Recharge powers subscriptions for 20,000+ Shopify brands. This guide covers setup, optimization, and scaling subscription revenue.
integrates with
Why Recharge?
Recharge advantages:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Market leader | Most Shopify subscriptions |
| Customer portal | Self-service management |
| Flexible models | Any subscription type |
| Shopify native | Deep integration |
| Analytics | Subscription metrics |
Subscription models supported:
- Subscribe and save
- Curated boxes
- Replenishment
- Memberships
- Build-a-box
Recharge Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0 | 1% + $0.10 |
| Pro | $499 | 1% + $0.19 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Plan comparison:
| Feature | Standard | Pro | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Analytics | Basic | Advanced | Custom |
| Customer portal | Standard | Custom | Custom |
| API access | Limited | Full | Full |
| Support | Priority | Dedicated |
Getting Started
Step 1: Install Recharge
- Go to Shopify App Store
- Search “Recharge Subscriptions”
- Click Add app
- Authorize permissions
- Complete onboarding
Step 2: Configure Settings
Core settings:
├── Currency and timezone
├── Subscription terms
├── Customer portal URL
├── Email notifications
└── Payment retry settings
Data Flow
%%{init: {'theme': 'base', 'themeVariables': { 'primaryColor': '#e0f2fe', 'primaryTextColor': '#0369a1', 'primaryBorderColor': '#0369a1', 'lineColor': '#64748b', 'secondaryColor': '#f0fdf4', 'tertiaryColor': '#fef3c7'}}}%%
graph LR
A[Store Store] -->|Data Sync| B[Shopify]
B -->|Bi-directional| C[Recharge]
Real-time sync
Scheduled sync
Step 3: Create Subscription Rules
Define subscription options:
- Go to Rules
- Create selling plan group
- Set discount and frequency
- Apply to products
Step 4: Add to Products
Enable subscriptions:
- Select products
- Choose subscription rule
- Set one-time purchase option (optional)
- Save and publish
Subscription Models
Subscribe and Save
Configuration:
├── Discount: 10-20% off
├── Frequencies: 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks
├── Prepaid options: 3, 6, 12 months
└── One-time purchase: Allow
Best for:
- Consumables
- Supplements
- Coffee/tea
- Pet food
- Beauty products
Curated Boxes
| Element | Setup |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly/quarterly |
| Pricing | Fixed or variable |
| Contents | Pre-selected |
| Theme | Seasonal/themed |
Best for:
- Lifestyle brands
- Food & beverage
- Kids products
- Hobby niches
Build-Your-Own Box
Customer selects products:
- Choose box size
- Select products
- Customize frequency
- Manage via portal
Membership Programs
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Paid membership | Monthly fee for benefits |
| VIP access | Early/exclusive products |
| Discount club | Member pricing |
Customer Portal
Self-Service Features
Customers can:
- Skip upcoming orders
- Swap products
- Change frequency
- Update payment method
- Modify shipping address
- Add one-time products
- Cancel subscription
Portal Customization
Customizable elements:
├── Branding (logo, colors)
├── Product recommendations
├── Upsell opportunities
├── Loyalty integration
└── Custom messaging
Reducing Churn
Portal features that reduce cancellations:
- Skip option (vs cancel)
- Pause subscription
- Frequency change
- Discount retention offers
Email Notifications
Automated Emails
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Subscription created | New subscription |
| Upcoming order | 3 days before charge |
| Order processed | After payment |
| Payment failed | Declined card |
| Subscription cancelled | Cancellation |
Customization
Edit templates:
- Go to Notifications
- Select email type
- Edit content
- Add branding
- Preview and save
Payment Management
Retry Logic
Default retry schedule:
├── Day 1: Initial attempt
├── Day 3: First retry
├── Day 5: Second retry
├── Day 7: Third retry
└── Day 10: Final attempt + pause
Failed Payment Recovery
| Strategy | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Email reminders | Automated at each retry |
| SMS notification | Optional integration |
| Update payment link | Direct to card update |
| Cancellation warning | Before final pause |
Payment Methods
Supported:
- Credit/debit cards
- Shop Pay
- PayPal (via integration)
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Analytics & Reporting
Key Metrics
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| MRR | Monthly recurring revenue |
| Churn rate | % subscribers lost monthly |
| LTV | Lifetime value per subscriber |
| Average order value | Mean subscription order |
| Retention curve | Subscriber retention over time |
Dashboards
Standard analytics:
- Revenue trends
- Subscription growth
- Churn analysis
- Product performance
- Customer cohorts
Reducing Churn
Churn Prevention Tactics
| Tactic | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Skip option | Prominent in portal |
| Pause subscription | Alternative to cancel |
| Win-back discount | On cancellation page |
| Cancellation survey | Gather feedback |
| Product swap | Easy in portal |
Cancellation Flow
Cancellation funnel:
├── Why are you cancelling?
├── Would you like to pause instead?
├── Here's a discount to stay
├── We're sorry to see you go
└── Optional: Reactivation offer
Integrations
Marketing
| Platform | Integration |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Subscriber segments |
| Attentive | SMS for subscriptions |
| Postscript | Text campaigns |
| Gorgias | Customer support |
Operations
| Platform | Use Case |
|---|---|
| ShipStation | Subscription fulfillment |
| Loop | Subscription returns |
| LoyaltyLion | Points for subscribers |
Advanced Features
Prepaid Subscriptions
Offer prepaid options:
- 3-month (5% discount)
- 6-month (10% discount)
- 12-month (15% discount)
Benefits:
- Cash flow upfront
- Higher commitment
- Lower churn
One-Time Add-Ons
Allow customers to add:
- Extra products
- Limited editions
- Add-on items
- Gift items
Gifting
Subscription gifts:
- Gift prepaid subscriptions
- Gift message option
- Recipient management
- Renewal to recipient
Troubleshooting
Orders Not Creating
Causes:
- Payment failed
- Product out of stock
- Subscription paused
- Address invalid
Solutions:
- Check subscription status
- Verify payment method
- Confirm inventory
- Review address
Customer Portal Issues
Causes:
- Incorrect portal URL
- Customer not logged in
- Session timeout
Solutions:
- Verify portal URL
- Send magic link
- Check account connection
Best Practices
Product Selection
Choose products with:
- Consumable nature
- Regular replenishment need
- Consistent quality
- Good margins
Pricing Strategy
| Approach | Discount |
|---|---|
| Standard subscribe & save | 10-15% |
| Annual prepaid | 20-25% |
| Premium curated | No discount (value-add) |
Conversion Optimization
- Show savings prominently
- Default to subscription
- Explain flexibility
- Social proof (subscriber count)
Recharge vs Alternatives
| Feature | Recharge | Bold | Skio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market share | #1 | #2 | Growing |
| Pricing | 1% + $0.10 | 1% + $0.10 | Custom |
| Customer portal | Excellent | Good | Modern |
| Native checkout | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | All sizes | Mid-market | DTC brands |
Next Steps
After setup:
- Configure rules - Set up subscription options
- Enable products - Add subscriptions to catalog
- Customize portal - Brand the customer experience
- Set up emails - Configure notifications
- Launch & optimize - Monitor metrics and improve
Shopify + Recharge implementation checklist (2025)
This section adds practical “make it stable” steps you can use after you install the app/connector. It’s intentionally lightweight: the goal is fewer sync surprises, cleaner reporting, and easier troubleshooting.
1) Quick setup checklist
- Permissions first: grant only the scopes you need (orders/customers/products as required) and document who owns the admin credentials.
- Data mapping: confirm how email, phone, currency, and SKU are mapped between Shopify and Recharge.
- Historical import: decide how far back to import orders/customers (avoid importing years of data if you don’t need it).
- Deduplication rules: pick one unique identifier per object (usually email for customers, order ID for orders) to prevent doubles.
- Alerts: set a lightweight alert path (email/Slack) for failed syncs, auth expiry, and API rate limits.
2) Data you should verify after connecting
Most integration issues show up in the first hour if you test the right things. Use the table below as a QA checklist (create a test order if needed).
| Data object | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Email/phone format, marketing consent fields, duplicates | Prevents double messaging and broken segmentation |
| Orders | Order total, tax, discount, shipping, currency | Keeps revenue reporting and automation triggers accurate |
| Line items | SKU, variant ID, quantity, refunds/returns behavior | Avoids inventory and attribution mismatches |
| Fulfillment | Status changes + timestamps, tracking numbers, carrier fields | Drives customer notifications and post-purchase flows |
| Catalog | Product titles, handles, images, collections/tags | Ensures personalization and reporting match your storefront |
3) Automation ideas for Subscriptions
- Start with one core workflow and validate end-to-end before adding more automation.
- Keep field naming consistent (email, phone, currency, SKU) to reduce mapping bugs.
- Monitor errors weekly and document a simple rollback plan for high-impact changes.
API sanity check (Shopify Admin API)
If your integration UI says “connected” but data isn’t flowing, a quick API call helps confirm whether the store is accessible and returning the objects you expect.
# List the 5 most recent orders (GraphQL)
curl -X POST "https://your-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-01/graphql.json" \
-H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: $SHOPIFY_ADMIN_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"query\":\"{ orders(first: 5, sortKey: CREATED_AT, reverse: true) { edges { node { id name createdAt totalPriceSet { shopMoney { amount currencyCode } } customer { email } } } } }\"}"Tip: keep tokens/keys in environment variables, and test in a staging store/site before rolling changes to production.
4) KPIs to monitor (so you catch problems early)
- Sync freshness: how long it takes for a new order/customer event to appear in Recharge.
- Error rate: failed syncs per day (and which object types fail most).
- Duplicates: number of merged/duplicate contacts or orders created by mapping mistakes.
- Revenue parity: weekly spot-check that Shopify totals match downstream reporting (especially after refunds).
- Attribution sanity: confirm that key events (purchase, refund, subscription) are tracked consistently.
5) A simple 30-day optimization plan
- Week 1: connect + map fields, then validate with 5–10 real orders/customers.
- Week 2: enable 1–2 automations and measure baseline KPIs (conversion, AOV, repeat rate).
- Week 3: tighten segmentation/rules (exclude recent buyers, add VIP thresholds, handle edge cases).
- Week 4: document the setup, create an “owner” checklist, and set a recurring monthly audit.
For loyalty programs, see Shopify loyalty integration. For email marketing, check Klaviyo integration.