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

# Use cases

> Practical ways to use Appfox Subscriptions for different business models

Appfox Subscriptions supports a variety of subscription business models. This guide shows practical use cases and how to implement them using Appfox features.

## Subscribe & save / recurring delivery

**When to use**: You sell consumable products that customers reorder regularly (coffee, skincare, pet food, supplements).

**How it works**: Customers see a subscription option on the product page and can choose between one-time purchase and subscribe & save. They get a discount for subscribing, and products are delivered automatically on their chosen schedule.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a subscription plan">
    Go to **Plans** → **Create Subscription Plan**. Set the billing frequency (e.g., every 1 month, every 2 weeks) and discount (e.g., 10% off).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add products to the plan">
    Select which products are available for subscription. You can add individual products or entire collections.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the widget">
    Go to **Storefront** → **Widget** and customize the subscription options displayed on product pages. Choose colors, button text, and how discounts are shown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the widget to your theme">
    Open the Shopify theme editor and add the **Subscription Widget** app block to your product page template.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Learn more**: [Subscription widget setup](/storefront/widget), [Subscription plans](/plans)

## Prepaid subscriptions

**When to use**: You want to charge customers less frequently than you deliver (e.g., charge every 2 months, deliver monthly).

**How it works**: Customers prepay for multiple deliveries at once. Shopify creates fulfillment orders at the delivery frequency, but billing happens at the longer prepaid interval.

**Example**: A plant club that delivers a plant every month but charges every 2 months.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Prepaid or Advanced Prepaid plan">
    Go to **Plans** → **Create Subscription Plan** and set **Plan Type** to **Prepaid** or **Advanced Prepaid**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set frequencies">
    Configure:

    * **Fulfillment Frequency**: Every 1 month (how often products ship)
    * **Billing Period**: Every 2 months (how often customers are charged)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set pricing">
    Set the product price to the prepaid amount (e.g., £20 for 2 deliveries at £10/month effective rate).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Shopify natively supports prepaid subscriptions where the billing period is a multiple of the fulfillment frequency. If you need to charge **more frequently** than you deliver (e.g., bill monthly, deliver every 2 months), see [Bill monthly, deliver bimonthly](/bill-monthly-deliver-bimonthly) for workarounds.
</Note>

**Learn more**: [Bill monthly, deliver bimonthly](/bill-monthly-deliver-bimonthly)

## Membership or access subscriptions

**When to use**: You're selling access to a service, club, or exclusive content rather than physical products (e.g., coffee club membership, premium access tier).

**How it works**: Customers subscribe to a membership plan and receive recurring billing. You can configure whether they receive physical perks (e.g., a quarterly gift) or purely digital access.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a membership plan">
    Go to **Plans** → **Create Subscription Plan**. Name it something like "Premium Membership" or "Coffee Club Access."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add membership products">
    Add products that represent the membership tier. For digital-only memberships, create a placeholder product with no inventory tracking.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set billing frequency">
    Configure billing to match your membership cadence (e.g., monthly, quarterly, yearly).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable customer portal">
    Let members manage their memberships through the [customer portal](/storefront/customer-portal). Enable pause, cancel, and payment update features.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Use **Intro pricing** in your plan settings to offer a discounted first month or trial period for new members.
</Tip>

## In-store subscription enrollment (POS)

**When to use**: You have a physical retail location and want staff to enroll customers in subscriptions at the register.

**How it works**: Staff add products to the cart in Shopify POS and tap the **Subscriptions** tile to apply a subscription plan. The customer checks out with Shopify Payments, and the subscription contract is created.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable Shopify Payments">
    Subscriptions at the register require Shopify Payments. Third-party payment gateways cannot process selling plans in POS.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the Subscriptions tile">
    In Shopify POS, go to **Settings** → **Smart grid** and add the **Appfox Subscriptions** tile to your layout.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish products to POS">
    Make sure your subscription-eligible products are published to the **Point of Sale** sales channel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Train staff">
    Show staff how to tap the **Subscriptions** tile and select plans when customers want to subscribe.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Learn more**: [POS enrollment](/pos)

## Self-service customer portal

**When to use**: You want to reduce support volume by letting customers manage their subscriptions themselves (pause, cancel, change frequency, update payment, etc.).

**How it works**: Customers log into their Shopify customer account and access the **Manage Subscriptions** page. You control which features are available (pause, cancel, product swap, change frequency, update payment, etc.).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable the customer account extension">
    In Shopify admin, go to **Settings** → **Customer accounts** and enable the **Appfox Subscriptions - Manage Subscriptions** extension.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure features">
    In Appfox, go to **Storefront** → **Customer portal** and toggle the features you want to allow (pause, cancel, change frequency, update payment, etc.).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customize branding">
    Use the **Images & colors** tab to match the portal to your brand.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link to the portal">
    Add a link to the customer account login page in your store footer or header so customers can easily find it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Learn more**: [Add Manage Subscriptions](/storefront/add-manage-subscriptions), [Customer portal](/storefront/customer-portal)

## Quick checkout / one-click reorder

**When to use**: You want to let existing subscribers quickly reorder products or add new items to their subscription without going through full checkout.

**How it works**: Appfox includes a **Quick checkout** feature that lets customers add products to their next subscription order with minimal friction.

**Setup**: See [Quick checkout](/storefront/quick-checkout) for configuration steps.

**Learn more**: [Quick checkout](/storefront/quick-checkout)

## Backend subscription management (Enterprise API)

**When to use**: You're building custom workflows, integrations, or admin tools that need programmatic access to subscription contracts (e.g., custom dashboards, mobile apps, third-party CRM sync).

**How it works**: The Appfox Subscriptions Enterprise API is a REST API that lets you:

* List, read, and search subscription contracts
* Pause, resume, and cancel subscriptions
* Update contract details (frequency, products, next billing date)
* Create and manage contracts programmatically

<Note>
  The Enterprise API requires an **Enterprise plan**. It is not available on other plan tiers.
</Note>

**Learn more**: [API overview](/api/overview), [API quickstart](/api/quickstart), [Authentication](/api/authentication)

## Bundles and build-a-box

**When to use**: You want customers to build custom subscription boxes by choosing multiple products (e.g., coffee sampler box, snack box, beauty box).

**How it works**: Appfox supports bundles and build-a-box functionality for subscription plans. Customers can select products to include in their recurring box, and you can configure minimum/maximum item counts.

<Note>
  Bundle and build-a-box features may be plan-gated or require specific configuration. Contact [support@getappfox.com](mailto:support@getappfox.com) to confirm availability for your plan tier.
</Note>

**Setup**: Contact support or check the **Plans** settings in Appfox for bundle configuration options.

## Tips for choosing the right approach

### Start simple

If you're new to subscriptions, start with a basic **subscribe & save** model. Add one or two products, set a simple discount, and enable the widget on product pages. You can expand to prepaid, memberships, or bundles later.

### Combine use cases

Many merchants use multiple approaches:

* Offer subscribe & save on product pages (for online customers)
* Enable POS enrollment (for in-store customers)
* Provide a customer portal (for self-service management)
* Use the API (for custom backend workflows)

### Enable the right features

Not every business needs every feature. Consider:

* Do you want customers to be able to cancel, or only pause? (Disable cancel if you want to encourage pausing.)
* Do you want customers to swap products, or keep their original selection? (Disable product swap for curated boxes.)

Configure the **Customer portal** features based on your business model and support capacity.

**Learn more**: [Customer portal](/storefront/customer-portal)

## Related resources

* [Getting started](/getting-started) — Complete the initial setup
* [Subscription plans](/plans) — Configure billing frequencies and discounts
* [Dashboard](/dashboard) — Manage active subscriptions
* [Emails](/emails) — Customize subscription notification emails

***

Need help choosing the right setup? Contact [support@getappfox.com](mailto:support@getappfox.com).