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Shopify Checkout Integration FAQ

Shopify Checkout integration

With the Shopify Checkout Integration, Shopify merchants are able to use Recharge for customer and subscription management while providing a unified checkout experience for their customers through the Shopify checkout. This FAQ aims to answer the common questions merchants have regarding Recharge's Shopify Checkout Integration. 

Note: This FAQ is specific to the Shopify Checkout Integration. If you use the Recharge Checkout on Shopify or BigCommerce to process subscription orders, refer to the Recharge Checkout FAQ.

Questions

Payment processors for the Shopify Checkout Integration

What is the Shopify Checkout Integration?

Shopify's Subscription APIs allow apps like Recharge to connect to Shopify to create and process subscriptions directly through the Shopify Checkout.

Traditionally, there have been two separate checkouts – Recharge and Shopify. Customers would go through different checkouts depending on the contents of their cart (i.e. they would go through Recharge with recurring subscription products or they would go through Shopify with one-time products). 

Now, merchants can use Recharge for customer and subscription management while order processing takes place through Shopify and their native checkout. One unified checkout for both subscription and one-time products.

Do I need to make any changes to my existing store?

No. As an existing merchant using the Recharge Checkout on Shopify merchant, your current Recharge configuration is still supported and no action is required by you at this time. 

We are committed to continue building and improving Recharge’s functionality to ensure we’re building the features our merchants require to support their unique business needs on the Shopify Checkout Integration. For more information about feature timeline and compatibility, visit Shopify Checkout Integration feature status.

Who is eligible to sign-up for the Shopify Checkout Integration?

Any new Shopify stores interested in installing Recharge on or after November 2nd, 2020 can install the integration through the Recharge App listing in Shopify. 

You must use an approved payment gateway such as Shopify Payments, Authorize.net, or PayPal Express. Note that Shopify Payments does not support some business types, such as CBD or pseudo-pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit Shopify's Legal page.

Review Shopify's list of eligibility requirements for more details. 

Are there any differences in subscription and order functionality with the Shopify Checkout Integration?

With the Shopify Checkout Integration, merchants have the benefit of a unified checkout experience for their customers. There are some differences from the Recharge Checkout on Shopify around how Shopify handles subscription orders from Recharge. This includes:

  • Overrides - SKU or product titles cannot be customized in Recharge to be a different value than what is listed in Shopify.
  • Cart notes - Cart notes are displayed on orders originating from checkout, and shown on recurring orders.
Tip: For a detailed list of feature compatibility, visit Shopify feature compatibility with Shopify Checkout.

Does the Shopify Checkout Integration support digital products?

Yes, you can sell digital products through the Shopify Checkout. During checkout, if there is a non-physical subscription product, the shipping address fields do not display.

What is the pricing plan for the Shopify Checkout Integration?

You can view a breakdown of Recharge's pricing plan on our dedicated pricing page. 

How am I billed for using the Recharge app on the Shopify Checkout Integration?

When you install and set up Recharge, you're automatically on the Recharge Standard plan. With this plan, transaction fees include 1% + 10 cents per transaction and there is no monthly fixed fee. Transaction fees account for subscription orders and mixed-carts that include both one-time products and subscriptions. Recharge issues a monthly bill, which is added to your Shopify bill rather than Recharge charging your credit card directly. Refer to our pricing page to learn more about the Standard plan or how you can upgrade to the Recharge Pro plan.

View your invoices in Shopify

You can view a record of your Recharge charges in your Shopify Admin billing settings. Click Finances and select Billing. 

View your invoices in Recharge

A detailed breakdown of your Recharge bill is available in your Recharge account settings. 

  1. In your merchant portal, click the Settings and select Store. 
  2. Click See all billing cycles...
  3. This section lists all of your billing cycles, including the scheduled charge date, the date you were charged, the customer name and/or email associated with your billing account, the status, and the total. Click the arrow icon to open the full billing details in a separate tab.
Tip: You can also refer to the guide on Managing your Recharge account. 

click_the_arrow_to_expand_the_billing_details_and_access_invoice.png

Note: Shopify merchants that installed Recharge on or after August 18, 2021, and are using the Shopify Checkout Integration, can begin processing subscription charges prior to accepting the billing approval terms. You will be prompted to accept the billing terms once your store has processed at least three subscription charges. Refer to Recharge billing and pricing for the Shopify Checkout Integration to learn more.

How can my customers update their payment method?

Customer portal

Customers can update their payment method via their customer portal by clicking the Send email to update button within the payment methods section. Shopify sends the customer an email to update their credit card and billing information and the customer's next processed charge uses the new billing information. 

Note: Recharge does not currently have a billing sync feature with Shopify. Therefore, the updated billing information will not be shown in Recharge.

send_update_email_from_the_customer_portal.png

Merchant portal

Merchants can also trigger the email from their Recharge admin:

  1. Click Customers and search and select the customer.
  2. Select Payment methods, expand the existing payment method and click Send update email. Shopify sends the customer an email to update their credit card and billing information and the customer's next processed charge will use the new billing information. 

send_payment_update_email_from_the_merchant_portal.png

Note: We do not recommend updating the customer's billing information within their Shopify profile, as you will not be able to determine which payment method is associated with a specific subscription.

How can I sign up for the Shopify Checkout Integration?

If you are interested in using the Shopify Checkout Integration, you can install the app directly from the Shopify App store. 

I am an existing Recharge merchant – can I convert my store to the Shopify Checkout Integration?

We have been working on the ability to convert stores with existing subscribers using the Recharge Checkout on Shopify to the Shopify Checkout Integration, and some cases are now possible. See Converting to the Shopify Checkout Integration (with existing subscribers) to learn more about how these stores function. 

Please fill out the request to convert form and our team will be in touch with you. 

For an overview of available features, see Shopify Checkout integration feature status. You can still complete the request form even if your store has requirements that are not currently supported. We will be in touch as the integration matures and additional cases are supported.

I am seeing a "Sorry, Shopify says your store is ineligible for subscriptions" screen when trying to install. What should I do?

Shopify has its own set of eligibility requirements that need to be met before you can sign-up with Recharge. To review the list of requirements, visit Shopify's Subscription Eligibility Requirements. In most cases, you can meet Shopify's eligibility requirements by updating your Shopify settings or, if you have not set your payment processor, signing up for one of Shopify's eligible subscription payment processors. For more help, reach out to Shopify Support. 

I'm trying to install the Shopify Checkout Integration on my store, but I keep getting a message that I'm almost there. What are my next steps?

Please contact our support team if you are unable to finish installing the Shopify Checkout Integration on your store. 

Is it possible to migrate existing subscribers from another subscription platform to the Shopify Checkout Integration?

Migrating existing subscribers from another platform (such as Bold or Paywhirl) to the Shopify Checkout Integration is possible. Please fill out the Migration request form and one of our Migration Specialists will be in touch.

See Migrating to the Shopify Checkout Integration (with existing subscribers) to learn more about how these migrated stores function. 

I'm trying to update the name of a subscription product, but the new name will not apply to my existing customers. How can I change the name of my subscription products for existing customers?

Due to limitations with Shopify's Subscription APIs, it is not currently possible to update the name of subscription products for existing customers. 

If you update the product name in Shopify, the change will apply to all new orders, however, it will not be reflected on the recurring order. This is a feature improvement that Shopify is monitoring. 

I am a Shopify Plus merchant and recently upgraded my checkout.liquid file – does this mean I can start selling subscriptions? 

Previously, Shopify Plus merchants who were using a custom checkout were ineligible by Shopify to sell subscriptions.

Shopify recently provided an option to upgrade customized checkout files for Shopify Plus merchants. Once upgraded, your checkout will now be able to support the selling of subscriptions. However, you will still need to install Recharge to start selling subscriptions on your storefront and meet the other Shopify eligibility requirements. 

For existing Recharge merchants who are on Shopify Plus, upgrading your Shopify checkout files does not convert your Recharge Checkout version to the Shopify Checkout integration. Refer to the FAQ I am an existing Recharge merchant – can I convert my store to the Shopify Checkout Integration? to learn more about the store conversion process. 

How can I remove the subscription widget from non-subscription products?

Occasionally, Recharge pulls the metadata of duplicate products, which can cause one-time products to show the subscription widget.

To remove the subscription widget from products that are only sold as one-time purchases, add the product to a subscription rule in Recharge, save it, and then delete the subscription rule.

Which payment gateways work with the Shopify Checkout Integration?

Refer to Shopify's list of eligible subscription payment gateways to learn more about which payment gateways can be used with the Shopify Checkout Integration. 

How do I switch my customer from Shopify Payments to PayPal Express?

Shopify does not allow customers to swap payment methods after a subscription has been created. Contact Shopify Support for more information.

Can I use PayPal Express as my payment gateway for subscriptions, but use it with a different provider for my primary gateway?

Yes. Shopify allows you to use PayPal Express alongside your existing primary gateway. Contact Shopify Support for more information.

Do my customers have to use a credit card with their PayPal account?

No, customers can use whichever payment method they have configured within their PayPal account to purchase a subscription product.

How do customers update their PayPal payment method?

Customers can change their primary payment method directly in PayPal. 

Customers can select the Send update email button under Payment Methods in the customer portal to begin the process of updating their payment method within PayPal.

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