Test your setup
Updated · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)
SMART Subscriptions does not include an in-app checkout simulator. Test with a development store, Shopify Payments in test mode (Shopify's test gateway doesn't support subscriptions), real Shopify Checkout, and a customer account. Verify both matching and non-matching cases before you market the offer.
SMART Subscriptions does this with plans, a product-page widget, and a native customer portal.
Try it freeTheme preview alone is not a subscription test. You need a published template, an assigned plan, a real checkout with a selling plan selected, and a customer account that can open portal actions.
Before you test
- Prefer a Shopify development store for practice.
- Confirm the Subscriptions Widget is on the published product template and the product is assigned in Plans.
- Activate the Subscription management page under Management, and activate the Emails templates you want to validate. Each template can also send a test email.
- Review payment and inventory failure defaults in Settings.
- Turn on Shopify Payments test mode. Shopify's test payment gateway doesn't work with subscription products. See Payment gateways.
- Prepare at least one expected match and one expected non-match.
Simple test matrix
| Case | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Widget visible on live product page | Confirms published block and plan assignment |
| Checkout with selling plan selected | Creates a contract under Subscriptions |
| Checkout without selling plan / non-match | Confirms the rule boundary when one-time remains available |
| Portal pause, resume, skip, cancel | Confirms Management self-service |
| Admin line, price, qty, or interval edit | Confirms the contract editor in Subscriptions |
| Activated email arrives | Confirms Emails are not left inactive |
| Renewal on a 1-day plan | There is no charge-now button, so wait for the next cycle and confirm the new order |
No in-app simulator
There is no fake checkout simulator inside SMART. Use real checkout carts, real customer accounts, and real contract states.
If the widget never appears, start with Widget not showing. After a successful path, watch active subscriptions on Home (refreshed about every 10 minutes).
Prove the subscription loop before you advertise it
Install [SMART Subscriptions](https://apps.shopify.com/smart-subscriptions) and validate widget, checkout, portal, emails, and renewals on a development store first.
Install free on ShopifyFrequently asked questions
›Does SMART have an in-app checkout simulator?
No. Test with a development store, Shopify Payments in test mode, and a customer account.
›What should I test besides the first purchase?
Portal pause, resume, skip, and cancel; admin contract edits; activated emails; both match and non-match purchase paths; and one renewal on a 1-day plan.
›Do I need to activate emails to test them?
Yes. Templates under Emails stay inactive until activated.
›Where should I practice first?
A Shopify development store, then a low-risk production SKU before a wide campaign.