.6.6: Readers on Stripe Connect sites can update their card from the account page, and Manual-gateway subscribers with a Stripe subscription can cancel from the account page.
SFS Data 1.2.1: Orders carry the amount the reader actually paid, and failed transactions are recorded with the reason. It also has a new download page.
Trials 1.9.9 and 1.10.0: A Trial Ending Reminder Email, a Trial Conversion card on your dashboard, and Paid – Discount trials that can apply the discount to the first several payments.