Getting Started
Subscriptions Payment Gateway Guide
Manually Add or Modify Subscriptions
Email Notifications
FAQ
ChangelogWebToffee’s Subscription for WooCommerce allows you to create subscription products and manage subscriptions facilitating a flawless subscription-based e-commerce business enterprise model for your store.
In this article we will review the following sections:
Manually add a Subscription
The steps involved in manually adding a subscription are as follows:
- Go to: WooCommerce > WebToffee Subscriptions.
- Click the Add Subscription button.
- Add a customer to the subscription. Refer Add a Customer section for detailed steps.
- Add a billing schedule. Refer Add a Billing Schedule section for more info.
- Add products, shipping costs, tax and fees to the subscription, following the process described in the Add Items section below
- Set the subscription status, as per the process detailed in the Set Subscription Status section below.
- Create a pending renewal order from the Subscription Action meta box as explained in the Create pending renewal order section.
Subscription-for-WooCommerce-Add-Subscription
While creating a subscription manually, associate it with the corresponding subscriber in the following manner:
- Click the Customer select box under the subscription details meta box.
- Type the first few letters of the name or email for the customer.
- Once a set of accounts is loaded, click the customer.
WebToffee-Subscription-Add-Subscriber
Once a subscriber is added, enter the billing and shipping addresses to be used to manage recurring payments and shipments for the subscription. Existing addresses on the customer’s account can automatically be loaded into Billing Details or Shipping Details of the Subscription details meta box.
To add these details:
- Click the pencil icon next to Billing Details.
- Click Load Billing Details.
- Click the pencil icon next to Shipping Details to Load Shipping Details or Copy Billing Details.
You can also add or edit these addresses, if necessary.
Add a Billing Schedule
The Billing schedule is the core aspect of a subscription. The Billing Schedule Details meta box consists of the following:
- Date on which the subscription’s trial will end (if any)
- End date of the subscription itself (if it expires automatically)
- Recurring interval and period on which renewal orders are generated to capture recurring payments and manage the shipping of items.
To set a billing schedule on a subscription:
- Click the Recurrence section of the Billing Schedule meta box to set the billing interval for the subscription. By default, this is set to every, which means once per day, week, month or year, a renewal order is generated.
- Next select the billing period for the subscription, which can be day, week, month or year.
- Click the Start Date and enter a date or use the calendar to choose a date. The start date must be in the past.
- Click the Trial End Date, and enter a date or use the calendar to choose a date (optional).
- Use the Next Payment Date to edit the next recurrence of an existing subscription. Subsequent recurrences will be based on this date and the recurrence interval. e.g if you set the next payment date to 11th April 2019 the subsequent run will be on 11th May 2019 considering the monthly billing period and recurrence.
- Click the End Date text box, and enter a date or use the calendar to choose a date to set an expiry for the subscription. Leave it empty for a lifetime subscription.
WebToffee-Subscription-Add-Billing-Schedule
Add Items: Products, Fees, Shipping, Tax
The product corresponding to a subscription along with its shipping cost, fee, tax etc. can be entered by clicking on Add item button. The item meta box consists of the following options:
Subscription-Add-items
To add product(s) to a subscription:
- Click the Add item(s) button in the Subscription Items meta box.
- Click the Add product(s) button.
- Click in the text box displaying the placeholder: Search for a product…
- Type the first few letters of the product’s name until matching products are populated.
- Click the name of the product you wish to add when it loads.
- Repeat steps 4-6 if you wish to add more products (optional).
- Click Add. The chosen product(s) is/are displayed as items in the Subscription Items meta box.
- Save.
Subscription-Add-Product
To add fee to a subscription:
-
- Click the Add item(s) button in the Subscription Items meta box.
- Click the Add fee button.
- Click in the text box displaying the placeholder: Enter a fixed amount or percentage to apply as a fee and enter the amount you want to charge customers as a fee on each renewal.
- Click OK.
Subscription-Add-fee
To add shipping details to a subscription:
-
- Click the Add item(s) button in the Subscription Items meta box.
- Click the Add shipping button. A generic Shipping item will be displayed in the Subscription Items meta box.
Subscription-Add-Shipping
-
- Click the pencil icon next to the shipping line item.
- Click in the text box displaying the placeholder: Shipping.
- Enter a label for the shipping item to display to customers viewing the subscription and associated orders.
- Click the select box below the Shipping text box.
- Select a Shipping Method from the drop-down and enter the amount you want to charge customers for shipping on each renewal.
- Save
Subscription-Add-Shipping-Method
To add tax to a subscription:
-
- Click the Add Tax button in the Subscription Items meta box.
- Click the radio button next to the tax rate you wish to add.
- Click Add and Recalculate.
- Repeat for each tax rate you want to be applied to the subscription.
WebToffee-Subscription-Add-tax
Note: Before adding a tax rate to the subscription, you need to set up tax rates in WooCommerce>Settings (Tax)tab.
Now that we have set up all the quintessential details of a subscription. What remains is to create an order to record the transaction so that it reaches the customer. This will be done by creating a pending renewal order.
Create a pending renewal order
Let us create a pending renewal order against this subscription.
-
- From the Subscriptions Actions meta box, select Create Pending Renewal Order.
- Create related order.
WebToffee Subscription-Create pending renewal order
- A renewal order in pending status will be created in the Related order meta box as shown below:
WebToffee-Subscription-Related-Orders
Activating a subscription
Now that we have an order corresponding to a subscription, the next step is to activate the subscription. A subscription will be made Active if and only if a payment is done towards it. The subscription can be made active in two ways:
-
- The subscriber can directly make a payment by using the Pay option from the Order section. When the payment has been made successfully:
-
- the subscription changes to Active status
- the next payment date will be filled up under Billing schedule
WebToffee Subscriptions-Pay from Orders
WebToffee-Subscription-Next-Payment-date-updated
-
- Alternatively, the store owner can update the order status to Processing/Completed upon receiving the payment manually. This can be done by changing the order status to Processing in the order status meta box as indicated below, from the order detail page.
WebToffee-Subscription-Process-Order
- The subscriber can directly make a payment by using the Pay option from the Order section. When the payment has been made successfully:
Add Payment method
Now that the subscription is active, the subscriber can add a payment method for the subsequent payments to be triggered as per the scheduled recurrence in automatic repayment mode.
Subscription for WooCommerce-Add Payment
The payment method can be added only for an active subscription once the order is been placed. The Add Payment method can be accessed from My Subscription section. On adding a payment method, the subsequent payments for scheduled recurrences will be taken automatically via the configured payment mode.
Modifying an existing Subscription
We can also edit an existing subscription but there is a limitation on what aspects can be edited. It is also important to note that any such changes will reflect only in the upcoming recurrences.
Note: Additionally there could also be limitations w.r.t the respective payment gateway providers for edits related to billing schedule and recurring totals.
Change Billing Schedule
Change the billing schedule constitutes the subscription’s end date, next payment date, trial end date or recurring schedule.
- Go to WooCommerce > Webtoffee Subscriptions.
- Click the Subscription ID which redirects you to the Edit Subscription screen.
- Modify subscription’s end date, next payment date, trial end date or recurring schedule, as required. If you need instructions for this process, see the section on how to Add Billing Schedule.
- Save Subscription.
Modify-Billing-Schedule
Change Recurring Totals
Change a subscription’s recurring amount manually:
- Go to WooCommerce >Webtoffee Subscriptions.
- Click the Subscription ID which redirects you to the Edit Subscription screen.
- If you want to change an existing product, shipping, tax or fee line’s total:
- Select the pencil icon next to the line item you want to change
- Change the amount
- Save
- Recalculate the total amount by clicking on it.
- Update Subscription.
Modify-Recurring-Total
Subscription Status
By default, all actively running subscriptions are in Active status. The customers will be entitled to the benefits only when the subscription is in active status. However, the admin can choose to manually update the status of the subscriptions if there is a need as an exception(manual transaction, failed payment, dispute, etc.)
To change a subscription’s status:
-
- Click the Subscription Status select box in the Subscription details meta box.
- Click the status you want to give the subscription.
WebToffee-Subscription-Change-Status
- Was this article helpful?
- Yes, thanks!Not really
Comments (25)
Linda
March 13, 2023
I’ve edited the users subscription to change the delivery address, (as per their request) for all future subscriptions, and it shows on the back end of our website, to be changed, but this isn’t pulling through to their latest scheduled subscription order – it has defaulted to the original delivery address. Can you tell me why this hasn’t worked? Will the customer have to cancel the current subscription, and start again? Many thanks
Earl Hickey
February 14, 2023
Is it possible to set the start time of a subscription manually?
Mike
February 21, 2023
Hello Earl,
We understand your requirement. Currently, that option is only available for manually created subscriptions from the admin panel.
Joe
January 27, 2023
Hi, does the subscription plugin quote for shipping like a typical physical product in Woo, if so, does it request a quote for each renewal or use the same quoted shipping rate from first order? Our couriers’ cost fluctuate somewhat with fuel levies.
Mark
March 9, 2023
Hi Joe,
Greetings from Webtoffee! Shipping charges are set during the time of initial order and the same prices are charged for every renewal.
Lise
April 18, 2022
Hi,
Is there a way to set a different price for future recurrences? (except manually)
I would like to set 18€ for the first month and 15€ from the 2nd month on.
Alan
April 19, 2022
Hi,
We understand the requirement, but our plugin currently does not support this feature. We have added it to the development backlogs. But you can always edit the product price manually.
Chris Roy
April 19, 2022
So I can change the product price and from this point on the new prices will be charged for all existing subscriptions?
Alan
April 20, 2022
Hi Chris,
By editing the subscription order, you can change the product price and other parameters as described in the article.
Please note: The changes will be effective only for that particular subscription order.
Joe
August 21, 2021
Is it possible to reinstate a cancelled subscription? Client status is currently ‘cancelled’ (for non-payment). The client now want to pay to start subscription again.
Mark
August 27, 2021
Hi Joe,
Thanks for reaching out. Customers can resubscribe to canceled subscriptions from My account > Subscriptions page. They can place it as a new order.
Leanna Baker
May 31, 2021
I need the user to be able to order a subscription, but pay by check (or other manual) payment. Currently I get a “Sorry, it seems there are no available payment methods which support subscriptions” error.
Ernest Ho
March 12, 2021
Is it possible to change the delivery schedule for a physical product?
Mark
March 16, 2021
Hi Ernest,
The plugin creates subscription renewal orders based on the renewal frequency that you set up for the product.
Ernest Ho
March 17, 2021
thanks Mark. So the renewal frequency dictates the delivery schedule and the two can’t de-couple, correct?
Nelly
February 18, 2021
Hello,
is it possible for the customer to change the products in their recurring monthly subscriptions, or request the admin to change them somehow?
Mark
February 19, 2021
Hi Nelly,
Unfortunately, there is no option to edit existing active orders. Customers would require to cancel and place new orders. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Steve Griffiths
January 28, 2021
Can Customers update their Credit Card details themselves (for example when their Card expires and then receive a new one)?
Mark
January 29, 2021
Hi Steve,
You can use the change payment method option to update the credit cards for active subscription. Refer the link.
Andy
January 25, 2021
Can different shipping options be added so a customer can select from for example UK= free, Europe = £10, USA = £20?
Mark
January 29, 2021
Hi Andy,
This can be set up via the Woocommerce shipping settings as usual.
Gaby Prothero
January 15, 2021
hi there, please can you tell me if it is possible for customers to amend/pause their weekly subscriptions if they are going on holiday etc? we sell flowers on subscription so clients need to be able to manage their own accounts. Thanks
Mark
January 25, 2021
Hi Gaby,
Users can suspend their subscription order anytime from their My account > Subscription page and reactivate it.
ugochukwu Dinneya
November 19, 2020
hi Shesna,
I am trying to make a subscription package that would charge upfront 6 months, 9months and 12 months. How can i do it with your plugin?
Mark
November 20, 2020
Hi,
You can set the upfront amount as sign-up fee via the product edit page for each product or variations.