Discount codes on existing subscriptions

August 28, 2026

Customers forget to type the code at checkout. Until now the only fix was crediting each order by hand, or cancelling and re-subscribing them. A subscription's detail page now has a Discount card: type the code, apply it, and the customer's next charges are discounted.

What it is

The Discount card shows what the subscription is being charged and lets you change it. It lists the discount the customer currently has, where it came from — a code, an automatic discount that applied at checkout, or one added by hand — how long it runs for, and the plan price their next renewal will actually be charged.

Applying a code affects upcoming renewals only. Orders that have already been charged are never touched; refund or credit those from Shopify admin as you normally would.

Why it matters

A missed promo code is one of the most common support requests a subscription business gets, and the usual workarounds are bad for both sides: manual credits every week forever, or a cancel-and-resubscribe that loses the customer's schedule and meal choices.

Because the discount lives on the subscription itself, it keeps applying on its own. A code set to apply to all recurring payments stays with the customer for as long as they stay subscribed; a code limited to a number of payments stops on its own, and the card shows when it has finished.

How to use it

Create the discount in Shopify under Discounts, or use one you already have. It must be a discount code rather than an automatic discount, its purchase type must include Subscription, and — for a discount that should last — set it to apply to all recurring payments.

Open Subscriptions, select the customer's subscription, and use the Discount card. Type the code and select Apply, then check the plan price per renewal to confirm the new amount. Select Remove to put the customer back on the normal plan price.

A subscription carries one discount on the plan price at a time, so applying a code replaces whatever is there — including a discount the customer picked up at checkout. The card names what will be replaced before you apply, because two discounts would otherwise stack on top of each other. Free shipping discounts are separate and are left alone.