Recharge and Smile

How to install and use Recharge with Smile for recurring billing and subscriptions

Tess avatar
Written by Tess
Updated this week

Introduction

Recharge is a recurring billing & subscriptions app for eCommerce platforms. It allows you to supercharge your subscription business and integrating your loyalty and rewards platform enables you to give back to your monthly subscribers.

βœ… Smile apps/integrations are only available on a Smile paid plan, on the Shopify platform.

Overview


⚠️ Note: Smile is not currently compatible with the Recharge Activate redirect from login page feature. Please make sure this setting is deactivated in your Recharge admin.

What does Recharge do?

Recharge is one of the most used recurring billing and subscription solution services in the Shopify app store. With Recharge and Smile you can reward customers with discounts (fixed amount $ or % off rewards) they can use on subscription payments.

What you need to install the Recharge X Smile integration

  • A valid Recharge API key with:

    • Read access: Store Information and Customers

    • Read & Write access: Discounts

  • Products set up for subscription billing

  • A Recharge account that either uses the Shopify Checkout integration (SCI), or the Recharge Checkout on Shopify (RCS) platform type.

How to install the Recharge app

Firstly - you'll want to Generate a Recharge API token from your Recharge account -here's how.

πŸ“‹ Note: Make sure that you have the appropriate permissions enabled for your new API token for the integration between Recharge and Smile to work! Check out this article from Recharge to confirm.

Your API key from Recharge will need the following permissions:

  • Discounts - Read and Write access

  • Customers - Read access

  • Store Information - Read access

On the Integrations page of your Smile Admin, select the Recharge app and click Connect.

Enter your Recharge API key and click Connect to Recharge.

Check your Recharge account platform type

Before moving on to the next step, you’ll need to determine if your Recharge account is on Recharge Checkout on Shopify (RCS) or Shopify Checkout Integration (SCI). Please take a look at this guide from ReCharge to find out.

  • If you are on RCS - move on to the next step.

  • If you are on SCI (or mSCI) - please fill out this form to request that Recharge enable the new integration for your account.

πŸ“‹ Note for merchants on mSCI: Once Recharge has enabled the new integration for your account, it will only start allowing customers to use their subscription coupons on their subscription purchases through Shopify checkout going forward. Any previously generated subscription coupon codes will only work in the Recharge customer portal, not in the Shopify checkout.

  • If you are on any of the other platform types - unfortunately you will not be able to use the Smile X Recharge integration at this time.

Setting up the Subscription Rewards

Once the Recharge app is connected to your Smile account, you need to set up the Recharge subscription coupon.

To add this reward to the points program, go to the Program > Points and click the Add Ways to redeem button.

Select one of the options under Recharge to add your subscription-specific reward:

To add this reward to the referrals program, go to the Program > Referrals page - and click Add reward for either the Referring customer reward, or the Referred friend reward.

πŸ“‹ Note: If you already have rewards added in the referral program, you'll want to:

Click the Change button> Delete the current reward> then click Add reward.

Scroll down to find the Recharge section - then select either an amount discount or percentage discount:

In the reward edit page, add the amount of points, and coupon value. Once you click Create, your customers will be able to spend their points for this subscription reward.

πŸ“‹ Note: The Recharge rewards do not include a minimum purchase amount setting, a collection specification setting, a coupon prefix setting, or a rewards expiry setting.

πŸ“ Pro Tip: Make your subscription coupon reward as exciting as the rest of your program by giving it a unique name. You can even add a custom icon to really make it stand out!

πŸ“‹ Note: Even though Recharge subscriptions are processed through Recharge billing, your customers will still be able to earn points based on the points per dollar earning rules you have set up in your store.

How customers use their subscription rewards

In order to claim their Recharge subscription reward, your customers will need to be logged into their account on your store.

Once they've logged in, they can navigate to your program's launcher and click Ways to redeem.

The Recharge subscription coupon will be listed as one of the rewards you offer in your program. If they have enough points, they can use it by clicking the Redeem button.

As soon as they click Redeem, a coupon code will show up in the customer panel. Customers can then either copy the code to use immediately, or access it in the follow-up email sent automatically through Smile.

πŸ“‹ Note: Your Recharge API key will only automatically generate a coupon code for subscription items. If you sell non-subscription items, you will need to create a separate reward for your customers to use.

Customers can use the Recharge coupon code in two ways:

  • At checkout:

    • If you use RCS, customers can apply the coupon code in the Recharge checkout of a new subscription

    • If you use SCI, customers can apply the coupon code in the Shopify checkout of a new subscription

  • Customers with existing subscriptions can click the button that says Discount a Subscription and apply the coupon code to one of their existing subscriptions through the Recharge customer portal

πŸ“‹ Note: Recharge coupons will only apply to a customer's next order and do not carry over if the full balance isn't used.

Example: if a customer has a $50 coupon and applies it to a $25 subscription, the remaining $25 will not carry over to their next order. Instead, the customer would forfeit the remaining value of the reward.


What's next?

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