How to Add a Subscription in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
Want to turn one-time customers into loyal, recurring revenue generators? Welcome to the world of WooCommerce subscriptions! This guide will walk you through how to add a subscription in WooCommerce in a way that’s easy to understand, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Think about services you subscribe to: Netflix for entertainment, a weekly meal prep delivery, or even a magazine subscription. These businesses have successfully implemented the subscription model to create predictable income and foster customer loyalty. You can do the same with your WooCommerce store!
Why Offer Subscriptions in WooCommerce?
Before we dive into the “how,” let’s quickly cover the “why.” Subscriptions offer a ton of benefits:
- Predictable Revenue: Know how much money you’ll be making each month. This makes budgeting and planning much easier.
- Increased Customer Loyalty: Subscriptions create a consistent relationship with your customers, making them more likely to stick around.
- Higher Customer Lifetime Value: Customers who subscribe are likely to spend more with you over time than one-time buyers.
- Automated Sales: Once a customer subscribes, the sales process is largely automated, freeing up your time to focus on other areas of your business.
- Easier Inventory Management: Knowing approximately how much product you’ll need each month simplifies inventory management. For example, a coffee bean supplier knows roughly how much coffee to roast based on subscription numbers.
- A WooCommerce Store: Obviously! Make sure you have a fully functional WooCommerce store set up.
- The WooCommerce Subscriptions Plugin: This is the essential tool for adding subscription functionality. You’ll need to purchase and install this plugin from the WooCommerce website.
- Explore this article on How To Track Customers In Woocommerce A Payment Gateway that Supports Recurring Payments: Not all payment gateways support subscriptions. Popular options include Stripe, PayPal Standard, and Braintree. Make sure your chosen gateway is compatible.
- Purchase the plugin from the WooCommerce website.
- Download the plugin’s ZIP file.
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
- Click “Upload Plugin” and upload the ZIP file.
- Click “Install Now” and then “Activate Plugin.”
- Go to Products > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Or, you can edit an existing product you want to turn into a subscription.
- In the “Product data” meta box, change the dropdown from “Simple product” (or “Variable product”) to “Simple subscription” or “Variable subscription.” The choice depends on whether you’re offering a simple, single subscription option or different variations (e.g., different coffee bean roasts at different subscription levels).
- Once you select “Simple subscription” or “Variable subscription,” new subscription-specific settings will appear. Let’s break down the important ones:
- Subscription Price: Set the price of the subscription.
- Billing Interval: How often the customer is billed (e.g., every week, every month, every year).
- Check out this post: How To Delete Products In Woocommerce Through Cpanel Billing Period: The time unit for the billing interval (e.g., week, month, year). So, “1” in the Billing Interval and “Month” in the Billing Period means the customer is billed every month.
- Subscription Length: How long the subscription lasts. You can set a specific number of billing cycles (e.g., 12 months) or set it to “Never expire” for an ongoing subscription.
- Sign-up Fee: An optional one-time fee charged at the beginning of the subscription. Think of this like an activation fee.
- Free Trial: Offer a free trial period before the first payment is charged. This can be a great way to entice new subscribers. For example, “7 days” free trial.
- Synchronization: This is related to the day of the month the subscription renews and is useful when you want all your customers to be billed on the same day. For example, the first of the month.
- Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments.
- Make sure you have a payment gateway enabled that supports recurring payments (e.g., Stripe, PayPal Standard, Braintree).
- Configure the payment gateway settings according to your chosen provider’s instructions. This usually involves connecting your WooCommerce store to your payment gateway account.
- Don’t forget to write compelling product descriptions and upload high-quality images to showcase your subscription offering. Explain the benefits of subscribing and what customers can expect.
- Once you’ve configured all the settings, click “Publish” or “Update” to make your subscription product live on your store!
- Product Type: Simple subscription
- Subscription Price: $35
- Billing Interval: 1
- Billing Period: Month
- Subscription Length: Never expire
- Sign-up Fee: $0
- Free Trial: 0 days
- Taxes: Make sure you configure your tax settings correctly for subscription products. Consult with a tax professional if needed.
- Shipping: Set up your shipping zones and methods to accommodate recurring shipments. Consider offering free shipping for subscriptions as an incentive.
- Customer Account Management: Subscribers need to be able to manage their subscriptions (e.g., update payment information, cancel their subscription). The WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin provides a customer account area where they can do this.
- Cancellation Policies: Be clear about your cancellation policies. Make sure customers understand how and when they can cancel their subscriptions.
- Payment Gateway Issues: If recurring payments aren’t processing correctly, double-check your payment gateway settings and ensure that your payment gateway supports recurring payments.
- Plugin Conflicts: If you’re experiencing issues with the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin, try deactivating other plugins to see if there are any conflicts.
What You’ll Need
To get started, you’ll need:
Step-by-Step Guide: Adding Your First Subscription Product
Okay, let’s get down to business! Here’s how to add a subscription product in WooCommerce using the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin:
1. Install and Activate the WooCommerce Subscriptions Plugin:
2. Create a New Product (or Edit an Existing One):
3. Set the Product Type to “Simple Subscription” or “Variable Subscription”:
4. Configure Subscription Settings:
5. Set Up Payment Gateway for Recurring Payments:
6. Add Product Description and Images (Just Like a Regular Product):
7. Publish or Update Your Product:
Example: A Coffee Subscription Box
Let’s imagine you’re selling a monthly coffee subscription box. Here’s how you might configure the subscription settings:
This would result in a monthly subscription box costing $35 per month, with no sign-up fee or free trial.
Important Considerations:
Troubleshooting Tips
Conclusion
Adding subscriptions to your WooCommerce store can be a game-changer for your business. By following these steps, you can easily create and manage subscription products, build customer loyalty, and generate a predictable stream of revenue. Remember to test your setup thoroughly before launching to ensure a smooth experience for your customers. Read more about How To Add Woocommerce Tabs Now go forth and add a subscription in WooCommerce!
