Set Up WooCommerce Subscriptions: A Complete Guide

Step 1: Install and Activate WooCommerce and WooCommerce Subscriptions

1.1 Install WooCommerce from the WordPress Plugin Repository

To begin, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. Navigate to “Plugins” > “Add New”. In the search bar on the right, type “WooCommerce” and press Enter. Locate the official WooCommerce plugin by Automattic (it should be the first result with millions of active installations). Click the “Install Now” button. Once installed, the button will change to “Activate”. Click “Activate” to enable the plugin. You’ll then be prompted to run the WooCommerce Setup Wizard; it’s recommended to complete this for basic store configuration, including currency, store location, and product types.

1.2 Install WooCommerce Subscriptions from your WooCommerce Account

WooCommerce Subscriptions is a premium extension, so you’ll need to purchase it from the official WooCommerce website. After purchase, log into your WooCommerce.com account and navigate to the “Downloads” section. Download the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin file (a .zip file) to your computer. Back in your WordPress admin dashboard, go to “Plugins” > “Add New” again. This time, click the “Upload Plugin” button at the top of the page. Click “Choose File,” select the downloaded .zip file for WooCommerce Subscriptions, and then click “Install Now.” Once uploaded and installed, click “Activate Plugin.” You may be prompted to connect your store to WooCommerce.com for automatic updates; follow the instructions if you wish to do so.

Step 2: Configure General Subscription Settings

2.1 Define Renewal and Billing Cycles

After activating WooCommerce Subscriptions, navigate to “WooCommerce” > “Settings” in your WordPress dashboard. Click on the “Subscriptions” tab. Here, you’ll find global settings that affect all your subscription products unless overridden at the product level. Review the “Renewal & Billing” section. Key settings include: “Allow manual renewals” (enable if customers can manually renew outside of automatic payments), “Subscription auto-renewal” (usually set to ‘Enabled’ for recurring payments), and “Synchronization” (this allows you to align all subscription renewals to a specific day of the month or week, which can simplify management). Adjust these based on your business model. For example, if you want all subscriptions to renew on the 1st of every month, set synchronization accordingly.

2.2 Set Up Payment Gateways for Subscriptions

For automatic recurring payments, you need payment gateways that specifically support WooCommerce Subscriptions. Go to “WooCommerce” > “Settings” > “Payments.” Standard gateways like PayPal Standard or Bank Transfer do not support automatic recurring payments. You’ll need gateways like Stripe, PayPal Pro, or other dedicated subscription-compatible gateways. Install and activate your chosen gateway (e.g., Stripe for WooCommerce). Once installed, click “Manage” next to the gateway. Ensure the “Enable” checkbox is ticked. Crucially, verify that the gateway’s settings confirm it supports “Subscriptions” or “Recurring Payments.” For Stripe, for instance, you’ll need to enter your Live Publishable Key and Live Secret Key from your Stripe account. Test your setup thoroughly in a staging environment before going live.

Step 3: Create Your First Subscription Product

3.1 Choose the Correct Product Type (Simple or Variable Subscription)

Navigate to “Products” > “Add New” in your WordPress dashboard. Give your product a title and a description. Scroll down to the “Product data” meta box. From the dropdown menu, select either “Simple Subscription” or “Variable Subscription.”

Simple Subscription: Choose this if your product has no variations (e.g., a monthly subscription to a single digital magazine).
Variable Subscription: Choose this if your product has different options (e.g., a software subscription with “Basic,” “Pro,” and “Enterprise” tiers, or a coffee subscription with different roast levels or bag sizes, each potentially having its own price and billing cycle). If you select “Variable Subscription,” you’ll need to create attributes and variations under the “Attributes” and “Variations” tabs, just like with standard variable products.

3.2 Define Subscription Product Pricing and Trial Periods

Once you’ve selected the product type, new fields will appear in the “Product data” meta box.

Subscription Price: This is the core of your subscription. Enter the price, the billing interval (e.g., “every,” “2nd,” “3rd”), and the billing period (e.g., “day,” “week,” “month,” “year”). For example, “$19.99 every month.”
Sign-up Fee (Optional): If you want to charge an initial, one-time fee in addition to the first recurring payment, enter it here. This is common for setup fees or onboarding costs.
Free Trial (Optional): If you want to offer a free trial, enter the duration (e.g., “7 days,” “1 month”). During this period, customers are not charged. The first recurring payment will be due after the trial ends.
Expire After (Optional): If the subscription should end after a set number of payments (e.g., a 12-month contract), specify the duration here. Leave blank for indefinite subscriptions.

For Variable Subscriptions, these settings (Subscription Price, Sign-up Fee, Free Trial, Expire After) will be configured for each individual variation under the “Variations” tab.

Step 4: Manage and Monitor Your Subscriptions

4.1 Understand and Utilize the Subscription Management Interface

To view and manage all active, pending, or cancelled subscriptions, navigate to “WooCommerce” > “Subscriptions” in your WordPress dashboard. This interface provides a comprehensive list of all subscriptions on your store. Each row represents a single customer’s subscription. Key columns include:

ID: Unique identifier for the subscription.
Customer: The user associated with the subscription.
Status: (Active, Pending, On-hold, Cancelled, Expired, Pending Cancel).
Next Payment: Date of the upcoming renewal.
Billing Period: How often the subscription renews.
Total: The recurring amount.

Click on an individual subscription ID to view its detailed page. Here, you can see the subscription’s history, associated orders, customer details, and payment method. This is your central hub for monitoring the health of your subscription business.

4.2 Handle Subscription Renewals, Cancellations, and Upgrades

From the individual subscription details page (“WooCommerce” > “Subscriptions” > [Subscription ID]), you have several management options:

Change Status: Use the “Actions” dropdown on the right sidebar to manually change a subscription’s status (e.g., “Put on hold,” “Activate,” “Cancel”). This is useful for customer service requests.
Add Item: You can add products to an existing subscription, which will update the recurring total.
Remove Item: Remove products from a subscription.
Change Billing Schedule: Manually adjust the next payment date or the billing cycle for a specific customer.
Upgrade/Downgrade: While not a direct button, you can facilitate upgrades/downgrades by cancelling the old subscription and creating a new one (or using a dedicated upgrade/downgrade plugin if your setup is complex). Alternatively, some payment gateways or custom code can allow for changing the product within an existing subscription.
Process Renewal Payment: For subscriptions that are on-hold or have failed payments, you can manually trigger a renewal payment if the customer has updated their payment method.

Always communicate changes to your customers clearly, especially for cancellations or significant modifications.

FAQ: Can I offer a free trial without requiring credit card details?

Yes, you can. When setting up your subscription product, simply enable the “Free Trial” option and set its duration. Customers will be able to sign up for the trial without entering payment details. However, to convert them into paying subscribers, they will need to add their payment information before the trial period ends or at the time of the first scheduled payment.

FAQ: What happens if a customer’s recurring payment fails?

WooCommerce Subscriptions has a built-in renewal process. If a payment fails, the subscription status will typically change to “On-hold.” The system will then attempt to retry the payment a configurable number of times over a set period (e.g., 3 retries over 7 days). You can configure these retry rules under “WooCommerce” > “Settings” > “Subscriptions” > “Automatic Retries.” Customers will also receive automated emails (which you can customize) notifying them of the failed payment and prompting them to update their payment method.

FAQ: Can I synchronize all subscriptions to renew on a specific day of the month?

Absolutely. Go to “WooCommerce” > “Settings” > “Subscriptions” and look for the “Synchronization” section. You can choose to synchronize renewals to a specific day of the month (e.g., the 1st or 15th) or a specific day of the week. This is very useful for managing cash flow predictions and simplifying customer service by having a predictable renewal schedule for all subscribers.

FAQ: How do I manage taxes for my subscription products?

Taxes for WooCommerce Subscriptions are handled through the standard WooCommerce tax settings (“WooCommerce” > “Settings” > “Tax”). Once you’ve configured your tax rates and zones, WooCommerce will automatically apply the relevant taxes to both the initial sign-up fee (if any) and the recurring subscription payments based on the customer’s billing address and your tax rules. It’s crucial to ensure your tax settings are accurate and compliant with local regulations.