Introduction to WooCommerce Subscriptions

WooCommerce Subscriptions is a premium WooCommerce extension that allows you to sell products and services with recurring payments. The content linked below aims to teach you how to use WooCommerce Subscriptions.

Requirements:

In order to use the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension, there are a few requirements:

Compatibility:

• WooCommerce Subscriptions is compatible with High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS).
• WooCommerce Subscription is compatible WordPress Multisite, but please keep in mind that each plugin subscription will only be associated with the site on which it was purchased. User accounts (subscribers) created from using the plugin will also only exist on the associated site.  If you want to share a user account with other sites in your network, try the Multisite User Management plugin.

• Subscriptions General Settings – this document explains all the settings you’ll find in WooCommerce > Settings > Subscriptions.
• Creating a Subscription Product – learn how to create a subscription product.
  • How Subscriptions Manages Stock – a reference guide to how stock/inventory is reduced for subscriptions.
• Guide to Synchronized Renewals – reference guide to synchronized subscriptions and how they work.
  • Creating a Synchronized Subscription Product – learn how to create a subscription product with synchronized renewals.
• Understanding the Subscription Renewal Process – a reference guide to how the subscription renewal process works.
  • Turning On/Off Automatic Renewals – learn how to turn on/off automatic renewals.
• Subscriptions vs. Subscriptions Products – reference guide to understanding the difference between subscriptions (agreements) and subscription products.
• Orders Related to Subscriptions – a reference guide to the different order types for WooCommerce Subscriptions.
• Subscriptions Reports – a reference guide to the different reports available in Subscriptions.
• Migrating Subscribers to WooCommerce Subscriptions – a general guide to best practices for migrating subscribers to WooCommerce Subscriptions.

• Subscription Payment Gateway Guide – Reference guide to Subscriptions compatible payment gateways.
  • PayPal Standard (sunset) Guide and PayPal Reference Transactions for Subscriptions FAQ
• Failed Recurring Payment Retry System – Reference guide to the automatic failed payment retry system in WooCommerce Subscriptions.
  • Testing the Payment Retry System – Learn how to test the automatic failed payment retry system.

• Store Manager Settings: This section includes reference guides and instructions on how to manage subscriptions for store managers/admin. 
  • Manually Adding or Importing a New Subscription – Learn how to add or import subscriptions to your store.
  • Editing an Existing Subscription – Learn how to edit existing subscriptions and process renewal payments through admin.
  • Sort, Search, and Filter Subscriptions – Learn how to find subscriptions quickly by using the sort, search, and filter actions in the WooCommerce > Subscriptions menu.
  • Change a Subscription from Automatic to Manual Payments
  • Subscription Status Guide – Reference guide to Subscription statuses.
  • Subscriptions Resubscribe Guide – Reference guide to the subscription resubscribe process.
  • Managing Expired Subscriptions
  • Guide to Early Renewal Settings and Management
  • Subscription Switching Guide – A guide to subscription switch settings that includes links to understanding how the switching process works, how it handles price changes due to switches, how coupons are impacted, and a use case that illustrates how customers can change quantities of a subscription product as part of a switch. 
  • Guide to Subscription Emails

• Subscriptions Coupons: There are two new coupon discount types introduced with WooCommerce Subscriptions: the recurring product discount and the signup fee discount. Recurring product discounts can be used to create limited subscription payment coupons that only apply to a predetermined amount of payments.

• Subscriber’s View: This section outlines the different subscription management tools that your customers have access to in the Subscriptions section of their “My Account” page. It includes information about switching subscriptions, canceling/suspending subscriptions, resubscribing, managing payment methods, renewal payments, and accessing subscription information on the “View Subscriptions” page.

• Testing Subscription Renewal Payments
• Subscriptions Scheduled Action Errors
• Disabling Subscriptions
• Subscriptions Logs
• Translating WooCommerce Subscriptions and Troubleshooting Translation Issues
• Subscriptions FAQ

Below you’ll find links to a few different use cases for WooCommerce Subscriptions. Some of the use cases only require WooCommerce Subscriptions while others may implement other extensions. Requirements for each are explained at the beginning of each use case.

• Update Subscription Prices for Existing Subscribers
• Variable Subscriptions – Monthly Coffee Subscription
• Charging a One Time Fee/Signup Fee after a Free Trial

The following is developer-level documentation and provides explanations of the data structures, filters, and functions for Subscriptions. An advanced understanding of PHP and WordPress development is required.

Please note that we are unable to provide support for any customizations made to the default functionality of Subscriptions under our Support Policy. If you need to further customize a snippet, or extend its functionality, we highly recommend Codeable, or a Certified WooExpert.

• Developer Documentation is the main landing page for the subscriptions’ developer guides. For quick reference, here are a few of the most commonly used documents:
  • Subscriptions Data Structure & Storage
  • Payment Gateway Integration Guide
  • Action Reference
  • Filter Reference
  • Function Reference
  • Subscription Caches
  • Subscription Product Function Reference
  • Subscriptions Management Function Reference
  • Subscription Order & Cart Function Reference
  • Guide to Multiple Subscriptions
  • How Subscriptions Handles Staging Sites and Migrations