diff --git a/app_users/signals.py b/app_users/signals.py
index bee42c391..1717f7392 100644
--- a/app_users/signals.py
+++ b/app_users/signals.py
@@ -1,54 +1,20 @@
-import stripe
 from loguru import logger
 from django.db.models.signals import post_save
 from django.dispatch import receiver
 
 from app_users.models import AppUserTransaction, PaymentProvider, TransactionReason
-from payments.plans import PricingPlan
-from payments.webhooks import set_user_subscription
+from app_users.tasks import after_stripe_addon
 
 
 @receiver(post_save, sender=AppUserTransaction)
-def after_stripe_addon(instance: AppUserTransaction, **kwargs):
+def transaction_post_save(instance: AppUserTransaction, **kwargs):
     if not (
         instance.payment_provider == PaymentProvider.STRIPE
         and instance.reason == TransactionReason.ADDON
     ):
         return
 
-    set_default_payment_method(instance)
-    set_free_subscription_on_user(instance)
-
-
-def set_default_payment_method(instance: AppUserTransaction):
-    # update customer's defualt payment method
-    # note... that if a customer has an active subscription, the payment method attached there will be preferred
-    # see `stripe_get_default_payment_method` in payments/models.py module
-    invoice = stripe.Invoice.retrieve(instance.invoice_id, expand=["payment_intent"])
-    if (
-        invoice.payment_intent
-        and invoice.payment_intent.status == "succeeded"
-        and invoice.payment_intent.payment_method
-    ):
-        logger.info(
-            f"Updating default payment method for customer {invoice.customer} to {invoice.payment_intent.payment_method}"
-        )
-        stripe.Customer.modify(
-            invoice.customer,
-            invoice_settings={
-                "default_payment_method": invoice.payment_intent.payment_method
-            },
-        )
-
-
-def set_free_subscription_on_user(instance: AppUserTransaction):
-    user = instance.user
-    if user.subscription:
-        return
-
-    set_user_subscription(
-        provider=PaymentProvider.STRIPE,
-        plan=PricingPlan.STARTER,
-        uid=user.uid,
-        external_id=None,
-    )
+    try:
+        after_stripe_addon.delay(instance.pk)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.exception(e)
diff --git a/app_users/tasks.py b/app_users/tasks.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2db46ae1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app_users/tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import stripe
+from loguru import logger
+
+from app_users.models import AppUserTransaction
+from celeryapp.celeryconfig import app
+from payments.webhooks import set_free_subscription_for_user
+
+
+@app.task
+def after_stripe_addon(txn_id: int):
+    txn = AppUserTransaction.objects.get(id=txn_id)
+
+    default_pm = stripe_set_default_payment_method(txn)
+    if default_pm and not txn.user.subscription:
+        # user is not on an existing subscription... add one so that user can configure auto recharge
+        subscription = set_free_subscription_for_user(uid=txn.user.uid)
+        if (
+            subscription.auto_recharge_enabled
+            and not subscription.monthly_spending_budget
+        ):
+            subscription.monthly_spending_budget = int(3 * txn.charged_amount / 100)
+            subscription.monthly_spending_notification_threshold = int(
+                0.8 * subscription.monthly_spending_budget
+            )
+            subscription.save(
+                update_fields=[
+                    "monthly_spending_budget",
+                    "monthly_spending_notification_threshold",
+                ]
+            )
+
+
+def stripe_set_default_payment_method(
+    instance: AppUserTransaction,
+) -> stripe.PaymentMethod | None:
+    # update customer's defualt payment method
+    # note... that if a customer has an active subscription, the payment method attached there will be preferred
+    # see `stripe_get_default_payment_method` in payments/models.py module
+    invoice = stripe.Invoice.retrieve(
+        instance.invoice_id, expand=["payment_intent", "payment_intent.payment_method"]
+    )
+    if (
+        invoice.payment_intent
+        and invoice.payment_intent.status == "succeeded"
+        and invoice.payment_intent.payment_method
+    ):
+        if not invoice.payment_intent.payment_method.customer:
+            logger.info(
+                "Can't save payment method because it's not attached to a customer"
+            )
+            return
+
+        logger.info(
+            f"Updating default payment method for customer {invoice.customer} to {invoice.payment_intent.payment_method}"
+        )
+        stripe.Customer.modify(
+            invoice.customer,
+            invoice_settings={
+                "default_payment_method": invoice.payment_intent.payment_method
+            },
+        )
+        return invoice.payment_intent.payment_method