Set Up Subscriptions On Shopify In 3 Minutes

Have you ever wished your customers would keep coming back for more? Shopify subscriptions could be the perfect solution! By offering recurring purchases for your products, you can create a steady stream of revenue and build a loyal customer base.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up subscriptions on Shopify in just three minutes. You can provide your customers with the convenience of subscriptions, making their shopping experience smoother and more enjoyable. Let’s dive in and get started!

Introduction to Subscriptions on Shopify

Subscriptions on Shopify let you offer products or services regularly, with automatic billing and delivery. This is ideal for businesses selling products that require regular replenishment (like coffee beans or supplements) or those offering memberships or curated boxes.

Eligibility Requirements for Setting Up Subscriptions

Before you add subscriptions to your Shopify store, you need to keep a few important things in mind. These make sure that third-party apps work well with your site and that your buyers have a smooth experience:

Payment Gateway Compatibility:

If you want to offer subscriptions, your store must use one of the following payment gateways:

• Shopify Payments
• PayPal Express
• Authorize.net
• Adyen on Shopify
• Stripe (available to select merchants only)

Options for Faster Checkout:

• Customers can also buy subscriptions using faster checkout methods, such as PayPal, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• You can’t use local payment methods like Klarna, mollie iDEAL, or Sofort for monthly sales.

Delivery Options: Shopify subscriptions support various delivery options, including shipping, local delivery, and in-store pickup.

Sales Channels for Subscription Products: Subscription products can only be supported through Shopify’s Online Store and Custom Storefront sales channels.

Subscription Product Limitations: Subscriptions can’t be sold as part of product bundles.

Top 5 Shopify Subscriptions App

1, Subify Subscriptions

Subify Subscriptions is a user-friendly app for Shopify stores that manages automatic subscriptions and recurring payments. This app allows businesses to offer products and services regularly, helping to convert first-time customers into loyal subscribers. The app supports various subscription models, including subscribe-and-save, membership plans, and subscription boxes.

Rating: 4.9/5

Price plan:

• Free Plan
• Essential Plan: $9 per month + 2.5% + 19¢ per transaction on subscription orders.
• Growth Plan: $39 per month + 1% + 19¢ per transaction on subscription orders.
• Subify Plan: $79 per month + 1% + 9¢ per transaction on subscription orders.

Main features:

• Flexible Subscription Models: It supports various subscription types, such as curated subscriptions, replenishment subscriptions, access subscriptions, memberships, and more.
• Customizable Widgets: Offers multiple widget templates that can be easily integrated into your store.
• Customer Portal: Allows customers to manage subscriptions, including options to skip, pause, or cancel.
• Seamless Integration: Integrates with Shopify Flow, Checkout, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and other popular tools.

2, Appstle Subscriptions App

Appstle Subscriptions offers tools for setting up and managing subscriptions, including features like build-a-box, churn control, and customer loyalty programs. The app aims to provide a seamless subscription experience for both stores and customers, enhancing customer retention and lifetime value.

Rating: 4.9/5

Price plan:

• Free Plan
• Starter Plan: $10 per month or $96 per year.
• Business Plan: $30 per month or $288 per year.
• Business Premium Plan: $100 per month or $960 per year.

Main features:

• Build-a-Box: Allows customers to create subscription boxes, enhancing personalization and engagement.

• Seamless Integration: Works with Shopify Checkout, Zapier, Klaviyo, Growave, Gorgias, Transcy, PageFly, and other popular tools.

• Loyalty and Retention Tools: Offers features like tiered discounts, custom shipping, gifts, and more to enhance customer loyalty.

3, Seal Subscriptions App

Seal Subscriptions helps Shopify store owners manage and grow their subscription-based businesses. This app lets you easily set up and manage recurring payments, offering your customers a seamless subscription experience. It benefits companies looking to increase customer retention and generate recurring revenue.

Rating: 4.9/5

Price plan:

• Free Plan: Includes up to 150 subscriptions with no transaction fees.
• Supersale Plan: $4.95/month or $41.58/year (30% savings) for up to 750 subscriptions.
• Rising Star Plan: $7.95/month or $66.78/year (30% savings) for up to 1,500 subscriptions.
• Legend Plan: $19.95/month or $167.58/year (30% savings) for up to 15,000 subscriptions.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for businesses with more significant needs

Main features:

• Automatic Recurring Payments: Setting up and managing recurring billing cycles is easy.
• Customizable Subscription Rules: Offer personalized subscription tiers according to the adopted business model.
• Product Swaps: The mobile application should enable customers to exchange some of the products provided in their subscription plan.
• Tiered Discounts: Discounts are also a way of trying to lock customers in, depending on which plan they choose.
• Integration with Other Apps: You can integrate with other popular apps, including Klaviyo, Google Analytics, or any other application of your choice.

4, Propel Subscriptions App

Propel Subscriptions lets you quickly offer any product via a recurring subscription, making it easy to set up and manage. With a mobile-first subscription picker, it aims to convert more shoppers into paying customers, enhancing both revenue and customer retention.

Rating: 4.9/5

Price plan:

• Free Plan
• Growth Plan: $9/month or $75.60/year.
• Enterprise Plan: $19/month or $159.60/year.

Main features:

• Mobile-First Subscription Picker: Convert more shoppers into paying customers.
• Customer Portal: Customers can manage their subscriptions, reducing support tickets.
• Customizable Notifications: Improve communication with customers through customizable email notifications.
• Loyalty-Based Discounts: Offer deeper discounts for long-term customers to reward loyalty.

5, Utterbond Subscriptions App

Utterbond Subscriptions is a advanced app designed to help Shopify store owners boost recurring revenue through subscriptions. It allows you to offer custom subscription boxes, preset bundles, and various subscription models, making managing recurring payments easier and enhancing customer retention.

Rating: 4.9/5

Price plan:

• Free Plan: Free to install with a 2% fee on every subscription order.
• Starter Plan: Priced at $19/month or $182.40/year.
• Growth Plan: Priced at $29/month or $278.40/year.
• Enterprise Plan: Priced at $49/month or $470.40/year.

Main features:

• Custom Subscription Boxes: Customers can build or choose from preset bundles.
• Recurring Payments: Automate recurring billing and manage dunning to prevent revenue loss.
• Product Swap Automation: Easily handle product swaps to offer flexibility to your subscribers.
• Automated Emails: Improve communication with automated email notifications.
• Billing Automation: Simplify the checkout process with automatic price adjustments and status updates.
• Integration with Payment Gateways: Compatible with Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Stripe, and Authorize.net.

Remember to choose an app with features like:

• Multiple Subscription Plans: Offer variety to cater to different customer needs.
• Flexible Billing Cycles: Customers can choose weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. subscriptions.
• Inventory Management: Track inventory levels for subscription products to avoid stockouts.
• Pre-Order Functionality: Let customers get on the waiting list for upcoming subscription products.
• Low-Stock Notifications: Get alerted when inventory for subscription products is running low.

Steps to Set Up Subscriptions on Shopify

Before proceeding to any steps, you need to complete the setup of the subscription app from the Shopify App Store in the Shopify admin dashboard.

Add Subscription Products

If you’re using a subscription app to offer subscription products, you can easily view the subscription details for each product directly on the product page in the Shopify admin.

If a product or any of its variants has a subscription set up, the details will appear in the “Subscriptions” section of that product page.

You can sell a product exclusively as a subscription or offer both subscription and one-time purchase options.

Step 1: In your Shopify admin, go to Products.

Step 2: Select the product for which you want to manage subscriptions.

Step 3: Choose your selling option:

• To sell only as a subscription, check the box for Sell product as a subscription only.
• To allow both one-time purchases and subscriptions, uncheck that box.

Set Subscription Discount

When you offer subscription products, you’ll have additional options for creating fixed-amount, percentage, or free shipping discounts.

On the Create discount code page, you’ll see a Purchase type section where you can select whether the discount applies to subscription purchases, one-time purchases, or both.

Create Subscription Policy

When you set up a subscription, a new cancellation policy for purchase options is automatically added to your store. This policy appears as a subscription policy link in the checkout footer. If you still need to set one in your Shopify admin settings, a default template is shown to customers.

You can customize this by adding or editing your store policies. The updated subscription policy will then be displayed to your customers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Subscriptions on Shopify (FAQ)

Q1: Are there any limits on the kinds of products that can be put up for subscription?

A1: Only the Online Store and Custom Storefront sales channels support subscriptions. They do not complement product bundles.

Q2: How do I handle orders that repeat and inventory for subscriptions?

A2: Stock management is essential to subscription services. Ensure you have an excellent procedure for monitoring stocks and identifying when you need more to prevent an out-of-stock situation and extended time.

Q3: What features should I include in the subscription policy?

A3: Your subscription policy should include all the details about the policy, such as the billing options for the subscription and cancellation policy, among others. It is essential to always be open with the customers so that they can trust us.

Q4: How can I improve my customers’ subscription buying process?

A4: Ensure that clients’ checkout is as efficient as possible. Display all pertinent details on your website, accept payments for products using various methods, and provide excellent customer service to resolve consumers’ complaints promptly.

Q5: How do I approach cancellations from my customers and issuing refunds if they are making subscriptions?

A5: Create an apparent cancellation and refund policy that customers perceive. Ensure it is well placed on your website and presented to customers when they check out and make their orders.

The store owner must find effective ways to handle cancellations and refunds to keep customers satisfied and trusting.

Conclusion

Shopify subscriptions help boost clients’ loyalty, sales, and provide customers with valuable services. This guide covers everything from the execution of subscription products to how to give discounts and the criteria for making buying easy.

Now that you know how to set up subscriptions, you can take your Shopify store to the next level!