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Merchants can configure loyalty discount codes to apply to one-time purchases, subscriptions, or both. When enabled, loyalty subscription discounts help customers save on recurring payments at checkout or in their subscription management portal.
Feature availability:
  • Loyalty discounts for subscriptions is available on Standard, Growth, Plus, and Enterprise plans.
  • Loyalty discounts for subscriptions is supported on Shopify only.
Warning: For stores using Recharge subscriptions, the purchase type setting detailed in this article only applies to new subscription contracts created at checkout. Recharge stores wanting to offer discounts on existing subscription contracts need to use the Recharge-specific redeeming options available through the Recharge integration.

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Understand subscription discount options

When loyalty discounts are set to apply to subscriptions (or both one-time and subscription purchases), merchants can choose how the discount applies:
  • First payment only – the discount is applied once, on the first subscription charge.
  • Specific number of payments – the discount is applied to a fixed number of recurring charges.
  • Every payment – the discount is applied to all recurring subscription charges.
Customers will see whether their discount can be applied to a one-time purchase, a subscription, or both at the point of redemption. A subscription discount configured to a specific number of recurring payments can only apply to a single subscription contract, and be applied one time only. For instance, consider a discount configured for 5 recurring payments.
  • A customer can: Apply the discount and receive the benefit of that discount for up to 5 subsequent payments (includes first payment).
  • A customer cannot: Apply the discount for 2 payments, remove the discount, and then apply the same discount later on for up to 3 more subsequent payments.
  • A customer cannot: Split the discount across multiple subscription contracts, i.e: 2 payments on one contract and 3 on another.
Any unused benefit from a discount is forfeited if the discount is removed before the customer has benefitted from the recurring payment limit.

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Verify subscription support in your store

The option to configure purchase type for discounts is only available in stores that support subscriptions. A store supports subscriptions if:
  • A subscription management app is installed.
  • At least one subscription billing plan is linked to a product.
Tip: To check if your store supports subscriptions, create a new discount in Shopify Admin > Discounts. If purchase type options appear, your store supports subscriptions.

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Configure purchase type in Smile

Note: Even if your store supports subscriptions, you must also ensure your subscription app is compatible with discount codes if you’d like discounts to apply to customers’ current/existing subscriptions. Otherwise, subscriptions discounts can only be applied to new subscription contracts at checkout.
To make loyalty discounts compatible with subscriptions:
  1. From Smile Admin, go to Program > Ways to redeem.
  2. Select the reward you’d like to edit.
  3. In the Purchase type card, select one of the following:
    • One-time purchase
    • Subscriptions
    • Both
Once configured, subscription discounts can be applied:
  • At Shopify checkout during purchase.
  • Through customer subscription management portals provided by subscription apps.

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Applying loyalty discounts to subscriptions

Loyalty discounts can be applied to new subscription orders using the Shopify checkout discount field, and to existing subscriptions through your subscription app’s customer portal (if discounts are supported).