Shopify Subscription Specialists
How does Shopify work with subscriptions?
How does Shopify work with subscriptions?
Shopify now supports subscriptions natively within it's platform. (Historically, customers would be diverted to a non-Shopify checkout page to process the order). This means that customers can add subscription items to the cart and still remain within the Shopify checkout when they wish to purchase. But how does it work, I hear you cry! Well, Shopify released extra modules of data called
"selling plans" which is a special piece of code that commutes to the Shopify checkout that an item is a subscription item and that the payment should be recurring by a specific interval and amount.
However, it does not stop there, Shopify does not manage the UI and dashboard for managing your subscribers - instead, it simply offers the facility to charge your customers on a recurring basis via Shopify's native checkout. To physically set up subscription products, manage subscribers and gain access to subscription reporting you'll need to opt for a subscription app provider. Head to our whats the best Shopify subscription app section for our recommendations.
It is important to note that Shopify has extended it's platform to accommodate subscriptions more appropriately with specific features. Examples include filtering customer lists directly within Shopify by the status of a subscription. You can also set up specific shipping rules for subscription customers such as offering free or unique shipping rates.
What's included with Shopify subscriptions?
We've already covered the part that Shopify plays with Shopify subscriptions however it is important to consider what you need and what comes in combination with Shopify and Shopify subscription apps.
Subscription UI on Shopify
So most of the apps come with a default frontend UI to allow customers to select one-time purchase or subscription options - these are typically placed on the product page. The design can feel a little un-imaginative, so why not employ a
Shopify developer like us to re-design and build a custom look and feel to ensure your subscription UI still embodies your brand. We also help merchants place the UI for subscription choosing on other pages such as collections, product recommendations and in cart!
Subscription Portal
It's important to leave your customers in control of their subscriptions via a subscriptions portal. These are vital to not overwhelm your customer services team when you offer subscriptions and also the good news is they are included with all the major subscription Shopify apps! The subscription customer portal should allow customers to view their active subscriptions, skip, pause and update their subscriptions. We also see this portal as a great opportunity to upsell other products too!
Subscription Notifications
Your Shopify subscription app will also usually include customer email and or SMS notifications to let the customer know when their next subscription is coming up plus give them a chance to update or cancel.
What are the best apps for Shopify subscriptions?
As discussed, Shopify acts as the key platform that manages orders, customers and payment transactions / payment methods for subscriptions however it does not give you a dashboard to set up products for subscriptions, manage subscription options such as intervals and discounts or manage customers' ongoing subscriptions. Therefore it's important to choose a subscription app available on the
Shopify App Store. There are a growing number of Shopify apps that help Shopify merchants manage subscriptions which vary in features and price - however here are a few options to consider:
ReCharge Subscriptions
ReCharge is ultimately the leading provider of subscription management on Shopify. Not only does the platform power some world-leading brands but they power over 15,000 merchants. The platform comes equipped with subscription management, build-a-box, subscription automation tools and more.
Yotpo Subscriptions
Yotpo subscriptions are great for merchants who are looking to launch subscriptions quickly or also those who are already using products from the amazing Yotpo app range. Yotpo boasts of being able to launch subscriptions in just 8 minutes!
Skio Subscriptions
Skio is another subscription app for Shopify and offers some more unique features such as quick password-less login, advanced analytics, gift your next subscription order and more!
Bold Subscriptions
Bold is one of the original subscription apps for Shopify and achieves a 4.1/5 on the Shopify app store
Paywhirl
Paywhirl similarly allows you to activate subscriptions from your product pages and get selling quickly.
Smartrr Subscriptions
With subscription features such as swap, delay, skip and more Smartrr offers a rich subscriptions app to give your customers ultimate control over their subscription.
We do recommend our merchants spend time understanding the unique features of each Shopify subscription app provider to ensure you can offer the very best Shopify subscription experience to your customers.
How to set up subscriptions on Shopify?