Learn more about your Shipping settings here.
Do I need to set up a Shopify shipping profile first
It depends on how you want to manage shipping for your Selling Plans.
If you want subscription-specific shipping conditions: Yes, create a Skio shipping profile first. This allows you to set custom shipping rules tailored to specific selling plans—like offering free shipping for certain subscription types.
If you want to use your existing Shopify shipping settings: No, you can select Managed by Shopify when creating or editing a selling plan. This applies your default Shopify Shipping Profiles to those subscriptions.
You can always create Skio shipping profiles later and reassign selling plans as needed.
Why isn’t free shipping applying?
If you've enabled the free shipping override, make sure to click Resync shipping to activate it.
Can I make the first order free shipping but charge normal rates on recurring orders?
Yes. Configure free shipping for your subscription products at checkout using Shopify discount codes or shipping profile settings.
For recurring orders, ensure your standard paid shipping rates are configured in your subscription shipping profile. Note that in mixed carts, shipping logic becomes more complex—test your setup thoroughly to confirm expected behavior.
In a mixed cart, why do I see two shipping lines on the order? Can I combine them into one line?
Shopify evaluates one-time and subscription items separately and cannot combine them into a single shipping charge. The two lines represent:
One line for the immediate shipment (which may include both one-time and the first subscription delivery)
One line for the recurring subscription preview
This is Shopify's default behavior and cannot be changed. You may also see a generic "Shipping" label when both item groups qualify for the same rate.
If a customer chose Priority shipping at checkout, why do recurring orders use a cheaper method? Can we keep the same carrier for recurring shipments?
Shopify defaults to the cheapest available shipping rate for all recurring orders, regardless of the method selected at initial checkout. There is no native way to force recurring orders to retain a specific carrier or service level. You would need to manually adjust individual recurring orders or use custom scripting to maintain consistency.
Do free-shipping discounts apply to subscription checkouts and recurring payments automatically?
Free-shipping discounts apply based on how you configure them in Shopify:
First payment only: Configure the discount to apply at checkout without selecting "recurring"
All payments: Configure the discount with recurring settings enabled
Always scope your discount settings to match your intended behavior (first payment only vs. all recurring payments).
How do thresholds (like free shipping over $75) apply when multiple selling plans are in the same checkout?
Shopify calculates shipping thresholds separately for each selling plan/frequency group. If one group meets the threshold and another doesn't, you may see a shipping charge applied to the group that falls below the threshold. Review your threshold settings and consider using Skio's Recurring Free Shipping Override to apply consistent logic across all recurring orders.
We changed items, quantities, or tags. Why didn't the recurring shipping method update?
When you modify subscription details, Shopify may not automatically recalculate shipping rates. Use Skio's Resync shipping tool to push rate changes to existing subscriptions. If you're using a third-party shipping rate app, confirm it recalculates rates when subscription details change.
Which profile is used when the cart is subscription-only vs. mixed?
Subscription-only carts: Rates come from your Skio/Subscription shipping profile
Mixed carts: Shopify uses its own shipping profile logic, which may pull from multiple profiles depending on your configuration
To diagnose which profile is being used, review your Shopify shipping settings and test different cart combinations to observe rate behavior.
Can Skio change or choose carriers for recurring shipments?
No. Skio does not control carrier selection for recurring shipments. Shipping rates are determined by Shopify (or your configured third-party shipping rate app). Shopify automatically selects the cheapest available rate for recurring orders based on your shipping profile settings.
How do I set flat subscription rates by region (for example, $6.99 flat in the US, free over $200) while keeping international shipping via a carrier app?
Configure regional shipping zones in your Shopify shipping settings:
In your Skio Dashboard, create separate zones for US, international regions, etc.
Set flat rates for the US zone with conditional free-shipping thresholds
For international zones, configure carrier-calculated rates or integrate your third-party rate app
Test checkout behavior across regions to confirm rates appear as expected for both first and recurring orders.
Why do EU/ROW/US regions behave differently on first vs. recurring orders?
Shipping behavior varies by region based on how you've configured your Shopify shipping zones and profiles. First orders pull from the rates available at checkout, while recurring orders default to the cheapest available rate per region. Review your regional shipping settings to ensure your free/paid rules are correctly scoped for both first and recurring shipments.
How do third-party shipping rate apps affect subscription shipping?
Third-party rate apps integrate with Shopify's shipping logic. If your app doesn't recalculate rates when subscription details change, use Skio's Resync shipping tool to update rates.
Can I make recurring orders use the same shipping method the customer selected at checkout?
No. Shopify defaults to the cheapest available rate for recurring orders. You would need to manually adjust individual orders to maintain consistency.