Sell subscriptions with Shopify Subscriptions

Metonia has a built-in Purchase options picker, so subscriptions work as soon as a product has a plan. This guide uses Shopify’s free Shopify Subscriptions app. Other subscription apps that use Shopify selling plans show the same way.

For jewelry, subscriptions suit refills and care products (polishing cloths, cleaning kits), a monthly charm or a “piece of the month” club.

Install the app

1. Open the Shopify Subscriptions app listing and select Install.
2. Check that your store is eligible. The app needs a supported payment provider, such as Shopify Payments. See Shopify’s eligibility considerations.

Create a plan

1. Go to Apps → Subscriptions → Plans and select + Plan.
2. Enter a Title. Customers see it on the product page, in the cart and on their orders, so keep it clear, for example Monthly refill.
3. Add an Internal description if you want notes for your team.
4. Set the Delivery frequency: a number and an interval (weekly, monthly or yearly), for example every 2 months.
5. To reward subscribers, check Offer discount and choose a percentage off, an amount off or a fixed price.
6. To give customers a choice, select Add option and add another frequency and discount, for example every month with 10% off and every 3 months with 5% off.
7. Select the products that get this plan.
8. Select Save.

You can also add or remove plans from a product’s Purchase options section on its product page in the admin. Removing a plan from a product doesn’t cancel existing subscriptions.

You don’t need the app block

Shopify Subscriptions offers a Subscription widget app block. Metonia already renders the purchase options inside the Variant picker block (or the Buy buttons block if you removed the variant picker), so leave the widget out. Adding it would show two pickers.

What customers see in Metonia

• Product page: a Purchase options list under the variant buttons, with One-time purchase first and then each plan. Plans from a plan group with several options are shown as Group name · Plan name.
• Price: choosing a plan updates the price to the plan price, shows the regular price struck through when the plan has a discount, and adds the plan name under the price.
• Subscription-only products: when a product can only be bought with a plan, One-time purchase is hidden and the first plan is selected.
• Cart drawer and cart page: the plan name appears under the product. For prepaid or deferred plans, the cart page shows the amount due today.
• Customer account orders: the plan name appears on each line of the order.

The same Purchase options appear in quick view and in the Featured product section, and the price updates when customers pick a plan. The floating product card shows the price of the plan chosen on the page and adds the product with that plan.

How customers manage subscriptions

Customers manage subscriptions in their customer account. They can sign in from the account icon in the header, or select Manage your subscription in subscription emails. From there they can skip an order, pause, cancel, or update payment and shipping details. Shopify Subscriptions also emails customers 3 days before each recurring charge.

To add management links to customer accounts, orders and the Thank you page, go to Settings → Checkout, customize, and add the Shopify Subscriptions blocks.

Test a subscription order

Shopify’s Test payment gateway (Bogus Gateway) doesn’t support subscription products. Use Shopify Payments test mode instead:

1. Go to Settings → Payments, select Manage on Shopify Payments, turn on Enable test mode and save.
2. On your storefront, choose a plan, add the product to the cart and check out with a Shopify Payments test card (for example Visa 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future date and CVC).
3. Check the order in Orders and the new contract in Apps → Subscriptions.
4. Turn off test mode before you launch.

Troubleshooting

Purchase options don’t appear. The product has no plan. Open the product in the admin and check Purchase options, or add the product to a plan in the app. Also check that the product page still has a Variant picker or Buy buttons block.

Two subscription pickers appear. Remove the Subscription widget app block from the product template.

The price doesn’t change when a plan is chosen. The plan has no discount, so the price is the same as a one-time purchase.