Give your customers the option to receive the products they love on a regular basis by offering subscriptions on your store. Whether you sell all your products as a subscription or just a few, Shopify Subscriptions makes it easy to set up and launch subscriptions, directly from Shopify admin. Shopify Subscriptions also supports selling subscription products on POS, allowing you to offer subscriptions to customers both online and in-person. Your customers can conveniently pause or skip orders and
Is Shopify Subscriptions really free, or are there hidden transaction fees?
Shopify Subscriptions is completely free to install and use — there are no monthly fees and no per-transaction fees charged by the app itself. You do need an active Shopify plan to use it, as it runs natively inside your Shopify admin. Standard Shopify payment processing rates still apply to each order processed through your chosen payment gateway.
Will it work with my existing theme, or do I need to hire a developer?
Your theme must support sections and blocks (i.e., be an Online Store 2.0-compatible theme) to display the subscription widget without code edits. If you're on a vintage or heavily customized third-party theme, you may need to manually add a code snippet to your product template, which could require developer help. Shopify recommends contacting your theme developer if you're unsure about compatibility.
What subscription billing options and frequencies can I offer customers?
The app supports auto-billed subscriptions that renew weekly, monthly, or yearly. You can offer subscribe-and-save discounts (percentage or fixed amount), fixed pricing, and custom pricing. Merchants can also let customers choose between a one-time purchase or a subscription on the same product page. Notably, product bundles are not compatible with this app.
Can my customers manage their own subscriptions, or will I be flooded with support requests?
Customers can pause, skip, and cancel their subscriptions directly through their Shopify customer account portal — no separate login or third-party account required. However, merchants and reviewers have flagged that flexibility is limited: customers cannot add one-off products to an existing subscription, and changing billing dates is restricted to skipping or shifting by a fixed interval.
What happens to my subscription data if I uninstall the app?
If you uninstall the app, existing subscription contracts and customer payment information are preserved. However, any other app-specific data you've created (such as plan configurations) is deleted after 48 hours. It's advisable to export or document your subscription setup before uninstalling.
How does the app handle failed payments — will I lose subscribers if a card declines?
Shopify Subscriptions provides basic failed payment handling: Shopify Payments automatically retries declined charges on a fixed schedule and sends auto-generated 'payment failed' emails to customers. However, the dunning logic is limited — there is no configurable retry schedule, no decline-specific optimization, and minimal email customization. Multiple merchants and analysts note this is a meaningful gap for stores with significant subscription volume, who may want a third-party app with smarter dunning.
What payment gateways are supported, and does it work with Shopify POS or international stores?
The app requires one of the following payment gateways: Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, or Stripe (available only to select merchants). It also supports selling subscription products on Shopify POS, allowing in-person subscription sign-ups. The app is available in 19 languages including German, French, Japanese, and Chinese, making it usable for international stores, though payment gateway availability varies by region.
