Subscription webshop

Subscriptions give you predictable revenue

If you sell an item that is consumed regularly (coffee, skincare, vitamins, dog food, windows, laundry, etc.), a subscription webshop is almost a free revenue booster. The customer orders once and becomes a paying customer in the months to come. For you, this means predictable revenue, lower marketing costs per sale and higher customer lifetime value.

Shoporama has a modern subscription module that covers everything from simple monthly delivery to complex subscription boxes with variant price and commitment period. The customer gets a self-service experience, so you avoid support work with break requests and card changes.

How subscription works on Shoporama

Subscription is a product feature. You mark a product as a subscription, define the interval and price, and the product automatically gets a subscription button in checkout.

1. The customer selects a subscription on the product page or in the cart
2. At checkout, the customer enters card data, which is stored securely with QuickPay or PensoPay
3. The first order is created immediately
4. The next order is automatically generated on the date defined by the interval (e.g. one month later)
5. The card is automatically swiped, the order is created and the customer is notified by email
6. The cycle continues until the customer cancels or you end the subscription manually

You have your money on the same settlement pattern as for one-time purchases, and customer self-service takes care of most queries.

What do you get as a store owner?

• Predictable revenue. You know how much of next month's revenue is already secured. This makes it easier to plan inventory and cash flow.
• Higher customer lifetime value. A subscription means you don't have to market to the same customer over and over again. The marketing cost otherwise spent on reactivation can be spent on growth.
• Flexible intervals. Daily, weekly and monthly with multiplier. You can have one product on every week and another on every three months.
• Variant pricing. For example, if you sell skincare with multiple sizes, each variant can have its own subscription price. This is often more transparent for the customer.
• Binding period. Set a minimum commitment per product (e.g. 3 months) to ensure a minimum revenue per customer.
• Reminder email before each delivery. The customer receives an email X hours before the next delivery is due (you choose, e.g. 48 hours). This reduces surprises and chargebacks.
• Self-service for the customer. The customer can pause, cancel, change interval, move next delivery date and update cards, all from My Account. You don't need to be involved in every inquiry.
• Export to accounting and analytics. Export active subscriptions to CSV and see MRR, churn and delivery frequency in your own analytics.

How to get started

1. Set up either QuickPay or PensoPay as your payment gateway. Both support recurring payments.
2. Go to a product you want to sell as a subscription and enable Subscription in product settings.
3. Select the interval (daily, weekly, monthly) and multiplier (e.g. every 2 weeks).
4. Set the subscription price (preferably with a small discount vs. one-time purchase to incentivize the customer to subscribe).
5. (Optional) Set commitment period and reminder before each delivery.
6. Put the product live and test with a test order.

We have a detailed article on subscriptions in Shoporama and a separate guide to switching payment cards on a subscription. Need help? Write to support@shoporama.dk and we'll help you every step of the way.

Also read about the subscription feature in Shoporama for a full overview of the feature and how it fits in with the rest of the platform.

What you need to be aware of

Subscription is a powerful feature, but there are some important things to know:

• QuickPay or PensoPay only. Recurring payments on Shoporama require QuickPay or PensoPay. Stripe, Mollie, and Klarna can't be used for subscription. If you already have another gateway, you can add QuickPay or PensoPay as an additional gateway specifically for subscription.
• MobilePay and Klarna cannot be used as a payment method for subscriptions. The first purchase itself can be made with MobilePay or Klarna, but recurring payments must be deducted from a stored card. This is a limitation on the part of MobilePay and Klarna, not Shoporama.
• Card expiration is not handled automatically. If the card expires, the next payment will fail and the customer will receive an email with a link to switch cards. It's a good idea to set up a proactive email X days before the card expires so that the customer updates the card in time.
• Refunds and credit notes per delivery. Each subscription delivery is a separate order. If the customer wants a refund on a specific delivery, you will refund that order, not the entire subscription.

Frequently asked questions about subscription in the online shop

Can I sell subscription boxes with changing content?

Yes, you can. You can update the content of a subscription box from month to month (e.g. a monthly wine box). The same subscription agreement will continue and the customer will automatically receive the new content on the next delivery.

What happens if the customer wants to cancel before the binding period is over?

If the lock-in period is set, the customer cannot cancel immediately, but can choose Close after the period is over. The subscription will continue until the binding period is complete and will then be closed automatically.

Can I offer a discount on the first delivery?

Yes, for example via a welcome discount on the first order. You can also set up discount codes that only apply at subscription creation to entice customers to try.

Is stock deducted correctly on every delivery?

Yes, stock is deducted. Each subscription delivery deducts from inventory like a regular order. If you have stock sync to e-conomic, it is also updated there.

Can the customer have multiple subscriptions on the same account?

Yes, they can. A customer can have several active subscriptions in parallel. Each subscription has its own interval, payment card and status, and the customer sees them all in My Account.

Can I change the price of an existing subscription?

Existing subscriptions run at the price they were created with. If you set a new price on the product, it only applies to new subscriptions. This is deliberate so that existing customers don't get unpleasant surprises.

How many of my customers choose subscription vs. one-time purchase?

It depends on the industry and price incentive. Online stores with a small discount (5 to 15 percent) on subscriptions typically see 20 to 40 percent of customers choose a subscription for a product that is offered both ways.

How do I see total subscription data?

In the Shoporama admin under Subscriptions, you can view all active and closed subscriptions, filter by status, export to CSV, and see the next delivery date per subscription. You can build your own MRR reporting on top of the export.

Can I send physical subscription boxes via Shoporama?

Yes, you can. Each delivery creates an order with a shipping address, so you can generate shipping labels via your shipping integrations(GLS, PostNord, Shipmondo) as with one-time purchases.

Ready to sell subscriptions in your online shop?

A subscription online store is one of the most valuable business models you can build if your products fit it. Predictable revenue, high customer lifetime value and minimal support burden thanks to customer self-service.

Start a free Shoporama trial and see for yourself how easy it is to get a subscription store up and running. No commitment, no signup, no credit card required. Need help with the setup? Write to support@shoporama.dk.