Common Ways to Use Subscriptions for WooCommerce
Subscriptions for WooCommerce can be applied to a variety of business models that require recurring billing. Whether you're selling physical goods, digital products, or monthly services, this plugin helps automate billing cycles and customer access.
✅ Use Case Examples
1. Monthly Product Subscription
Example: Coffee, snacks, wellness kits
Create a Simple Subscription product.
Set billing to occur every 30 days.
Use Delivery Schedule to manage recurring shipments.
2. Digital Downloads: Themes and Plugins
Example: Theme or plugin licenses renewed monthly or yearly
Create a digital product and check the Subscription box.
Set renewal interval to monthly or annually.
Optionally add a Sign-Up Fee or Free Trial.
Allow Manual Cancellation from customer dashboard.
This is ideal for sellers who want to monetize ongoing updates, support access, or license renewals.
3. Service-Based Businesses
Example: SEO packages, design retainers, monthly website maintenance
Use a Subscription product to charge clients on a fixed schedule.
Customize the Add to Cart Text (e.g., "Start Service", "Subscribe to Maintenance").
Offer Trial Periods for lead conversion or onboarding.
Subscriptions ensure consistent invoicing for recurring services and reduce manual billing.
4. Free Trial with Paid Conversion
Example: 7-day free trial followed by $29/month
Set Trial Period in the subscription settings.
Customers won't be charged until the trial ends.
Useful for SaaS products or gated content previews.
5. Prepaid Billing Cycles
Example: Quarterly coaching packages or annual licenses
Use a billing interval of every 3 months or yearly.
Combine with Synchronize Schedule to align billing for all users on the same date (e.g., Jan 1, Apr 1, etc.).
💡 You can combine use cases. For example, a theme seller can include license delivery via email and offer access to monthly support calls using a single subscription product.