Adjusting the order schedule for existing customers

As your business needs change you may need to adjust your subscription order schedule to better match your new structure. The subscription rule can be updated for new customers, however, updating the existing subscriber base requires a different set of steps. This guide provides instructions on updating the charge and ship frequencies for an existing customer.

Before you start

In cases where both the order date and frequency need to be updated, update the frequency before updating the upcoming order date. If the date is updated before the frequency, the frequency action will override the date change.

Edit charge frequency

For subscriptions that charge and ship on the same day, the charge frequency is adjusted. 

1. In the merchant portal, click Customers and search and select the customer.
2. Select the subscription product and click Edit order schedule.
   
3. Adjust the frequency value and interval.
4. Click Save when finished.

Edit charge and ship frequency for pre-paid subscriptions

Pre-paid subscriptions charge and ship at different intervals. In these cases, you need to adjust the item properties.

1. 1. In the merchant portal, select Customers.
   2. Search and select the customer.
   3. Select the subscription product and click Edit order schedule.
      
   4. Select This is a prepaid subscription and enter the shipping and charge intervals.
      
   5. Click Save.

Recalculate next shipment

Recharge can automatically recalculate a subscription's upcoming charge date when frequency is updated to prevent double-billing. With this setting enabled, the new charge date will get pushed back to the end of the new frequency.

To adjust this setting:

1. Click Settings and select Payment.
2. Check or uncheck Automatically recalculate next charge date when the subscription charge frequency is changed. When this setting is checked off, Recharge will automatically push out the next charge date of a subscription if the frequency is adjusted.

For example, if you change the customer's charge frequency from every 2 months to every 1 month with automatically recalculate enabled.

• The last charge processed was on September 30th.

• The upcoming charge date automatically recalculates to October 30th

With automatically recalculate disabled, the example looks a little different.

• The last charge processed was on September 30th.

• The upcoming charge is unchanged on November 30th, two months out.

• The charge after will be December 30th to reflect the new one-month frequency.

Changing frequency and intervals in bulk

There are two methods for updating the frequency and intervals in bulk. The method you should use depends on your store's platform. Review the methods below and select base on your platform in use.

Method 1 - Bulk Managing Subscriptions tool

Merchants on supported platforms can use the Bulk Managing Subscriptions tool to update the order frequency and intervals without any intervention from Recharge. To process this type of update you will need to complete the Importing subscriptions template with:

• address_id
• subscription_id
• order_interval_frequency
• order_interval_unit
• charge_interval_frequency

Make changes to the numbers under columns order_interval_frequency and charge_interval_frequency. Set the unit as days, weeks, months, or configure for annually in order_interval_unit.

Export Subscriptions - All or Subscriptions - Active from the Data section in the merchant portal to gather the required information for the update template. 

All other columns from the template can be removed. 

Method 2 - Bulk update via Recharge Support

If you have 50 or more subscription products to update, the Recharge support team can facilitate a bulk update for you. You will need to prepare a CSV file with updated information and send it to the Recharge Support team. Please accommodate 5 business days to complete the migration.

1. In the merchant portal, select Data and click Exports,
2. Click Create Export to create the Subscriptions - All export.
3. Add additional columns at the end of the CSV titled:
   • NEW shipping_interval_frequency
   • NEW shipping_interval_unit_type
   • NEW charge_interval_frequency
   • NEW charge_interval_unit_type
4. Fill in the rows with the new frequency value and frequency type.
5. Once finished, save the CSV file and send it to the Recharge support team.