A subscription turns a single order into revenue you can plan around — if the product is bought again on a rhythm and the customer can easily pause, skip or cancel. Here is how subscriptions work on Shopify, how to choose an app and what the rules require.
How subscriptions work on Shopify
Subscription apps create selling plans on your products: frequency, discount and billing rules. The customer buys through Shopify's normal checkout, the payment method is stored, and the app creates the following orders on schedule. Because everything runs through Shopify's checkout, taxes, discounts and shipping rules stay the same as for one-off orders. The payment provider must support recurring charges with stored payment methods; Shopify Payments does, others vary.
Choosing an app
| App | Fits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Subscriptions | Simple subscribe-and-save on a few products | Fewer retention and bundle features |
| Recharge | Larger subscription programmes, many integrations | Pricing grows with volume |
| Appstle | Broad features at a moderate price | Check the customer portal design in your theme |
| Loop | Retention flows and bundles for growing brands | Mostly aimed at established subscription brands |
Prices and features change; compare the current plans on each app's listing. Start from what customers need to do in their account — skip, swap, change date, pause — not from the longest feature list.
What the checkout must show
- The recurring price and how often it is charged.
- The date of the first charge and of the next ones.
- Any minimum term or number of deliveries.
- How to cancel, in plain words, before the customer pays.
- Whether the introductory discount ends after the first order.
Cancellation rules in the UK and EU
- Germany: consumer contracts with ongoing obligations concluded online need a clearly labelled cancellation button.
- EU: from 19 June 2026, online distance contracts need a withdrawal function under Directive (EU) 2023/2673 — see the EU withdrawal button on Shopify.
- UK: the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 contains a subscription contracts regime with reminder notices and easier exit. Check the commencement date and the official guidance before you design reminder and cancellation flows.
This is an overview, not legal advice; have your terms checked for each market you sell to.
What makes a subscription programme work
- A product that is used up on a predictable rhythm.
- A customer portal that makes skipping and changing the date easier than cancelling.
- Failed payment retries and clear emails when a card expires.
- Stock planning based on upcoming subscription orders.
- Measurement by cohort: how many subscribers are still active after three, six and twelve months.
Setting up subscription apps and building a customer portal that matches the theme is part of Shopify app development. For the cost side, see what a Shopify store costs in the UK.