Hide checkout payment methods for subscription plans
Updated · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)
In Plans in SMART Subscriptions, open a subscription option, check Hide payment methods on checkout, choose is or contains, and enter the payment method names. A Shopify payment customization function then hides matching methods whenever the cart contains that subscription option.
SMART Subscriptions does this with plans, a product-page widget, and a native customer portal.
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A customer chooses Deliver every month, then pays with a method you don’t want on recurring orders. Support gets “my subscription never renewed” tickets, and your team blames dunning for a payment-method problem. Hiding the wrong methods on subscription options prevents that mismatch at the source.
Why payment method rules matter for subscriptions
- Recurring billing needs a payment method that can be charged again later.
- Shopify says local, manual, or non-card methods might not be available for subscriptions (Shopify Help). Hide rules cover methods that still show up but that you don’t want on subscription orders.
- Per-option rules let one-time-only carts keep a method while subscription carts hide it.
- Clearer checkout reduces failed first cycles and later dunning noise.
- Rules live with the subscription option in Plans, next to frequency and discount.
How SMART hides methods
On each subscription option in Plans, check Hide payment methods on checkout. Enter one or more names separated by commas, and pick is (exact name, case-sensitive) or contains (part of the name, any case). SMART saves the rule on the selling plan, and its payment customization function applies it at checkout. The app creates the payment customization for you.
| Control | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hide payment methods on checkout | Plans editor, per option | Checkbox turns the rule on |
| Operator | is or contains | is = exact, case-sensitive; contains = part of the name, any case |
| Payment method names | Comma-separated names field | Must match how methods appear at checkout |
| Enforcement | Payment customization function | Hides the method for the whole checkout when any cart line has that option |
| One-time vs subscription | Per subscription option | Carts with only one-time items are not affected |
Setup steps in SMART Subscriptions
- Install SMART Subscriptions and open Plans.
- Create or edit a plan, then open the subscription option customers select (for example Deliver every 4 weeks).
- Check Hide payment methods on checkout for that option.
- Choose is or contains, then enter payment method names as they appear at checkout (the placeholder shows the format: Shopify Payments,Cash on Delivery (COD)).
- Save the plan and confirm products or variants are still assigned.
- Confirm the Subscriptions Widget is on the product template so customers can select that option.
- Run a checkout test with the subscription option in the cart, using Shopify Payments in test mode, and confirm the hidden methods are gone. Use how to test Shopify subscriptions.
- Also test a one-time-only cart for the same product, so you did not hide methods more widely than planned.
- Confirm your remaining methods support renewals via subscription payment gateways.
Common mistake: names that do not match checkout labels
Hide rules match payment method names. If you type a nickname your team uses internally, but checkout shows a different label, the method will still appear. Copy the visible checkout name, then choose is for an exact match (letter case included) or contains for a stable shared fragment.
Worked example: hide COD on Subscribe and Save only
A store offers Cash on Delivery (COD) for one-time orders in a local market. Shopify may already keep manual methods off subscription checkouts, but if COD shows when the monthly option is in the cart, the store hides it there.
- Put the monthly option in a test cart and check whether COD appears at checkout. If it does not, no rule is needed.
- In Plans, open the monthly Subscribe and Save option and check Hide payment methods on checkout.
- Set the operator to contains and the name to `Cash on Delivery` (or is with the exact label `Cash on Delivery (COD)`).
- Test checkout twice: with the subscription option in the cart (COD hidden) and with a one-time-only cart (COD visible if otherwise eligible). A mixed cart hides COD for the whole checkout.
- Place a subscription test order and confirm the contract under Subscriptions shows a stored payment method.
That keeps local one-time convenience without putting the wrong payment methods on recurring carts.
Practical tips before you widen the rules
- Start with one problematic method name, test, then add more names.
- Prefer contains when a label has extra wording or its letter case may change; prefer is when you need an exact match.
- Re-test after payment provider or checkout label changes; renamed methods can stop matching.
- Hiding methods does not replace dunning. Cards still fail sometimes; keep Settings and Emails ready. See failed payments and dunning and email notifications.
- If shoppers never reach checkout with a subscription option selected, fix the widget or setup path first.
Keep subscription checkout on payment methods that can renew
Plans, the product-page widget, a native customer portal, and payment recovery in one Shopify app.
Install free on ShopifyHow this fits merchandising and ops
Payment hides are a plan-option control, not a theme hack. Pair them with clear Subscribe and Save pricing in Plans, honest widget copy, and portal self-service for payment method switches later. For offer structure, see subscribe and save. For contract triage after checkout, see manage subscription contracts.
Frequently asked questions
›Where do I hide payment methods for subscriptions?
In the Plans editor, per subscription option. Check Hide payment methods on checkout, then set is or contains matching on method names.
›How does enforcement work?
SMART uses a Shopify payment customization function. If any cart line has a subscription option with a hide rule, matching methods are hidden for that checkout.
›Can I hide methods only for subscription and not one-time?
Yes for carts with only one-time items: they are not affected. If a cart mixes one-time and subscription items, the hidden methods are hidden for the whole checkout.
›What if a method still shows after I save?
Check that the name matches the checkout label (with is, letter case must match too), that the subscription option is in the test cart, and that the option you edited belongs to the plan assigned to the product.
›Does hiding COD fix failed renewals automatically?
No. Hiding a method only changes what shoppers can pick at checkout. Renewals can still fail later; use Settings dunning, Emails, and the portal’s saved payment method switch for recovery.