How Do I Set Up a Subscription Product in WooCommerce?

How It Works

WooCommerce Subscriptions adds a new product type rather than a separate system bolted onto regular products. Once the plugin is active, the Product Data dropdown (where you'd normally pick "Simple product" or "Variable product") gains "Simple subscription" and "Variable subscription" options. Selecting one swaps the pricing fields for subscription-specific ones and adds a dedicated Subscription tab.

Setting It Up

1. Choose the product type. Simple subscription for one fixed price and interval; variable subscription if you want the customer choosing between, say, monthly and annual billing on the same product.
2. Set the subscription price and billing interval. Price per billing period (e.g. $20 every 1 month), with options for weekly, monthly, or yearly cycles and multi-unit intervals (every 3 months, for instance).
3. Add a sign-up fee, if needed. A one-time charge added to the first payment only, separate from the recurring amount — useful for setup costs or onboarding fees.
4. Add a free trial, if needed. A trial length in days, weeks, or months before the first charge happens at all.
5. Set an expiration, if the subscription should end automatically after a fixed number of payments or a calendar length, rather than continuing indefinitely until cancelled.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting the product needs to actually be published with the subscription settings saved, not just previewed — a common source of "my subscription product isn't showing the right price" reports.
• Confusing sign-up fee with the first payment amount. The sign-up fee is added on top of the first recurring charge, not instead of it — worth checking the checkout preview before launching.
• Setting an expiration that doesn't match the actual business intent — a subscription meant to run indefinitely accidentally capped at a fixed number of payments will quietly stop renewing exactly when a customer expects it to continue.
• Not testing the full checkout flow with a real (or sandboxed) payment method before launch, which is the only way to confirm trial, sign-up fee, and recurring amount all display and charge correctly together.

Need a more complex setup — tiered pricing, add-ons, or a subscription bundled with one-time products? See custom WooCommerce development.