How to Set Up Optional Subscription Products in WooCommerce: A Beginner’s Guide
So, you want to add a subscription option to your WooCommerce store, but not *every* product needs it? Maybe you sell coffee, and customers can buy a single bag or subscribe for weekly deliveries. Or perhaps you’re offering a beauty box with a one-time purchase option or a recurring monthly subscription.
That’s where optional subscription products come in! This guide will walk you through how to set them up, even if you’re a complete beginner. We’ll break down the process step-by-step, using real-life examples and explaining the “why” behind each action.
Why Offer Optional Subscriptions?
Before we dive in, let’s quickly cover why offering optional subscriptions is a great idea:
- Increased Revenue: Subscriptions create a recurring revenue stream, making your business more predictable and sustainable.
- Improved Customer Retention: Subscribers are more likely to become loyal customers, continuously purchasing from your store.
- Higher Average Order Value (AOV): Customers often spend more on subscription products than on one-time purchases. Think about that regular coffee order – bigger bag, maybe even adding some extras!
- Better Inventory Management: Subscription forecasts can help you better plan your inventory and avoid stockouts.
- Customer Convenience: Customers appreciate the convenience of automatically receiving products they need regularly.
- Payment Gateways: WooCommerce Subscriptions requires a payment gateway that supports recurring payments (like Stripe or PayPal). Ensure your chosen gateway is configured correctly.
- Subscription Length: Define the available subscription intervals (weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.).
- Trial Periods: Decide if you want to offer free trials.
- Renewal Settings: Configure how renewals are processed (automatic or manual).
- Emails: Customize the email notifications sent to customers regarding their subscriptions.
- Subscription price: Set the price for each subscription period (e.g., $25).
- Subscription length: Choose the subscription interval (e.g., “every 1 week”).
- Billing interval: How often the customer will be charged (e.g., “every 1 week”).
- There also might be another checkbox “Allow users to choose to subscribe” or similar. Make sure it’s checked.
Essential Tools: The WooCommerce Subscriptions Plugin
To set up optional subscriptions in WooCommerce, you’ll need the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin. This is a premium plugin, meaning you’ll have to purchase it. While there are potentially free alternatives, the official WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin offers the best integration, reliability, and support. Think of it as an investment in your business’s growth!
Once purchased, download the plugin from your WooCommerce account.
Installing and Activating the Plugin
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. Click Upload Plugin.
4. Choose the `.zip` file you downloaded.
5. Click Install Now.
6. Click Activate Plugin.
Once activated, you’ll likely see a notification to configure the plugin settings. Take the time to read through these and customize them to fit your business needs. Important settings include:
Creating a Simple Subscription Product
Now, let’s create our first optional subscription product. We’ll use the example of a coffee bag.
1. Navigate to Products > Add New.
2. Give your product a name (e.g., “Artisan Roasted Coffee Beans – Ethiopian Yirgacheffe”).
3. Add a compelling product description. Highlight the coffee’s flavor profile, origin, and roasting process.
4. In the Product data dropdown (usually located below the product description area), select “Simple subscription.”
5. Configure the subscription settings:
Reasoning: These settings determine how much the customer will pay and how often they will receive the product. Think carefully about your pricing strategy and delivery schedule.
6. You can also set up a signup fee if you want to charge an initial fee for the subscription.
7. Add a product image and assign categories and tags to make your product easier to find.
8. Publish your product!
Now, you have a product that can *only* be purchased as a subscription. That’s not optional yet. Let’s fix that!
Allowing One-Time Purchases *and* Subscriptions
Here’s the trick to making subscriptions optional:
1. Edit the product you created in the previous steps.
2. In the Product data dropdown, select “Simple product” this time.
3. Check the box labelled “Subscription settings” (or similar wording depending on your WooCommerce & Subscriptions plugin version.)
4. Configure subscription settings as before, with price and subscription length.
5. Important: Ensure the checkbox “Allow one-time purchase” is selected. This is what makes the subscription *optional*.
6. Update the Product.
Reasoning: By selecting “Simple product” and then checking the “Subscription settings” checkbox, you’re essentially adding subscription capabilities *on top* of the standard one-time purchase option. The “Allow one-time purchase” option makes this truly optional.
Alternative: Using Variable Subscriptions for More Options
For more advanced scenarios, like offering different coffee sizes or roast levels with subscription options, you can use Variable Subscriptions.
1. Create attributes for your product (e.g., “Size” – 12oz, 16oz, 24oz; “Roast” – Light, Medium, Dark).
2. Create variations based on these attributes.
3. For each variation, you can set specific subscription prices, lengths, and enable/disable the subscription option independently.
4. In the Product data dropdown, select “Variable subscription.”
5. The rest of the set up will be like setting up normal WooCommerce Variable Products, but with the “Subscription” options to choose for each variation.
<?php
// Example Code Snippet (Illustrative - not directly executable)
// Shows how to programmatically check if a product has optional subscription options
function product_has_subscription_option( $product_id ) {
$product = wc_get_product( $product_id );
if ( ! $product ) {
return false; // Product doesn’t exist
}
// Check if the product is a subscription or has subscription settings.
if ( $product->is_type( ‘subscription’ ) || $product->is_type( ‘variable-subscription’ ) ) {
return true;
}
//If the product is simple, and subscription settings exist and allow onetime purchase return true.
if ($product->is_type(‘simple’)) {
$is_onetime = get_post_meta( $product_id, ‘_subscription_one_time_purchase’, true );
if($is_onetime === ‘yes’)
{
return true;
}
}
return false; // No subscription option found
}
// Usage:
$product_id = 123; // Replace with the actual product ID
if ( product_has_subscription_option( $product_id ) ) {
echo “This product offers a subscription option.”;
} else {
echo “This product does not offer a subscription option.”;
}
?>
Testing Your Optional Subscription Product
After setting up your product, thoroughly test the process:
- Browse the product page: Verify that both the one-time purchase option and the subscription options are clearly displayed.
- Add to Cart: Try adding the product to your cart as a one-time purchase and as a subscription.
- Checkout: Go through the checkout process for both purchase types to ensure everything works correctly.
- Payment: Make sure the recurring payments are processed successfully by your chosen payment gateway.
- Customer Account: Check the customer’s account to see if the subscription is displayed correctly.
Promoting Your Subscription Options
Once everything is set up, don’t forget to actively promote your subscription options!
- Highlight the Benefits: Clearly communicate the advantages of subscribing (e.g., discounts, convenience, exclusive content).
- Use Compelling Call-to-Actions: Encourage customers to subscribe with phrases like “Subscribe and Save,” “Get it Delivered Automatically,” or “Never Run Out Again.”
- Offer Incentives: Consider offering discounts or free gifts to new subscribers.
- Feature Subscriptions on Your Website: Make subscription options prominent on your product pages, homepage, and throughout your website.
By following these steps, you can successfully set up optional subscription products in WooCommerce and start reaping the benefits of recurring revenue. Remember to always test thoroughly and focus on providing a seamless and enjoyable experience for your customers. Good luck!
