Use case

Turn one-time buyers into subscribe-and-save customers

Offer a subscription next to the one-time purchase on the product page, with a discount on every delivery. TA Subscriptions sets this up with selling plans, so shoppers choose to subscribe at the moment they are already buying.

Illustration of a subscribe-and-save option on a product card
Apps used
SubscriptionsMain app
Goal
Cash flow & recurring revenueRetention & repeat
Works for
Beauty & Personal CareHealth & SupplementsFood & BeveragePet
The problem

Repeat buyers still check out one order at a time

Shoppers who like a product often buy it again, but each reorder is a new decision. Each problem below has a matching fix in this setup.

Who it is for: stores that sell products people use up, such as coffee, honey, skincare, supplements and pet food.

Problem 01

Customers who would reorder have no simple way to say so at the product page.

How it gets fixed

Put a subscription option next to Add to cart

A selling plan adds a Subscribe and save choice on the product page. Shoppers pick it instead of the one-time purchase and the plan sets the delivery schedule.

Problem 02

A reason to commit is missing, so the one-time purchase wins.

How it gets fixed

Give a discount on every delivery

Set the discount as a percentage, a fixed amount or a fixed price. The shopper sees the saving before they choose to subscribe.

Problem 03

A flat discount can cost more than you want to give away on later orders.

How it gets fixed

Change the discount over time

Set a different discount from a specific billing cycle, for example an offer on the first order that you adjust afterwards.

Set it up

Four moves to your first subscription offer

Each card shows what the result looks like. The selling plan comes first, because the discount and the product choice both attach to it.

Create a selling plan

Name the plan, for example Subscribe and save, and choose how often it delivers.

Set the discount per delivery

Choose a percentage, a fixed amount or a fixed price for each delivery.

Change the discount from a later cycle

Set a different discount from a specific billing cycle, such as a first-order offer.

Add the plan to your products

Attach the plan to the products you want to sell on subscription. It then shows on those product pages.

Tips

Before you go live

Check your payment gateway first

Subscriptions work with a limited set of gateways: Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, Adyen, and Stripe for some merchants. Klarna and local methods such as iDEAL are not supported.

Online Store and Custom Storefront only

The option works on the Online Store and Custom Storefront sales channels. Read the eligibility page in the docs before you plan a launch on another channel.

Pick a discount you can keep paying

The discount applies to every delivery unless you change it from a later cycle. Choose a number you can afford over the whole life of a subscription, not only the first order.

What to measure

Check these after launch

Share of orders placed as subscriptionsShopify admin orders, filtered by subscription
Active subscriptions over timeSubscriptions app
Conversion rate on subscription product pagesShopify Analytics
Subscribers still active after their second deliverySubscriptions app
FAQ

Common questions

What kinds of discount can I set?

Three kinds: a percentage, a fixed amount, or a fixed price. You can change the discount from a specific billing cycle.

Can the first order have a different discount from later ones?

Yes. Set a different discount from a specific billing cycle. Manuka Honey Direct runs 5% off the first order and 10% off later ones, and Moshico Coffee runs 10% off every delivery. Read how they did it in the Manuka Honey Direct story and the Moshico Coffee story.

Which payment gateways does it support?

Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, Adyen, and Stripe for some merchants. Klarna and local methods such as iDEAL are not supported.

Which sales channels can sell subscriptions?

The Online Store and Custom Storefront channels. The eligibility page in the docs lists the conditions in full.

Set this up on your store.

Every Tech Arms app installs from the Shopify App Store in minutes.