Discount codes for subscription products are configured directly within Shopify. Shopify discount codes can be used alone or in conjunction with subscription group discounts.
Subscriptions for Shopify Checkout allows your customers to add or remove Shopify discount codes in the customer portal so you can leverage these discounts in your retention strategy.
Setup
You can configure your discount codes within the Shopify admin by navigating to the Discounts tab and selecting Create discount.
Supported discount types are as follows:
- Amount off discounts: These are discounts that give your customers a fixed value or a percentage off of the products in an order, but don't apply to shipping costs.
- Free shipping: This is an offer that deducts shipping costs. For example, free shipping on a subscription purchase.
When creating your discount code, you can choose whether you would like to have the discount available for one-time purchases, subscription purchases, or both.
Discount codes can also be created for specific collections or products for a more targeted promotion.
For more information, please visit Shopify's article on Creating Discount Codes.
Best Practices
Alert: Shopify is responsible for the validation of discount codes whether they are applied to subscriptions or one-time purchases. If you feel as though a discount code should not have applied to an order, please reach out to Shopify support.
It's best to ensure that your discount codes are set up correctly before offering them to your customers. Editing the conditions of a discount code may not apply if it is already active on an existing subscription.
If you wish to disable an active discount code, it is best to deactivate the code altogether instead of editing it to expire.
Limitations
When using Shopify's discounts with subscriptions, please note the following limitations:
- Automatic and Buy X Get Y discounts are not eligible for subscriptions.
- Quantity based discounts can work with subscriptions, but it is important to note that they continue to apply to recurring orders even if your customer adjusts the quantity from within their customer portal and no longer meets the condition. This is because Shopify verifies the eligibility of a discount code on its first application only.
- When a discount code is applied to a subscription, the product's price does not appear discounted within the customer portal or admin.
- When a discount code is no longer valid, it remains visible on the subscription within the customer portal and the admin until removed. If you wish to add a new code, you need to remove the expired code before adding the new code. For more information on how to do this, please visit Subscription Management: Merchant Perspective.
- Discount codes with product specific conditions cause errors when swapping. The discount code needs to be removed before swapping and then reapplied. For more information on how to do this, please visit Subscription Management: Merchant Perspective.
- Combined discounts are not compatible with Bold Subscriptions. While combined discounts work on the initial order, only one discount applies to recurring orders.