Most stores already have subscribers. They just don't call them that. Look at your order history and you'll find customers who buy the same coffee, vitamins or dog food every few weeks, and who have to remember to come back each time. A subscription does the remembering for them. They get what they need on time, usually at a better price, and you get repeat orders you can plan around.
This guide walks through launching subscriptions on Shopify from scratch: which products to start with, which model fits, how to set the frequency and the discount, where the subscribe option goes, what subscribers need after they sign up, and what to watch in the first 90 days. It's written for a store that has never offered subscriptions, but it works as a checklist if you're relaunching an old program.
Step 1: Pick the products to start with
Start with what customers already reorder. Your order history tells you more than any trend report. Pull a list of products where the same customer bought two or more times, and look at how many days passed between orders.
- Things people use up: Supplements, coffee, tea, pet food, skincare, razors, cleaning supplies and snacks are the classic fit. When the bag is empty, the customer needs another one.
- A steady reorder gap: If most repeat buyers come back every 25 to 35 days, a monthly plan will feel right. If the gap is all over the place, offer two or three frequencies instead of one.
- Healthy margins after shipping: You will discount subscription orders and often ship them free. Work out what each order earns after product cost, packaging, shipping and payment fees before you pick a discount.
- Stock you can count on: A subscription is a promise to ship. Start with products you rarely run out of, and leave seasonal or limited items for one-time sales or add-ons.
You don't need to put your whole catalog on subscription. Three to five products that customers already reorder are plenty for a launch. You can add more once you see what sells.
Step 2: Choose a subscription model
"Subscription" covers several different deals. Pick the one that matches how customers use your product. You can add a second model later.
| Model | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribe and save | The customer picks a product and a frequency and gets a discount on every order. | Products people use up on a schedule |
| Prepaid | The customer pays once for several deliveries, such as 3, 6 or 12, and gets them on a schedule. | Loyal customers, gifts and holiday sales |
| Build-a-box | The customer picks what goes into each box, within a set number of items or a set price. | Brands with many flavors, scents or variants |
| Curated or mystery box | You choose what ships each time; the customer subscribes to the box. | Discovery, collectibles and themed boxes |
| Trial | A trial price for a set number of orders, then the regular price. | Products people need to try before they commit |
| Membership | Customers pay for perks, such as member prices or early access, rather than a set delivery. | Brands with a strong community or frequent launches |
Step 3: Set the frequency and the discount
The frequency should match how fast customers use the product. Too often and boxes pile up, which leads to skips and then cancellations. Too rarely and customers run out and buy somewhere else.
- Use the reorder gap from step 1: If repeat buyers come back about every 30 days, make monthly the default and offer every 2 weeks and every 2 months as alternatives.
- Offer two or three choices, not ten: A short list helps shoppers decide. Let subscribers change the frequency later from their account; that does more for retention than a long menu at checkout.
- Keep the discount simple: Many brands start at 10 to 15% off every order, often with free shipping on subscription orders. Below about 10% the saving can feel too small to bother; much above 20% and you may attract shoppers who plan to cancel after the first order.
- Decide on a first-order offer separately: A bigger discount on the first order only (for example 25% off the first order, then 15%) can lift sign-ups. Show both prices so nobody is surprised at the second charge.
- Decide on minimums up front: If you require a minimum number of orders before someone can cancel, say so on the product page and in the confirmation. Hidden minimums lead to angry emails and chargebacks.
These are starting points, not rules. Pick a discount you could live with for as long as the customer stays, then test from there. Our guide to monthly, quarterly, annual and prepaid plans covers pricing longer plans.
Step 4: Install a subscription app and create your plans
Shopify handles subscription checkout and stores subscription contracts, but you need a subscription app to create the plans, show them on your product pages, charge renewals and let subscribers manage their orders. Our checklist of 15 questions to ask a subscription app helps you pick one.
In the app, a plan usually sets:
- The products and variants it applies to.
- How often customers are billed and how often orders ship.
- The discount, as a percentage, an amount off or a fixed subscription price.
- Any minimum or maximum number of orders.
- For plans that ship on a schedule, the cutoff days and the ship date.
- The name customers see on the product page.
In Chargezen, plans live under Subscription Plans and attach to Shopify selling plan groups. The step-by-step setup is in Create subscription plans.
Step 5: Add the plan picker to your product pages
The product page is where most subscriptions start. The subscribe option needs to be easy to see, easy to understand and quick to choose.
- Put it next to the buy button: Show one-time and subscribe side by side, right above Add to cart, not hidden in a tab or below the description.
- Show the saving in dollars: "$34 every month (save $6)" is easier to weigh than "Save 15%."
- Say how to change it: A short line such as "Skip, change or cancel anytime" answers the biggest worry before it stops the sale.
- Pick a sensible default: Pre-select the frequency most customers choose. Whether subscribe or one-time is pre-selected is worth testing; whatever you choose, make the price of each option clear.
- Check it on a phone: Most shoppers will see the plan picker on a small screen. Make sure the price, the saving and the frequency all fit without scrolling sideways.
With Chargezen, the plan picker is a Shopify theme block you add in the theme editor. It can show one-time, subscribe and prepaid options on the same page. For more places to offer the subscription (cart, checkout and the thank-you page), see how to turn one-time buyers into subscribers.
Step 6: Set up the customer portal
The portal is where subscribers manage their orders. When changing a subscription is hard, cancelling looks easier, so this is a retention tool as much as a convenience. Before launch, make sure subscribers can:
- Skip or reschedule the next order.
- Swap a flavor, size or variant.
- Change how often they get deliveries.
- Send the next order now when they run low.
- Add a one-time item to the next order.
- Update their address and payment method.
- Pause or cancel, after seeing any save offers you set.
Sign-in matters too. Subscribers rarely remember a password for a store they visit once a month. A sign-in link by email, or Shopify customer accounts, removes that step. See the Chargezen customer portal for what ours does.
Step 7: Turn on the messages every subscriber should get
Subscribers need to hear from you at a few predictable moments. Set these up before your first sign-up, not after the first complaint.
- Welcome: What they signed up for, when the next order ships, what it will cost and how to make changes.
- Upcoming order reminder: A few days before each charge, with links to skip, swap or change the date. A reminder costs you a few skips. A surprise charge costs you the customer.
- Failed payment: A friendly note with a link to update the card, followed by retries over the next few days.
- Change confirmations: A short confirmation each time they skip, swap, pause or cancel, so they know it worked.
- Price change notice: If you ever raise prices, tell subscribers before the new price applies.
In Chargezen, each of these messages is a default subscription workflow that comes set up and that you can edit, extend or switch off. If you send email from Klaviyo, Chargezen sends subscription events there instead; see Subscriptions integrations.
Step 8: Plan for cancellations and failed payments
Every subscription program loses people. The two biggest leaks are subscribers who choose to leave and subscribers whose payment fails. Have a plan for both on day one.
- A cancellation flow that listens: Ask why they are leaving, then offer the fix that matches: a skip for too much product, a swap for the wrong flavor, a pause for travel, a discount only for price. Keep a clear way to finish cancelling. See cancellation prevention.
- Failed payment recovery: Retry declined renewals on a schedule and send card-update links by email and text. Most declines are expired cards, not goodbyes. See failed payment recovery.
Your launch checklist
- Three to five products chosen from your reorder data.
- A model picked, with two or three frequencies per product.
- A discount you can afford for as long as the customer stays, and a margin check on every plan.
- Any minimums and first-order offers stated on the product page.
- The plan picker on every subscription product page, checked on a phone.
- The portal set up with skip, swap, frequency, address, payment, pause and cancel.
- Welcome, upcoming order, failed payment and confirmation messages turned on.
- A cancellation flow and failed payment recovery in place.
- A test order placed on every plan, then skipped, swapped and cancelled from the portal.
- A short FAQ or help page that explains billing, skipping and cancelling.
The first 90 days
The launch is the easy part. What happens between the first and third orders decides whether the program grows.
| When | What to do | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 2 | Tell existing customers. Email the people who already reorder and invite them to subscribe at the new price. | Subscription share of orders on the products you picked |
| Weeks 3 to 6 | Send how-to and welcome content between the first and second orders. Answer every question about billing quickly. | Skips and cancellations before the second order |
| Weeks 6 to 10 | Read cancellation reasons and adjust save offers. Add the subscribe option at checkout or after purchase. | Which save offers people accept, and whether they still order a month later |
| Weeks 10 to 13 | Add a prepaid plan or a bundle for your most loyal subscribers. Review frequencies and discounts. | How many subscribers reached a third order |
Track the second and third orders more closely than total sign-ups. A program with fewer sign-ups that stay is worth far more than a big launch that cancels in the first month. Our customer lifetime value calculator shows how much each extra order is worth.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify have subscriptions built in?
Shopify supports subscription checkout and stores subscription contracts, and it offers a basic free subscriptions app. Most brands use a dedicated subscription app for plan options, the customer portal, failed payment recovery and cancellation flows.
How long does it take to launch?
The setup itself (installing an app, creating a plan and adding the plan picker) can take an afternoon. Choosing products, pricing, writing messages and testing usually takes a week or two to do well.
How much should I discount subscriptions?
Many brands start at 10 to 15% off every order, plus free shipping where margins allow. Pick a number you can afford on every renewal, not just the first order, then test.
Should I let subscribers cancel online?
Yes. Show save offers first if you like, but always let people finish cancelling. Several US states require online cancellation for subscriptions sold online, and a hard-to-cancel program creates chargebacks and bad reviews. This isn't legal advice; check the rules that apply to you.
How Chargezen helps
Chargezen is the revenue platform brands run on, with AI agents, email and text, checkout offers and creator programs in one place. Chargezen Subscriptions covers everything in this guide:
- Plans: Subscribe and save, prepaid, trial, build-a-box and mystery box plans, with minimums, fixed ship days and first-order pricing. Getting started with subscriptions.
- Product pages: A plan picker theme block that shows one-time, subscribe and prepaid options together.
- The portal: Skip, swap, reschedule, ship now and add to the next order, with password-free sign-in. Customer portal.
- Messages: Welcome, reminder, failed payment and confirmation messages as editable workflows, or sent through Klaviyo via integrations.
- Keeping subscribers: Cancellation flows, failed payment recovery and win-backs.
- Selling more: Prepaid plans, bundles, and checkout and thank-you page offers with CheckoutOS.
Subscriptions is $199 a month or $1,990 a year for Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus stores, with no commission on subscription revenue. See pricing.
Keep reading: How to choose a Shopify subscription app, Which subscription plans should you offer? and Product bundles for subscriptions. Terms used here: subscribe and save, subscription frequency and customer subscription portal.
