Skio provides modern subscription management for Shopify brands. This guide covers setup and optimization for customer-friendly recurring revenue.
integrates with
Why Skio?
Modern subscription experience:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Passwordless login | Frictionless access |
| Native checkout | Shopify integration |
| Group subscriptions | Family/team plans |
| Build-a-box | Customer customization |
| Modern UX | Beautiful portal |
Built differently:
- Shopify-native APIs
- No iframe checkout
- Modern technology stack
- Customer-first design
Skio Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 | 1% + $0.20 |
| Growth | $399 | 1% + $0.20 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Plan comparison:
| Feature | Starter | Growth | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Passwordless | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Build-a-box | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group subs | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Analytics | Basic | Advanced | Custom |
| Support | Priority | Dedicated |
Getting Started
Step 1: Install Skio
- Go to Shopify App Store
- Search “Skio Subscriptions”
- Click Add app
- Authorize access
- Complete onboarding
Step 2: Configure Settings
Core settings:
├── Subscription terms
├── Portal URL customization
├── Email notifications
├── Payment retry settings
└── Checkout experience
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[Skio]
Real-time sync
Scheduled sync
Step 3: Create Subscription Plans
- Go to Selling Plans
- Create new plan group
- Set discount and frequency
- Apply to products
Step 4: Install Customer Portal
Add portal access:
- Account page link
- Order confirmation
- Email templates
- Passwordless magic links
Passwordless Login
How It Works
Customer clicks "Manage Subscription"
↓
Enters email address
↓
Receives magic link
↓
Clicks link
↓
Instantly logged in
↓
Full portal access
Benefits
| Traditional Login | Passwordless |
|---|---|
| Remember password | No password needed |
| Reset password flow | Instant access |
| Login friction | Seamless experience |
| Lower engagement | Higher portal usage |
Implementation
Automatic with Skio:
- Magic links in emails
- Account page integration
- Order confirmation links
- SMS magic links (optional)
Customer Portal
Self-Service Features
Customers can:
- Skip upcoming orders
- Swap products
- Change frequency
- Update payment
- Modify shipping
- Add one-time products
- Cancel subscription
Portal Design
Modern, customizable:
- Brand colors
- Logo
- Custom messaging
- Product recommendations
- Upsell opportunities
Mobile Experience
Mobile-optimized:
- Touch-friendly
- Fast loading
- Full functionality
- Native feel
Subscription Models
Subscribe and Save
Configuration:
├── Discount: 10-20% off
├── Frequencies: 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks
├── Prepaid: 3, 6, 12 months
└── One-time: Optional
Example:
- Subscribe at 15% off
- Delivery every 4 weeks
- First order discount
Build-a-Box (Growth Plan)
Customer-created subscriptions:
- Select box size/price
- Choose products
- Customize quantities
- Save preferences
- Modify anytime
Best for:
- Food & beverage
- Beauty boxes
- Supplements
- Pet products
Group Subscriptions (Growth Plan)
Family and team plans:
- Primary subscriber manages
- Add/remove members
- Split deliveries
- Shared billing
Use cases:
- Family coffee subscription
- Office snack boxes
- Team wellness products
Prepaid Subscriptions
Offer prepaid options:
| Term | Discount | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 5% extra | Upfront |
| 6 months | 10% extra | Upfront |
| 12 months | 15% extra | Upfront |
Native Shopify Integration
Checkout Extensions
Skio uses Shopify’s native:
- Subscription checkout
- Payment processing
- Order management
- No redirects
Benefits
| Feature | Skio Approach |
|---|---|
| Checkout | Native Shopify |
| Payments | Shopify Payments |
| Orders | Shopify orders |
| Branding | Consistent experience |
Data Flow
Subscription created
↓
Stored in Shopify
↓
Orders via Shopify
↓
Fulfillment as normal
↓
Payments via Shopify
Email Notifications
Automated Emails
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Subscription created | New signup |
| Upcoming order | 3 days before |
| Order processed | After charge |
| Order shipped | Fulfillment |
| Payment failed | Declined card |
Customization
Brand your emails:
- Templates
- Colors and fonts
- Messaging
- Magic links
Payment Management
Retry Logic
Failed payment handling:
├── Day 0: Initial attempt
├── Day 1: First retry
├── Day 3: Second retry
├── Day 5: Third retry
└── Day 7: Pause subscription
Payment Update
Customers update payment via:
- Magic link in email
- Customer portal
- Direct link
Recovery Tactics
| Tactic | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Email sequence | Auto-sent |
| SMS (optional) | Integrated |
| Easy update link | Magic link |
Analytics
Key Metrics
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| MRR | Monthly recurring revenue |
| Churn rate | Monthly cancellation % |
| LTV | Lifetime value |
| Skip rate | % of orders skipped |
| Swap rate | Product changes |
Growth Reports
Track over time:
- Subscriber growth
- Revenue trends
- Churn analysis
- Product popularity
Cohort Analysis
Understand:
- Retention curves
- Revenue per cohort
- Churn timing
- Upgrade patterns
Reducing Churn
In-Portal Retention
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Skip option | Alternative to cancel |
| Pause subscription | Temporary break |
| Frequency change | Adjust to needs |
| Discount offer | Retention incentive |
Cancellation Flow
Customer clicks Cancel
↓
"Would you prefer to skip?"
↓
"Would you prefer to pause?"
↓
"Here's 20% off to stay"
↓
Feedback survey
↓
Cancellation confirmation
Win-Back
After cancellation:
- Exit survey insights
- Reactivation offers
- Email sequences
- SMS (if opted in)
Integrations
Marketing
| Platform | Integration |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Subscriber events |
| Postscript | SMS for subs |
| Attentive | Text campaigns |
Support
| Platform | Integration |
|---|---|
| Gorgias | Subscription tickets |
| Zendesk | Customer data |
| Kustomer | Support context |
Analytics
| Platform | Integration |
|---|---|
| Triple Whale | Attribution |
| Rockerbox | Marketing mix |
| Northbeam | Revenue tracking |
Migration from Recharge
Process
- Export Recharge data
- Import to Skio
- Migrate customer billing
- Update storefront
- Test thoroughly
Timeline
| Phase | Duration |
|---|---|
| Planning | 1-2 weeks |
| Migration | 2-4 weeks |
| Testing | 1 week |
| Launch | 1 day |
What Migrates
- Subscriber data
- Billing information
- Subscription preferences
- Order history
Best Practices
Product Selection
Ideal for subscriptions:
- Consumable products
- Regular replenishment
- Consistent quality
- Good margins
Pricing Strategy
| Model | Discount |
|---|---|
| Subscribe & save | 10-15% |
| Annual prepaid | 20-25% |
| Build-a-box | Value pricing |
Conversion Tips
- Show savings prominently
- Default to subscribe option
- Highlight flexibility
- Use social proof
Skio vs Alternatives
| Feature | Skio | Recharge | Bold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passwordless | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Native checkout | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Build-a-box | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Group subs | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pricing | 1%+$0.20 | 1%+$0.10 | 1%+$0.10 |
| Best for | Modern DTC | Established | Mid-market |
Next Steps
After setup:
- Configure plans - Subscription options
- Set up portal - Customize experience
- Enable passwordless - Magic links
- Connect integrations - Marketing stack
- Launch & optimize - Monitor metrics
Shopify + Skio 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 Skio.
- 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 Skio.
- 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 Recharge comparison, see Recharge integration. For loyalty programs, check loyalty integration.