Subscription Plans in OpenCart is a powerful feature that allows you to set up subscription-based payment systems for products or services. This is particularly useful for businesses offering memberships, digital subscriptions, or products that require regular replenishment, such as meal kits, pet supplies, or shaving cream etc. Subscription plans have revolutionized e-commerce, providing businesses with recurring revenue streams and customers with convenient, predictable purchasing experiences. OpenCart's subscription feature enables merchants to create flexible, dynamic subscription models across various product categories. Below is a comprehensive guide to understanding and managing Subscription Plans in OpenCart.
What Are Subscription Plans?
A subscription plan is a payment plan associated with a product that allows customers to make recurring payments at set intervals. These profiles work with supported payment gateways to charge the customer automatically at the specified frequency. For example, a customer can subscribe to receive a product every month and be automatically billed for it.
Key Features of Subscription Plans in OpenCart
- Flexible Payment Options: Define payment intervals such as daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
- Customizable Durations: Set the total number of recurring payments or keep them ongoing until canceled.
- Trial Periods: Offer a trial period with a different price or payment frequency to attract new customers.
- Payment Gateways Support: Works with payment methods that support recurring transactions, such as PayPal.
Setting Up Subscription Plans in OpenCart
To set up a subscription plan for a product, follow these steps:
Define the Subscription Plan Details
Go to Admin >> Catalog >> Subscription Plans, where you will see the lists of plan already set up.
Click the blue + button to add new one and fill out the following fields:
Trial
- Trial Duration: Number of trial payments. The duration is the number of times the user will make a payment.
- Trial Cycle: Duration of the trial period. Subscription amounts are calculated by the frequency and cycles.
- Trial Frequency: How often the trial payment will be charged? If you use a frequency of "week" and a cycle of "2", then the user will be billed every 2 weeks.
- Trial Status: Enable if you want to offer a trial period.
Subscription
- Recurring Name: A name for internal reference (e.g., "Monthly Subscription").
- Duration: Set the total number of recurring payments or leave it at 0 for ongoing payments. The duration is the number of times the user will make a payment, set this to 0 if you want payments until they are cancelled.
- Cycle: Define how often the customer will be billed (e.g., every 1 month). Subscription amounts are calculated by the frequency and cycles.
- Frequency: Choose from options like daily, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or yearly. If you use a frequency of "week" and a cycle of "2", then the user will be billed every 2 weeks.
- Status: Set the profile to Enabled or Disabled.
- Sort Order: Sort order between the subscription plan while showing in the frontend.
In the setting below the trial status is active
Let's add another Subscription plan with trial status disabled.
Assign Subscription Plans to the Product
- Log in to the OpenCart Admin Panel.
- Go to Catalog > Products.
- Click on the product for which you want to enable a subscription plan or create a new product.
Configure Subscription Plan Details
- Navigate to the Subscription tab under the product settings.
- Click Add subscription plan.
- Select the Customer Group, mostly Default, but if you are planning to specific customer group then you can select here.
- Trial Price: If you enabled the trial period then you can enter the trial price
- Price: The amount the customer will be charged for each cycle.
Save the Product
Once the recurring profile is configured, click Save to apply the changes.
Frontend view of subscription plan
When you view the product and select the subscription "$100 each month", it will show like below and will charge "$100.00 every 12 month(s) until canceled"
If you select another subscription plan "$200 each month", it will show like below and will charge "$100.00 every 1 month(s) for 1 payment(s) then $200.00 every 1 month(s) until canceled"
In this way, you can assign the subscription plan to Products.
Managing Subscription Plans
Subscription Plans are managed automatically by the payment gateway. However, as an administrator, you can:
- View Active Recurring Payments: Check customer subscriptions from the Admin >> Orders >> Subscriptions.
- Cancel Subscriptions: If a customer requests cancellation, this can be managed through your payment gateway interface.
- Modify Profiles: Edit the recurring settings for future subscriptions (existing subscriptions will not be affected).
Payment Gateway Considerations
Integration Requirements
- Recurring billing support
- Automatic payment processing
- Secure token management
- Failed payment handling
Recommended Gateways
Not all payment gateways support recurring payments, but several well-known ones do. Here's a list of commonly used payment gateways that are compatible with recurring payments:
1. PayPal
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes
- Features:
- Offers seamless integration with recurring billing.
- Supports PayPal subscriptions and automatic billing agreements.
- Why Use: PayPal is widely accepted, easy to set up, and popular with customers.
2. Stripe
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Advanced recurring billing options with Stripe Subscriptions.
- Allows custom billing intervals, free trials, and prorated billing.
- Why Use: Easy to integrate and ideal for businesses needing flexibility in subscription management.
3. Authorize.Net
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes
- Features:
- Recurring Billing (ARB) is a built-in feature.
- Allows customization of subscription intervals and durations.
- Why Use: Reliable for businesses in North America, offering robust subscription management.
4. Square
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Allows recurring invoices for subscriptions and memberships.
- Integrated with POS systems for omnichannel businesses.
- Why Use: Ideal for businesses that use Square for both online and offline sales.
5. 2Checkout (now Verifone)
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes
- Features:
- Recurring billing options for global subscriptions.
- Supports multiple currencies and payment methods.
- Why Use: Great for businesses with international customers.
6. Braintree
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Supports subscriptions and recurring billing.
- Offers customization options for payment schedules.
- Why Use: Suitable for businesses wanting a PayPal alternative (Braintree is a PayPal subsidiary).
7. Worldpay
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes
- Features:
- Provides recurring payments with Worldpay’s FuturePay.
- Supports global payment processing.
- Why Use: Great for large-scale enterprises with international operations.
8. Klarna
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Allows subscription payments via invoice-based options.
- Popular in European markets.
- Why Use: Ideal for businesses targeting European customers who prefer invoice payments.
9. Amazon Pay
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Offers recurring payment support for Prime-style subscription models.
- Why Use: Trusted by customers already familiar with Amazon's ecosystem.
10. Mollie
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Recurring payment support for SEPA, credit cards, and PayPal.
- Popular in European countries.
- Why Use: Great for businesses targeting European markets with diverse payment options.
11. Adyen
- Supported in OpenCart: Yes (via extensions)
- Features:
- Recurring billing for global subscriptions.
- Supports various payment methods and currencies.
- Why Use: Perfect for businesses that need a global payment solution.
12. Recurly (via Custom Integration)
- Supported in OpenCart: Requires custom setup.
- Features:
- Advanced subscription management and analytics.
- Why Use: Ideal for businesses seeking a dedicated recurring billing platform.
Use Cases for Subscription Plans
Subscription Plans are ideal for:
- Subscription Boxes: Monthly delivery of curated products like beauty, snacks, or books.
- Digital Subscriptions: Access to software, online courses, or memberships.
- Consumable Products: Regular replenishment of items like pet food, groceries, or toiletries.
- Service Plans: Maintenance services, gym memberships, or web hosting plans.
Benefits of Using Subscription Plans
- Steady Revenue Stream: Recurring payments ensure consistent cash flow for your business.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Automated billing reduces the need for manual intervention and increases convenience for customers.
- Improved Customer Retention: Subscription models encourage long-term engagement.
- Scalable Growth: Easier to manage as your customer base expands.
Limitations of Subscription Plans
- Payment Gateway Dependency: Subscription Plans require payment gateways that support recurring billing.
- Limited Gateway Options: Not all payment gateways are compatible with OpenCart’s Subscription Plans.
- Customer Control: Customers may need to manage their subscriptions outside the OpenCart platform, depending on the payment gateway.
Best Practices for Subscription Plans
- Be Transparent: Clearly explain the subscription terms, including the price, frequency, and cancellation policy, on your product pages.
- Offer Trial Periods: Allow customers to try before committing to a long-term subscription.
- Send Notifications: Notify customers about upcoming charges, changes to their subscriptions, or successful renewals.
- Monitor Performance: Use analytics to track the popularity and retention rates of subscription products.
Conclusion
Subscription Plans in OpenCart provide a convenient way to manage subscription-based products and services. By offering flexible payment options and automated billing, you can enhance the customer experience and generate consistent revenue for your business. With careful setup and management, Subscription Plans can become a key driver of growth for your eCommerce store.
Pro Tip: Always prioritize customer experience and flexibility when designing subscription plans.
