This guide covers best practices across three key areas of the subscription experience: the checkout flow, customer portal and subscription management, and email communications.
Checkout flow best practices
Make subscription terms clear upfront
Customers should understand exactly what they're signing up for before they complete their purchase.
What to include:
Clear subscription frequency (e.g., "Delivered every 30 days")
Total price including any discounts
When the first charge will occur
When future charges will occur
How to skip, pause, or cancel
Where to include it:
Product pages
Cart
Checkout page
Use clear, direct language
Avoid vague phrasing like "auto-replenish" or "membership." Use straightforward terms like "subscription" and "recurring delivery."
Example of clear language: "You'll be charged $29.99 today, then $29.99 every 30 days until you cancel. You can skip, pause, or cancel anytime in your customer portal."
If your subscription discount changes after the first order, add a recurring pricing policy to clearly communicate the future discount to customers at checkout.
Make subscribe vs. one-time purchase obvious
If you offer both subscription and one-time purchase options, make sure customers can easily distinguish between them.
Best practices:
Use clear radio buttons or selection UI
Visually differentiate the two options
Show pricing for both options side by side
Default to the option most customers choose (often one-time purchase)
Confirm subscription details after purchase
After checkout, show customers a confirmation page or email that clearly restates:
What they subscribed to
Subscription frequency
Next charge date
How to manage their subscription
The order confirmation page is native within Shopify. Learn more about email notifications below.
Customer portal best practices
Make the portal easy to find
Customers should be able to access their subscription management portal without contacting support.
Best practices:
Include a direct link in every subscription email
Add a "Manage Subscription" link in your website footer or account page
Send a welcome email with portal access instructions after the first order
Offer flexible management options
Give customers control over their subscriptions without requiring them to cancel.
Options to include:
Skip next order
Pause subscription
Change delivery frequency
Swap products
Update payment method
Update shipping address
The more control customers have, the less likely they are to cancel out of frustration.
Learn more about managing available customer portal actions in Customer Portal v3 (CPv3) here. For Customer Portal v2 (CPv2), check out portal settings here.
Design a thoughtful cancel flow
When customers attempt to cancel, use your cancel flow to understand why and offer alternatives.
Best practices:
Ask why they're canceling (with optional feedback)
Offer relevant retention options based on their reason (e.g., skip next order, change frequency, apply a discount)
Make cancellation easy if they still want to proceed
Confirm the cancellation clearly
What to avoid:
Making cancellation difficult or confusing
Requiring customers to contact support to cancel
Using dark patterns or manipulative language
Email communication best practices
Send transactional subscription emails and SMS notifications
Keep customers informed whenever something happens with their subscription. This builds trust and reduces confusion.
Essential emails to enable (title of notification in Skio vs. in Klaviyo):
Order confirm / subscription management reminder (Skio) / New subscription created (Klaviyo) or Subscription renewed (Klaviyo)
Billing reminder (Skio) / Billing reminder notification (Klaviyo)
Billing attempt failure (Skio) / Billing attempt failed (Klaviyo)
Subscription paused (Klaviyo)
Skip order (Skio) / Subscription skipped (Klaviyo)
Cancel subscription (Skio) / Subscription Cancelled (Klaviyo)
Learn more about email notifications and SkioSMS notifications here. If you’re using Klaviyo, check out our Klaviyo guide here.
Time your emails strategically
Upcoming order reminders: Send 3-5 days before the next charge. This gives customers time to make changes if needed.
Failed payment emails: Send immediately after a failed charge, with clear instructions on how to update payment information.
Include clear next steps
Every email should tell customers what they can do and how to do it.
Include in every email:
Direct link to customer portal
Instructions for managing their subscription
Support contact information if they have questions
Additional recommendations
Review your setup regularly
Subscription best practices evolve as customer expectations and regulations change. Review your setup quarterly or whenever you launch new products or promotions.
Test the customer experience yourself
Walk through your own checkout flow and subscription management process as if you were a customer. Look for:
Confusing language
Missing information
Friction points
Broken links or errors
Monitor cancellation reasons
Track why customers cancel and look for patterns. If many customers cite the same reason (e.g., "too expensive," "don't need it as often"), adjust your offering or communication accordingly.
Learn more about your Cancellation reasons in your Cancel Flow Dashboard. For payment failure reasons, check out your Dunning Dashboard.
Work with your legal team
Have your legal counsel review your subscription disclosures, terms, and cancel flow to confirm they meet requirements for your business and location.