How to Create a WooCommerce Subscription Product on Your Website?

Are you looking to add a steady revenue stream to your eCommerce website? Offering subscription-based products is an excellent way to do it! Subscriptions allow you to provide consistent value to your customers while enjoying recurring income for your business. Whether you run a product-based store, offer services, or deliver digital content, WooCommerce makes it easy to set up and manage subscription products. Making it an ideal choice for businesses aiming to enhance customer retention and lifetime value.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through every step of creating a WooCommerce subscription product on your website. From installing and configuring the necessary plugins to setting pricing, subscription terms, and payment methods, this tutorial covers it all. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced WooCommerce user, you'll learn how to unlock the potential of subscription-based selling to grow your business. Let’s get started on creating a reliable and profitable subscription model for your store!

What Are WooCommerce Subscription Products?

WooCommerce subscription products are recurring billing products or services offered through an eCommerce website built on WooCommerce. These products enable businesses to charge customers at regular intervals weekly, monthly, annually, or any other predefined period for ongoing access to goods, services, or content.

The concept of subscription products is highly versatile and can be applied to various industries. For instance, subscription boxes for cosmetics, pet supplies, or gourmet snacks allow customers to receive curated items regularly. Similarly, businesses offering digital products like e-learning courses, software, or streaming services can use subscriptions to provide continuous access. Service-based businesses, such as gyms, fitness classes, or online communities, also benefit from recurring payment structures.

WooCommerce simplifies the creation and management of subscription products with the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin. This tool allows merchants to set flexible billing cycles, manage customer subscriptions efficiently, and automate renewal processes, reducing manual effort. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly with multiple payment gateways, enabling easy processing of recurring payments.

Offering subscription products not only ensures a predictable revenue stream but also fosters customer loyalty and long-term engagement. Whether you're selling physical goods, digital services, or memberships, WooCommerce subscription products can be a game-changer for your business.

Steps to Create a WooCommerce Subscription Product

Setting up a subscription product in WooCommerce can unlock recurring revenue opportunities for your business. Here are the steps to create a WooCommerce subscription product, assuming you have already installed and set up your WooCommerce store. If not, we’ll briefly cover the essentials before diving into the subscription setup.

Step 1: Set Up Your WooCommerce Store

Before creating a WooCommerce subscription product, it’s essential to set up your WooCommerce store. This forms the foundation of your eCommerce platform and enables you to manage both regular and subscription-based products effectively. If WooCommerce isn’t installed on your WordPress website yet, follow these steps:

Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard: Access the backend of your website using your administrator credentials.
Install WooCommerce: Navigate to Plugins > Add New and search for “WooCommerce.” Locate the plugin by Automattic, click Install Now, and then hit Activate once the installation is complete.
Run the Setup Wizard: Upon activation, WooCommerce will prompt you to run its Setup Wizard. This tool helps you configure essential settings, including currency, store location, preferred payment methods (e.g., PayPal, Stripe), and shipping options. Fill in these details carefully to ensure a seamless shopping experience.
Add Your First Products: Go to Products > Add New to create your initial product listings. Enter essential details such as product title, price, description, categories, and high-quality images. These products can later be converted into subscription products as needed.

By completing these steps, your WooCommerce store will be fully functional and ready to accommodate subscription functionality. With your foundation in place, you can now focus on implementing plugins and settings to create and manage WooCommerce subscription products.

Step 2: Find a Subscription Plugin

After activating WooCommerce on your WordPress site, you may notice that WooCommerce itself doesn’t offer built-in functionality for subscription products. To enable this feature, you’ll need a specialized plugin for subscription management. Such plugins are essential to create and manage WooCommerce subscription products effectively, as they handle recurring billing, subscription durations, trial periods, and more.

Here are some popular options to consider:

WooCommerce Subscriptions: This premium plugin is developed by WooCommerce and integrates seamlessly with your store. Priced at approximately $23 per month, it offers robust features such as flexible billing intervals, automatic renewals, and compatibility with major payment gateways. It’s ideal for businesses needing advanced subscription management tools.
YITH WooCommerce Subscription: Perfect for users who prefer a straightforward setup, this plugin is both user-friendly and versatile. Available in free and premium versions, it supports features like recurring payments, subscription cancellations, and GDPR compliance. It’s an excellent choice for beginners or those looking for simplicity.
Paid Membership Subscriptions: This plugin offers extensive customization options, making it suitable for complex subscription setups. Setting up a subscription model with Paid Membership Subscriptions can be a bit challenging but provides full control over customization. If you’re familiar with advanced configurations, this plugin is worth considering. One of our themes, the Stock Images WordPress Theme, is specifically built using this plugin. You can check it out for inspiration.

For ease of use and reliability, YITH WooCommerce Subscription stands out as the best choice for most users. Let’s move forward with installing and setting up this plugin to create your WooCommerce subscription product effortlessly.

Step 3: Install and Configure YITH WooCommerce Subscription

To create a seamless WooCommerce Subscription Product, the first step is installing and activating the YITH WooCommerce Subscription plugin. This tool simplifies the setup and management of subscription-based products, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and advanced users. This plugin is one of the best subscription plugins for WordPress.

Download the Plugin

Begin by navigating to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress Dashboard.
In the search bar, type “YITH WooCommerce Subscription.”
Once the plugin appears, click on Install Now and then Activate. The plugin will integrate with your WooCommerce store, adding the subscription management functionality to your website.

Configure the Plugin

After activation, head to YITH > Subscription in your dashboard.
Here, you can customize settings like stock management for products with recurring payments, ensuring inventory is updated for every billing cycle.
Enable options for automatic subscription cancellation when a main order is canceled to streamline management.
Adjust GDPR and privacy settings to ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
Set permissions for shop managers, allowing them to manage subscription-related tasks easily.

Customize Button Texts

To align with the subscription model, update button text across your website.
Replace default labels like “Add to Cart” with “Subscribe” on the product page, cart, and checkout screens. This enhances clarity and improves the user experience.

With these steps complete, your WooCommerce Subscription Product setup is ready for further customization.

Step 4: Set a Product as Subscribable

Now that your subscription plugin is installed and configured, the next step is to transform a product into a WooCommerce subscription product. This process involves enabling subscription options for your chosen product and configuring essential settings.

Go to the Product Edit Page: Begin by navigating to Products > All Products in your WordPress dashboard. Select the product you want to make a subscription product. This could be an existing product or a newly created one.
Enable Subscriptions: Scroll down to the Product Data section on the product edit page. Check the box labeled Subscription to activate subscription options for the selected product.
Configure Subscription Settings: In the Product Data section, locate the Subscription Settings tab. Here, define critical parameters:

Billing Interval: Determine how frequently customers will be charged (e.g., weekly, monthly, or annually).
Subscription Duration: Set whether the subscription ends after a specific period or continues indefinitely.
Subscription Limits: Limit the number of subscriptions available for this product if needed.
Trial Period: Offer an optional free trial to encourage sign-ups.

Add Product Details: Complete the product details, including title, images, description, pricing, tags, and categories, to ensure a fully optimized listing.
Save Changes: Once all settings and details are configured, click Update or Publish.

Your product page will now display a Subscribe button, signaling its availability as a WooCommerce subscription product. This step is crucial for enabling recurring billing and creating a seamless customer experience. For detailed guide on how to create Woocommerce product types you can visit our blog for the same.

Step 5: Configure WooCommerce Payment Gateway

To successfully process recurring payments for your WooCommerce subscription product, it is crucial to configure a compatible payment gateway. WooCommerce subscriptions require payment gateways that support automated recurring billing, ensuring customers are charged consistently without manual intervention. Popular gateways like PayPal and Stripe integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce, allowing you to easily manage subscription-based payments.

If you are confused on which plugin to choose for your website, then we have compared best payment gateways for WordPress from which you can choose one.

Here’s how to configure your payment gateway for WooCommerce subscription products:

Navigate to WooCommerce Settings: Start by going to your WordPress dashboard, then click on WooCommerce > Settings > Payments. This will take you to the payment settings page, where you can configure the payment methods you wish to offer.
Enable Payment Methods: In the Payments tab, you will see a list of available payment gateways. Enable the ones that are compatible with WooCommerce subscriptions, such as PayPal or Stripe. Both gateways have built-in support for recurring payments. To enable them, click on the payment method name, toggle it to "Enable," and click Save Changes.
Ensure Recurring Payments Are Supported: Make sure your selected payment gateway is set up to handle automatic recurring payments. This ensures that customers are billed on a regular basis without needing manual invoicing. With gateways like PayPal and Stripe, this setup is typically straightforward, but always double-check that the recurring billing option is activated.

Once set up, your WooCommerce subscription product can begin processing subscription payments automatically, ensuring a smooth, recurring revenue flow.

Step 6: Test the Subscription

Before launching your WooCommerce Subscription Product, it's crucial to thoroughly test its functionality to ensure a smooth customer experience. Follow these key steps to verify everything works as expected:

Preview the Product Page: Start by reviewing the product page on the front end of your store. Make sure all subscription details are correctly displayed, including the pricing, billing intervals, and any trial periods if applicable. Ensure the Subscribe button appears instead of the standard “Add to Cart” button, confirming the product is set up as a subscription.
Place a Test Order: To verify the subscription functionality, create a test customer account and place a subscription order. Use a test payment gateway (such as PayPal Sandbox or Stripe’s test mode) to simulate the transaction. This will confirm that the payment gateway correctly processes the initial payment and sets up recurring billing. Ensure the payment is successfully deducted for the subscription period, and that the order status updates accordingly in the backend.
Check Email Notifications: Test all customer-facing emails triggered by the subscription. This includes confirmation emails, payment receipts, subscription renewal reminders, and cancellation notices. Ensure these emails contain the right information and are sent at the correct times, as they play a vital role in keeping customers informed about their subscription status.

Testing these aspects before going live ensures a seamless experience for both you and your customers.

Step 7: Launch and Promote Your Subscription Product

Once you’ve completed the testing phase and ensured everything is working smoothly, it’s time to launch your WooCommerce subscription product and start promoting it to attract subscribers.

Optimize the Product Page: The product page is the first point of contact for potential subscribers. Make sure it is compelling and conversion-friendly. Add persuasive copy that clearly outlines the benefits of subscribing whether it’s convenience, exclusive access, or cost savings. Use high-quality visuals and videos to showcase your product or service. Incorporate customer testimonials and success stories to build trust. Additionally, provide a detailed description of the subscription terms, including billing cycles and renewal conditions, so customers know exactly what to expect.
Create Marketing Campaigns: To get the word out, create targeted marketing campaigns. Use email marketing plugins for WordPress to inform your existing customers about the new subscription offering. Leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to reach a broader audience. Paid advertising through Google Ads or Facebook Ads can also help drive traffic to your subscription product page, especially if you target relevant keywords and demographics.
Offer Discounts or Free Trials: To entice potential customers, offer introductory discounts or a free trial period for the subscription. This reduces the perceived risk and encourages users to try the service. Once customers experience the value, they’re more likely to stick around for the long term.

By following these steps, you can successfully launch and promote your WooCommerce subscription product and start building a loyal customer base.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a WooCommerce subscription product on your website is a great way to establish a steady revenue stream while offering value to your customers through recurring billing. As we've seen, WooCommerce subscription products allow you to sell anything from physical items to digital services and memberships with flexible billing cycles.

By following the steps outlined in this guide installing the YITH WooCommerce Subscription plugin, configuring product settings, and integrating with payment gateways you can easily set up a subscription model that suits your business needs. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced WooCommerce user, this process can be accomplished with minimal technical knowledge, especially when using user-friendly plugins like YITH WooCommerce Subscription.

With your subscription products live, don’t forget to promote them effectively and offer attractive deals to entice customers. By doing so, you can foster customer loyalty, increase lifetime value, and unlock new growth opportunities for your WooCommerce store. Start creating subscription products today and watch your business thrive!

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