First company subscription records should show who contracted for the service, who controls administration and who reviews renewals. Check the arrangement when the company adopts its first paid business software. A subscription purchased by a founder may need clarification before it is treated as a company-held service.

Hands signing a document at an office desk
Illustrative photograph by Pavel Danilyuk.

Confirm the subscriber and billing identity

Keep the accepted order, provider details, plan and billing information. Compare the named customer with the intended company. Ask the provider how to correct or transfer the arrangement where needed; do not edit a supplier invoice yourself.

Give the accountant the invoice, payment evidence and subscription period. A company email address on a login does not by itself settle who incurred the cost or its accounting treatment.

Establish authorised administration

Record the company owner for the service and an appropriate backup. Use the provider’s supported administration controls and secure authentication arrangements. Keep recovery information in the company’s approved secure process rather than in a broadly shared spreadsheet.

Separate users who work in the software from administrators who can change billing, export data or cancel the service. Assign access according to actual responsibilities.

Example: the founder alone receives renewal notices

The company’s team uses the service, but renewal messages go only to the founder’s private inbox. Arrange an authorised company contact and a review owner. A calendar reminder should support the provider’s notice process rather than be the only record of the renewal.

Retain the operational handover

Keep the plan terms, renewal date, review owner and support route in a controlled index. Confirm what happens to company records if the subscription later ends. This first-provider checklist supports operational continuity without making assumptions about contract transfer rights or cancellation terms.

Related practical guidance

For the surrounding records and responsibilities, see maintaining statutory records, the company secretary role, company recordkeeping.

Official guidance: ACRA company guidance.

Help with your company records

For corporate secretarial and company administration support, contact Raffles Corporate Services at [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. Tell us which records or process need attention so we can discuss the relevant next steps.