Ecommerce subscriptions: models and how to implement them in PrestaShop

Selling by subscription gives you predictable revenue and customers who come back without having to be persuaded every time. But not every product fits, and the technical side has more details than it seems.

Models that work

• Replenishment: products that get used up (coffee, cosmetics, pet food, filters). “Get it every month and forget about it”.
• Box or discovery: a different selection each period.
• Access: to a catalogue, to software updates, to exclusive discounts.
• Service: maintenance, support, hours of work.

What the store needs

1. A setting for which products can be subscribed to, at which frequencies and whether they can also be bought one-off.
2. Recurring billing: a card stored securely at the gateway (with SCA on the first payment) or SEPA direct debit with a mandate.
3. Only payment methods that can renew in carts with a subscription: a bank transfer or a one-off PayPal payment cannot charge next month.
4. Automatic generation of renewal orders, with their invoice.
5. A customer area to pause, change the frequency, update the payment method or cancel.
6. Notifications before each charge, for failed charges and for annual renewals.

The law

In the EU, cancelling a subscription must be as easy as signing up, and the terms (price, frequency, duration, how to cancel) must be clear before payment.