Articles on: Subscription Plans

A Beginner’s Guide to Subscription Options

Subscription options define the specific terms your customers see and select when subscribing to a product — including delivery frequency, payment method, discounts, and duration. Each option is part of a subscription plan and directly influences how the resulting subscription contract behaves after checkout.


This guide explains each available setting and how to use them effectively when building out your subscription offerings.


To access this configuration page, go to Super Subscriptions > Plans > [Your Plan] > [Your Subscription Option]


Table of Contents



What Are Subscription Options?


Each subscription option represents one way a customer can subscribe to a product. For example, a single subscription plan might offer both a "Monthly delivery – 10% off" and a "Quarterly delivery – 15% off" option.


When a customer chooses an option and completes checkout, a subscription contract is created that inherits the details of that option. The contract governs billing, fulfillment, and how long the subscription will last.


📘 To learn more, see A Beginner’s Guide to Subscription Contracts


What is the difference between a subscription plan and a subscription option?


  • Subscription Plan

A plan is the container that defines which products are available for subscription. It can include one or more subscription options. The plan name is usually visible to customers on the storefront, depending on the subscription widget used.


  • Subscription Option

Each option within a plan defines the specific terms a customer can choose — such as delivery frequency, pricing, discount, and billing mode (e.g. monthly or prepaid). These options are what customers actually select at checkout.



Before You Begin


  • These detailed settings only appear after the subscription plan is saved
  • Subscription options will only appear in your online store on products attached to the plan
  • The subscription widget must be enabled in your online store theme to show options on your storefront


Creating a Subscription Option


Each option contains the following settings:


1. Name and Description

The name is shown to customers (e.g. “Monthly delivery”). The description adds extra context, such as “Receive a delivery every month. Cancel anytime.”


Get creative! The subscription option description supports HTML.


2. Billing Mode

Choose between:

  • Pay per order – Customers are charged before each shipment.
  • Prepaid – Customers are charged once for multiple future deliveries. (See Prepaid section for details.)


3. Delivery Frequency

Define how often the customer is charged and fulfilled. (e.g., every 1 month or every 2 weeks.)


Billing Mode: Pay Per Order vs Prepaid


Subscription options support two billing modes:


Pay Per Order (default)

Customers are charged before every delivery. This is the most common and flexible mode.


Prepaid

Customers are charged once for multiple future deliveries. You’ll see an extra field:


  • Number of orders per payment – How many shipments the customer pays for up front.

Example: If frequency is 1 month and number of orders is 3, the customer pays once every 3 months and receives a monthly delivery.


Prepaid subscriptions also support a One-off option, which expires after a single prepaid cycle. This is ideal for gift subscriptions, where the buyer pays once and the recipient gets a fixed number of deliveries.


Discounts


You can apply a percentage- or fixed-amount discount to each subscription option. This discount is visible in the storefront and reflected in all related contracts.


Available discount types:

  • No discount
  • Percentage off
  • Amount off
  • Fixed amount: specify the exact new price for the subscription products


Example:

10% off for subscribing monthly, or $5 off for every delivery.


Contract Duration


Control how long the subscription lasts by setting a minimum or maximum number of renewals.


These limits don’t include the initial checkout order.


  • Minimum number of renewals – Prevent customers from being able to cancel through the customer portal until this number of renewals has been fulfilled.
  • Maximum number of renewals – Automatically end the subscription after this many orders.


Subscription Renewal Dates


You can schedule subscriptions to renew on specific days:


Available options change depending on delivery frequency:

  • Weekly: Choose day of the week (e.g., Monday)
  • Monthly: Choose day of the month (e.g., 15th)
  • **Yearly: **Choose day and month of the year (e.g. 15 September)


It is not possible to schedule renewals every n months based on specific calendar months; renewals are calculated from the date of purchase.


Initial orders are fulfilled immediately

If checked, the first order is set to unfulfilled right after checkout, just like any regular order. If unchecked, the first order is set to scheduled and will automatically be set to unfulfilled at the next billing cycle.


If this setting is checked, you’ll also see:


Cutoff window (days before renewal)

Any orders placed within this window before a renewal date are pushed to the next billing cycle.


How should the first order be processed if it falls within the cutoff period?

  • Schedule first order for the next billing cycle
  • Fulfill first order immediately and schedule second order for the following billing cycle


Example Scenarios


These examples show how different settings affect when the first order is fulfilled and how the billing schedule is established.


Example 1


  • Renew subscription on specific dates: 15th day of the month
  • Initial orders are fulfilled immediately: Disabled


A: Customer buys on 1 July

The first order is set to scheduled.

On 15 July, the order is automatically set to unfulfilled (ready for processing).

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


B: Customer buys on 16th July

The first order is set to scheduled.

On 15 August, the order is automatically set to unfulfilled (ready for processing).

The next order is scheduled for 15 September.


Example 2


  • Renew subscription on specific dates: 15th day of the month
  • Initial orders are fulfilled immediately: Enabled
  • Cutoff window: 0


Set the cutoff window to 0 to always have the first renewal (second order) happen on the closest selected date


A: Customer buys on 1 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The next order is scheduled for 15 July.


B: Customer buys on 15 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


C: Customer buys on 16 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


Example 3


  • Renew subscription on specific dates: 15th day of the month
  • Initial orders are fulfilled immediately: Enabled
  • Cutoff window: 15
  • How should the first order be processed if it falls within the cutoff period?: Schedule first order for the next billing cycle


A: Customer buys on 1 July

The first order is set to scheduled.

On 15 July, the order is automatically set to unfulfilled (ready for processing).

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


B: Customer buys on 16 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


Example 4


  • Renew subscription on specific dates: 15th day of the month
  • Initial orders are fulfilled immediately: Enabled
  • Cutoff window: 15
  • How should the first order be processed if it falls within the cutoff period?: Fulfill first order immediately and schedule second order for the following billing cycle


A: Customer buys on 1 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


B: Customer buys on 16 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The second order is scheduled for 15 August.


Example 5


  • Renew subscription on specific dates: 15th day of the month
  • Initial orders are fulfilled immediately: Enabled
  • Cutoff window: 31
  • How should the first order be processed if it falls within the cutoff period?: Fulfill first order immediately and schedule second order for the following billing cycle


Set the cutoff window to 31 days (or 7 for weekly subscriptions) to always have the first renewal (second order) happen one cycle after the closest selected date


A: Customer buys on 1 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The next order is scheduled for 15 August.


B: Customer buys on 16 July

The first order is set to unfulfilled immediately.

The second order is scheduled for 15 September.



Fixed quantity bundle


Sell subscriptions in set pack sizes (e.g., packs of 3). Great for volume discounts and larger orders.


  • Sell subscription in fixed quantities - Enable or disable the bulk quantity rule for this subscription option
  • Quantity - Set the quantity multiplier for the bundle (must be a whole number of 2 or more). The default is 2.


Eligible Customers


If this option is enabled, the subscription options will be hidden for all logged-out customers. If you cannot see your subscription options in your online store, please review this setting.


Restrict who can buy this option with flexible account rules.


Enable: Only logged-in customers can purchase this subscription option


Once enabled, select one of the following:


  • All logged-in customers
  • Customers that have at least one of these tags
  • Customers that do NOT have any of these tags


Use this to limit access to specific segments, such as members, wholesale buyers, or VIPs.


Tips and Best Practices


  • Use clear names like “Monthly – Save 10%” to help customers compare.
  • Prepaid plans are great for seasonal boxes or gifts.
  • Use minimum durations to prevent early cancellations if needed.
  • Group similar options under one plan to keep your storefront clean.



FAQ


  • Can I schedule subscription renewals to happen in specific months like September, December, March, and June?

No, this is not possible for multi-month or multi-week subscriptions. While you can choose the day of the renewal period (e.g. the 15th), you cannot set specific months or weeks for renewals. Yearly subscriptions, however, allow you to set a specific renewal day and month in the year (e.g. 15 September).



Updated on: 08/09/2025

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