How to set Shopify subscription discounts

Updated November 1, 2026 · SMART Subscriptions (E-TRADE PARTNER)

In SMART Subscriptions, each subscription option can apply a Percentage, Amount off, or Fixed amount discount (a fixed price). You can switch to a second discount after X payments and end the subscription after a maximum number of payments, then assign products so the widget shows the offer.

A pet-food store wants “Subscribe & save 20%” on the first three payments, then 10% ongoing, with a hard stop after 12 payments for a limited loyalty run. That is plan discount configuration, not a one-off Shopify discount code pasted at checkout.

Subscription discounts live on the selling plan. Customers see them when they choose the subscription option before checkout. For the broader subscribe & save pattern, see subscribe and save on Shopify.

Why plan discounts matter

• A clear save amount is often the reason someone picks recurring over one-time.
• Percentage scales cleanly across a catalog with many price points.
• Amount off takes the same amount off every SKU. Fixed amount sets one subscription price for every product in that plan.
• A second discount after X payments lets you run an intro offer without maintaining a second plan forever.

What Shopify can and cannot do natively

Shopify selling plans can carry pricing policies, but most merchants do not want to assemble those policies by hand. SMART Subscriptions puts the common choices on each subscription option: percentage, amount off, or a fixed price, plus an optional second discount after a number of payments and a minimum or maximum number of payments.

Setup steps in SMART Subscriptions

1. Open SMART Subscriptions and create or edit a plan in Plans.
2. Add a subscription option. Set Delivery every (days, weeks, months, or years) and choose Pay as you go or Pay in advance.
3. Turn on Apply discount and pick Percentage, Amount off, or Fixed amount (a fixed price).
4. For an intro offer, turn on Change discount value after X payment cycles. Enter X and the second discount.
5. Set a maximum number of payments when the subscription should end on its own. The first order is payment 1, and the app expires the contract after the last one. Set a minimum to block cancel in the customer portal until it is reached.
6. Add more options to the same plan for other cadences or discounts. Option names can be translated per language.
7. Assign products and write the option Label so it matches the plan. The widget's SAVE badge and discount info come from the plan automatically.
8. Place a test order and confirm the first order's line price. The second discount starts at payment X+1, so check it on that renewal.

Worked example: 20% intro, then 10%

A shampoo brand wants 20% off the first 3 payments, then 10% afterward, on a monthly pay-as-you-go option with no end date.

1. Create a plan with a monthly pay-as-you-go option.
2. Apply a 20% Percentage discount.
3. Turn on Change discount value after X payment cycles: 3 payments, then 10%.
4. Leave the maximum number of payments unset so the subscription runs until cancelled.
5. Assign shampoo products and set the option Label to “Subscribe & save 20% for 3 months, then 10%”.
6. Test checkout and confirm the first order reflects 20% off.

Customers get a clear intro offer, then a steady subscriber price, without needing a second product or manual price edits each month.

Practical tips

• Prefer percentage when many products share one plan.
• Use Fixed amount when the promise is one subscription price, and give each price point its own plan.
• Pair discounts with the right pay as you go or pay in advance model.
• If the product should not offer one-time purchase beside the deal, see hide one-time purchase.
• For first-time setup, follow how to set up product subscriptions.
• Before a wide launch, test subscriptions with a real checkout and contract.

Frequently asked questions