How To Make Automatic Recurring Orders On Woocommerce

How to Set Up Automatic Recurring Orders in WooCommerce: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Want to turn one-time customers into loyal, predictable revenue streams? Setting up automatic recurring orders in your WooCommerce store can do just that. Subscriptions and recurring payments are powerful tools for businesses offering products or services that are consumed regularly. This article will guide you through the process, covering everything from plugin options to configuration steps, enabling you to unlock the potential of recurring revenue in your WooCommerce store. We’ll explain why this is important, how to implement it, and even cover some potential drawbacks to consider.

Why Offer Recurring Orders?

Recurring orders offer significant benefits for both you and your customers. For you, it provides:

Predictable Revenue: Know approximately how much revenue you’ll generate each month.
Improved Customer Retention: Subscribers are more likely to stick with your brand.
Reduced Marketing Costs: Less effort is needed to re-acquire existing customers.
Streamlined Operations: Automated ordering simplifies inventory management and fulfillment.

For your customers, it provides:

Convenience: No need to remember to reorder.
Guaranteed Availability: Ensure they always have the products they need.
Potential Cost Savings: Subscriptions often come with discounts.

Implementing Recurring Orders in WooCommerce

The most common and robust method for implementing recurring orders in WooCommerce is through a dedicated subscription plugin. While WooCommerce offers a built-in subscriptions feature, it’s often limited. Here are a few popular and reliable options:

WooCommerce Subscriptions (Official Plugin): Developed by WooCommerce themselves, offering deep integration and comprehensive features.
YITH WooCommerce Subscription: A user-friendly plugin with a wide range of customization options and features.
SUMO Subscriptions – WooCommerce Subscription System: Another reliable plugin that offers many flexible options for recurring orders.

For this guide, we’ll focus on WooCommerce Subscriptions as it is a popular and powerful choice. The basic steps are similar for most subscription plugins, but some settings may differ.

Setting Up WooCommerce Subscriptions

1. Installation and Activation:

Purchase and download the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin from the WooCommerce website.
In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New.
Click “Upload Plugin,” choose the downloaded zip file, and click “Install Now.”
Once installed, click “Activate Plugin.”

2. Configuring Subscription Settings:

Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Subscriptions.
Here you’ll find various settings to configure your subscriptions:

General Tab:
Automatically Retry Failed Payments: Enable this to automatically retry failed subscription payments.
Accept Manual Renewals: Allow customers to manually renew their subscriptions.
Allow switching between subscriptions: Lets customers change to another subscription type.

Emails Tab: Customize the email notifications sent to customers regarding their subscriptions (e.g., subscription created, cancelled, payment failed).

Retry Rules Tab: Configure the retry rules for failed subscription payments. You can set the number of retries and the intervals between them.
Payment Gateways Tab: Configure your payment gateways to allow for recurring payments. Not all payment gateways support recurring payments! Common supported gateways include Stripe, PayPal (via PayPal Reference Transactions or Braintree), and Authorize.net. You *must* use a payment gateway that supports automatic recurring payments.

3. Creating a Subscription Product:

Go to Products > Add New.
Under “Product data,” select “Simple subscription” or “Variable subscription” from the dropdown menu. The “Variable subscription” option is used for subscription products with variations, such as size or color.
Configure the subscription details:

Subscription Price: Set the price for the subscription.
Billing Interval: Choose how often the subscription is billed (e.g., every week, every month, every year).
Subscription Length: Specify the duration of the subscription (e.g., for 6 months, for 1 year, or “forever” until cancelled).
Sign-up Fee: Charge a one-time fee at the beginning of the subscription.
Free Trial: Offer a free trial period before the first payment.
Sale Price: Set a special sale price for the subscription.

Fill in the other product details as you would for a regular product (description, images, categories, etc.).
Click “Publish.”

4. Testing Your Subscription Product:

Place a test order using your subscription product. Ensure your payment gateway is configured correctly for recurring payments and that the subscription is created successfully.
Check your email inbox for confirmation emails (as a customer and as an admin).
Verify that the subscription is visible in your WooCommerce > Subscriptions dashboard.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Payment Gateway Compatibility: Ensure your chosen payment gateway supports recurring payments. If it doesn’t, you will *not* be able to process automatic renewals.
Failed Payments: Configure your retry rules to automatically retry failed payments. Also, encourage customers to update their payment information.
Subscription Management: Provide a clear and easy way for customers to manage their subscriptions (e.g., cancel, pause, update payment method). The WooCommerce My Account page provides this functionality.
EU VAT and Tax: If selling to customers in the EU, ensure your WooCommerce store is configured correctly to handle VAT on subscription products.
Cancellation Policies: Clearly outline your cancellation policies to avoid customer confusion.

Code Examples for Customization

While the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin provides a lot of functionality out-of-the-box, you may need to customize it further. Here are a few code snippets (place these in your theme’s `functions.php` file or a custom plugin):

Add a custom note to subscription emails:

add_filter( 'woocommerce_email_subject_customer_subscription_renewal_order', 'custom_subscription_renewal_email_subject', 10, 2 );

function custom_subscription_renewal_email_subject( $subject, $order ) {

$subject = ‘[Your Store Name] Your Subscription is Renewing!’;

return $subject;

}

Customize the subscription status label:

add_filter( 'woocommerce_subscriptions_status_label', 'custom_subscription_status_label', 10, 2 );

function custom_subscription_status_label( $label, $subscription ) {

if ( $subscription->get_status() == ‘on-hold’ ) {

$label = ‘Awaiting Payment’;

}

return $label;

}

Important: Always back up your website before making code changes. Incorrect code can break your site.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

While recurring orders offer numerous advantages, there are some potential drawbacks to consider:

Setup Complexity: Setting up and configuring subscription plugins can be technically challenging, especially for beginners.
Payment Gateway Dependencies: Your choice of payment gateway is crucial. You are limited to gateways that support recurring billing.
Customer Service Overhead: Subscription management can increase customer service inquiries (e.g., cancellation requests, payment issues).
Churn Rate: Customers may cancel their subscriptions, impacting your recurring revenue. Focus on providing excellent value and customer service to minimize churn.
Fraud Prevention: Recurring payments can be a target for fraudulent activity. Implement fraud prevention measures.

Conclusion

Implementing automatic recurring orders in your WooCommerce store can be a game-changer for your business, leading to increased revenue, improved customer retention, and streamlined operations. While there are potential drawbacks to consider, the benefits often outweigh the risks. By carefully selecting the right subscription plugin, configuring your settings correctly, and providing excellent customer support, you can successfully leverage the power of recurring orders to grow your business. Remember to test your setup thoroughly and monitor your subscription metrics to optimize your recurring revenue strategy. With a solid plan, you can transform your WooCommerce store into a subscription powerhouse!