Shopify Checkout Integration technical details and requirements

Merchants with existing subscribers on the Recharge Checkout on Shopify may be eligible to convert their store or migrate to the Shopify Checkout Integration. This guide provides insight into the technical requirements and details to consider during the conversion process.

Before you start

• This article is for merchants with existing subscribers that have or are interested in converting or migrating to the Shopify Checkout Integration.
• If you're using the Recharge Checkout on Shopify and are interested in migrating to the Shopify Checkout Integration, you forgo the features that are only available to the Recharge Checkout on Shopify. Refer to Shopify Checkout Integration feature compatiblity to learn more about which features are unavailable.
• Stores on the Shopify Checkout Integration cannot migrate subscriptions to another store on the Shopify Checkout Integration. Customers must initially go through the Shopify checkout to get payment information vaulted in Shopify and have a subscription contract created. 

Feature compatibility 

Most features available on the Recharge Checkout are also available on the Shopify Checkout integration:

• Features with limited or partial compatibility with Recharge on the Shopify Checkout
• Features that are not compatible with Recharge on the Shopify Checkout

Third party integrations

Apps and Integrations compatible with Recharge outlines integrations that are compatible with Recharge and the Shopify Checkout.  If you use an integration that’s not on this list, it may still be compatible, but it may be untested or unknown if it works with Shopify Checkout.

If you’re unsure, contact the integration’s support team to confirm Shopify Checkout compatibility.

Recharge platform types during the conversion process

Recharge has multiple checkout platform types based on the store configuration. The platform type is updated after each step in the conversion process.

After the storefront and store settings conversion is complete, your store platform is converted from the Recharge Checkout on Shopify to the Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration. The store will remain in this state until the existing subscriber migration (optional) is complete, at which time it will be converted to the Shopify Checkout Integration.

Refer to Converting from the Recharge Checkout on Shopify to the Shopify Checkout Integration for more information on the conversion steps and Identifying your store’s Recharge checkout platform for more information on platform types.

Charge processing

The payment gateway and processor used for subscription checkout and recurring charges change after completing the conversion to the Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration and Shopify Checkout Integration.

Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration

All new checkouts go through the Shopify checkout and Shopify processes recurring orders related to these subscriptions via Shopify Payments or another eligible payment gateway. All pre-existing subscriptions on Recharge continue to be processed by Recharge via the payment gateway configured in Recharge.

Shopify Checkout Integration

All new checkouts go through the Shopify checkout and Shopify processes recurring orders related to these subscriptions via Shopify Payments or another eligible payment gateway. Shopify also processes all recurring orders related to pre-existing subscriptions, but via the legacy payment processor previously connected to Recharge (Stripe, Braintree, Authorize.net). Prior to the existing subscriber migration, this payment gateway will need to be added as a legacy gateway within the Shopify admin.

Customer management 

Certain customer management processes such as performing refunds, updating payment and billing information change after completing the conversion to the Shopify Checkout Integration.

Refer to our dedicated guide on Managing customers after converting to the Shopify Checkout Integration to learn more. 

Tax and shipping settings

Tax settings

All stores must ensure that tax settings are configured in both Recharge and Shopify prior to beginning the conversion process.

After the storefront and settings conversion is complete (store is converted to the Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration), all pre-existing subscriber orders use the rates configured in the Recharge tax settings. All new checkout orders and recurring orders connected to these new checkouts use the rates set up in the Shopify tax settings.

After the optional existing subscriber migration is complete (store is fully converted to the Shopify Checkout Integration), the tax rates set up in the Shopify tax settings are used for all checkout and recurring orders.

Shipping settings

All stores must ensure that shipping settings are configured in both Recharge and Shopify prior to beginning the conversion process. The shipping rates used for subscription orders on both the Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration and Shopify Checkout Integration differs based on whether it’s a checkout order or recurring order.

Rates for checkout subscription orders come from the Shopify shipping settings. Rates for recurring subscription orders are based on the shipping configuration in Recharge. Recharge settings can be configured to use Shopify shipping rates or Recharge shipping zones, rates, and integrations.

If you only want to maintain your shipping rates in one place, we recommend selecting Get all rates from Shopify. If you are frequently hitting the Shopify rate API limit on recurring orders, you can reduce the calls we make to Shopify by switching to Use Recharge zones, rates, and integrations.

See Managing Shopify shipping zones and rates in Recharge for more information on how to configure shipping rates in Recharge.

Post-conversion checklist

After completing the Shopify Checkout Integration conversion, complete the following tests to confirm that everything behaves as expected.

Complete the checklist after both the storefront and settings conversion or the existing subscriber migration:

1. Complete a test subscription transaction.
   • Confirm the subscription widget looks and behaves as expected.
     • If you have any custom CSS or JS, ensure it is updated to work with the new subscription widget.
     • If you have AJAX widget customizations, ensure they are updated to fit subscription selling plans used by the Shopify Checkout Integration. Refer to Adding an item to the cart with Ajax for more information.
   • Confirm the appropriate shipping & taxes are charged at checkout.
   • Review that the order in Shopify reflects the subscription information.
     
   • Review the customer portal experience to ensure it looks and behaves as expected.
     • Update the payment or billing information to view the new Shopify email update flow.
   • Prior to canceling the test order, process the first recurring order associated with the test transaction to confirm the recurring orders behave as expected.
   • Cancel and refund the test order if applicable.
2. Review Understanding customer management on the Shopify Checkout Integration and Migrated Shopify Checkout Integration for more information on the customer management process post-conversion.
3. Update any relevant internal and external documentation related to subscriptions (FAQ pages, landing pages, customer service guides) to reflect new processes such as performing refunds and updating billing information.
4. Confirm any third-party apps are configured to function with the Shopify Checkout and connect with the respective app’s support team to confirm settings are adjusted as required.
5. Closely monitor new orders including new checkout orders and existing recurring subscription orders. Follow the order from the charge processing and order creation all the way to fulfillment to ensure it behaves as expected.

If you run into any issues or have questions during your testing, reach out to Recharge support.