Learn how to configure a selling plan with a discount on the first order that automatically switches to a different discount for all recurring subscriptions.
For example, you might offer a larger discount to attract new subscribers on their first order, then apply a smaller recurring discount to maintain profitability while reducing churn. This configuration requires both a selling plan setup and a Journey automation to execute the discount change after the first order.
Walkthrough
How to set up 20% off your first-order that changes to 10% off for recurring orders
Step 1: Configure your selling plan with the first-order discount
In the lefthand menu of your Skio Dashboard, go to Features > Selling Plans.
Select the selling plan you want to edit, or create a new one.
Set the Discount field to 20% off (this will apply to the first order).
Under Recurring Policy, set the discount display to 10% off for orders after the first one.
Click Save to apply your changes.
The recurring policy setting is for visual display purposes only. It shows customers at checkout that the discount will change after their first order. You'll still need to create a Journey (Step 2) to actually apply the 20% discount to future orders.
Step 2: Create a Journey to apply the recurring discount
In the lefthand menu of your Skio Dashboard, go to Features > Journeys.
Click Create New Journey.
Set the Trigger to After Order and add a filter for Order # = 1 (this ensures the Journey only runs after the customer's first order).
Under Conditions, select Contains Product and filter by the product(s) you want to apply this discount structure to.
Optional: Add an additional filter by Selling Plan ID to ensure this Journey only applies to the specific selling plan you configured in Step 1.
Under Actions, choose Update Product Price > Percentage Off.
Set the percentage to 10% (this discount will be calculated based on the original product base price).
Click Save and toggle the Journey to Active.
Your tiered discount structure is now live. Customers will receive 30% off their first order, and the Journey will automatically apply 20% off to all future recurring orders after the first one.
If you need to update discounts for customers who already have active subscriptions, you'll need to manually apply those changes using a bulk operation.
Why use Journeys instead of discount codes?
The Journeys route lets you offer a higher discount on the first order without stacking discount codes. This matters because discounts in Shopify are applied sequentially (one after another), not added together.
Example scenario: You want to offer 30% off the first order and 20% off recurring orders.
The wrong way (stacking discounts):
Base recurring discount: 20% off
Add 10% discount code for first order
Actual result: 28% off (not 30%)
The right way (using Journeys):
First order: 30% off
Recurring orders: 20% off
Actual result: 30% off, then 20% off
Here's why: Shopify applies the 10% discount to the already-discounted price. So if a product is $100, the 20% subscription discount makes it $80, then the 10% code takes another $8 off for a total of $72 (28% off the original price).
Journeys applies the exact discount you want for each order in the sequence, giving you precise control over your pricing strategy.
Learn more about how discount stacking works in our guide here.