> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.quickshops.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create and Manage Subscription Products

> Charge customers on a recurring monthly or yearly basis. Subscribers get access to a self-service portal to manage their own billing.

Subscription products let you charge customers automatically on a regular schedule — monthly or yearly — instead of a single one-time payment. This is ideal for membership communities, ongoing access to content libraries, software tools, or any product where you deliver continuous value over time.

<Info>
  Subscriptions are powered by Stripe. You must connect a Stripe account under **Payments** before you can publish a subscription product or accept recurring payments.
</Info>

## Create a subscription product

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Products section">
    In your dashboard, click **Products** in the left sidebar, then click **New Product**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Subscription as the product type">
    Under **Product Type**, select **Subscription**. This tells Quickshops to set up recurring billing through Stripe rather than a one-time charge.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the basics">
    Enter a **Name**, optional **Description**, and any **Details** bullet points that describe what subscribers receive. Add a cover image to represent the product on your storefront.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the billing interval">
    Choose how often customers are billed — **Monthly** or **Yearly**. See the examples below to help you decide.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the price">
    Enter the recurring price in your store's currency. This is the amount charged each billing cycle.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish your product">
    Toggle the product to **Active** and click **Save**. Your subscription is now live and customers can sign up directly from your storefront.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Monthly vs yearly billing

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Monthly billing">
    Customers are charged once per month on the same date they first subscribed.

    **Best for:**

    * Lower-commitment offers where customers want flexibility
    * Products with a steady monthly value delivery (newsletters, coaching, tools)
    * Audiences who prefer spreading out costs

    **Example pricing:** \$15/month for access to a private community and weekly resources.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Yearly billing">
    Customers are charged once per year. Many stores offer a discount compared to 12 months of monthly billing to incentivize the annual plan.

    **Best for:**

    * Customers who prefer paying upfront and want a lower overall cost
    * Products with long-term ongoing value (software, course libraries)
    * Improving cash flow with larger, predictable payments

    **Example pricing:** $120/year (equivalent to $10/month) for the same community access — saving customers \$60 compared to the monthly plan.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## The subscriber portal

Every subscriber gets access to a self-service portal where they can:

* View their active subscriptions
* Update their payment method
* Cancel or pause a subscription
* Download invoices and receipts

You do not need to handle cancellations or billing changes manually. Stripe manages the billing cycle and keeps your subscriber list in sync automatically.

<Tip>
  Include a link to the subscriber portal in your post-purchase email or product delivery page so customers can easily manage their billing without contacting you.
</Tip>

## Managing subscription products

From the **Products** list you can edit, deactivate, or duplicate a subscription product the same way you would a digital product. Deactivating a subscription product prevents new customers from signing up, but does not cancel existing active subscriptions.

<Warning>
  Changes to pricing on a subscription product apply to **new subscribers only**. Existing subscribers continue to be billed at the price they originally signed up for unless you update their subscription manually in Stripe.
</Warning>