By Roy · Marketing manager at Subi. Writes about subscription and loyalty growth for Shopify merchants.
Short answer: Shopify takes recurring payments through a subscription app. The app stores each customer's payment method at checkout and charges it again on the schedule you set. Your store must use a gateway Shopify supports for subscriptions: Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, Adyen or Stripe. Shopify's own app is free; others add memberships, loyalty and more plan types.
We make Subi, one of the eight apps below, so read our entry with that in mind. Every rating and review count on this page, and every rival's price, is copied from its Shopify App Store listing on 28 September 2026; Subi's prices are current from 2 November 2026. If you are choosing among subscription apps more broadly, our 2026 comparison of 13 subscription apps goes wider; this page is about taking the payment.
What is a recurring payment on Shopify?
A recurring payment on Shopify is a charge made automatically to a customer's saved card or wallet on a schedule, for a product or membership they agreed to buy repeatedly. Shopify calls the agreement a subscription contract, and the app that manages it creates each new order.
The customer checks out once. After that, the app sends a billing attempt on each renewal date, Shopify charges the stored payment method, and a normal order appears in your admin for you to fulfil.
What does my store need before it can take recurring payments?
Shopify's help page on subscription considerations sets the rules:
- A supported gateway. Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, Adyen or Stripe. Shopify says Stripe is available only to select merchants.
- A payment method that can be charged again. Shopify notes that local, manual or non-credit-card methods might not be available for subscriptions.
- Wallets depend on the gateway. On Shopify Payments, customers can use Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal, with Apple Pay limited to Visa and Mastercard. On Authorize.net, PayPal is the only wallet; Google Pay and Apple Pay are not supported.
- Supported channels. Subscriptions work on the online store, Shopify POS, Shop and custom storefronts. They cannot be used with draft orders.
- A subscription app. Shopify's theme and checkout show the subscription options, but an app creates the plans and runs the renewals.
Shopify Payments also updates cards automatically when a bank issues a new one, which Shopify says reduces failed payments.
Which recurring billing models can I run?
- Pay per delivery: the customer is charged before each order ships, for example every month.
- Prepaid: the customer pays for several deliveries at once, for example three months upfront, and receives them on the usual schedule.
- Fixed billing day: every subscriber is charged on the same date, such as the 1st of the month, which suits boxes and memberships shipped in one batch.
- Membership: a recurring charge for access or perks rather than a physical product, such as members-only prices or pages.
- Limited-length subscriptions: the plan stops after a set number of payments, for example a 12-issue run.
Not every app offers every model on its cheapest plan, so check the plan before you commit.
Which apps take recurring payments on Shopify in 2026?
Eight apps, sorted by App Store reviews.
| App | Rating (reviews) | Starting price on the listing | How it charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appstle Subscriptions | 5.0 (8,824) | Free up to $500 a month in subscriptions; paid from $10/month | Flat fee by subscription revenue band, 0% transaction fee |
| Recharge | 4.8 (3,121) | $25/month for the first 50 subscribers; Starter $99/month | Monthly fee plus 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction on Starter |
| Seal Subscriptions | 4.9 (3,116) | Free up to 50 subscriptions; paid from $5.95/month | Flat fee by number of subscriptions, 0% transaction fee |
| Subi | 4.9 (921) | Free on development stores; Starter $29/month | Monthly fee plus 1.6% per subscription transaction on Starter |
| Shopify Subscriptions | 3.7 (825) | Free | Free |
| Loop Subscriptions | 5.0 (767) | Free up to 50 active subscriptions; Starter $99/month | Monthly fee plus 1% per transaction on Starter |
| Joy Subscriptions | 4.9 (457) | Free up to 50 active subscriptions; Starter $49/month | Monthly fee plus 0.75% per transaction on Starter |
| Bold Subscriptions | 4.0 (380) | $24.99/month | Monthly fee plus 2% on Launch, 1% on Grow |
Prices change. Each app name below links to its listing; check it before you decide. For large brands, Skio and Stay AI sell single plans from $599 and $499 a month; see our page on Recharge alternatives for both.
Which app fits the way I want to charge?
- You only need subscribe-and-save and want to pay nothing: Shopify Subscriptions.
- You want no percentage on your subscription revenue: Appstle (priced by revenue band) or Seal (priced by number of subscriptions).
- You sell memberships as well as products: Subi lists membership management and perks on every plan from Starter ($29/month + 1.6%); its Free plan is for development stores only. Seal's listing names memberships in its title.
- You want prepaid plans: Appstle (from Free), Bold (from Launch), Subi (from Starter) and Loop (on Pro) list them.
- You have fewer than 50 subscribers: Seal, Loop and Joy are free up to 50; Recharge's $25 plan has no transaction fee for the first 50 subscribers.
- You want loyalty in the same app: Subi (on the $79 Subi plan), Appstle (loyalty features from Starter) and Recharge (on Plus, $499).
How does each app handle recurring payments?
Appstle Subscriptions
Appstle Subscriptions on the App Store. 5.0 from 8,824 reviews, the most on this page. Free up to $500 a month in subscriptions, then Starter $10 (up to $5,000), Business $30 (up to $15,000) and Business Premium $100 (up to $100,000), all with 0% transaction fee. Pay-as-you-go and prepaid subscriptions and payment retry are on the Free plan.
Recharge
Recharge on the App Store. 4.8 from 3,121 reviews. $25 a month with no transaction fee for the first 50 subscribers, Starter $99/month + 1.49% + 19¢ per transaction, Plus $499/month + 1.34% + 19¢. Failed payment recovery is listed on Starter, loyalty and referrals on Plus, and a 60-day free trial on the $25 and Starter plans. The listing says some charges may be billed by Recharge outside your Shopify invoice.
Seal Subscriptions
Seal Subscriptions on the App Store. 4.9 from 3,116 reviews. Free for life up to 50 subscriptions, then $5.95, $9.95 and $24.95 a month for 100, 250 and 500, with bigger plans listed. 0% transaction fee. Its listing names an auto-charging mode and recurring invoices on the Free plan, and fixed schedules for magazines on the $24.95 plan.
Subi Subscriptions App (formerly Subify)
Subi Subscriptions App (formerly Subify) is our app. 4.9 from 921 reviews. Free on development stores; Starter $29/month + 1.6% per subscription transaction, Subi $79/month + 0.8%, Subi Plus $199/month + 0.4%, each with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Automatic recurring payments, memberships with perks, subscription bundles and boxes are on every paid plan, and on the free development-store plan for testing.
- Prepaid plans and a minimum or maximum number of billings are on Starter.
- You can charge on a set day, such as the 1st of the month or every Monday, across membership, subscribe-and-save and box plans.
- A membership plan can have one tier or several, with its own billing interval and free trial, and tags members so you can give each tier its perks.
- Failed payment retry is on every paid plan. The Subi plan adds a longer recovery window, cancellation tools and a loyalty program.
- Subscribers manage their plan in a customer portal: skip, pause or update their payment method on every plan, and swap products or change the interval on the Subi plan.
Subi still charges a percentage, so a store that wants a flat fee pays less on Appstle or Seal.
Shopify Subscriptions
Shopify Subscriptions on the App Store. Made by Shopify, free, 3.7 from 825 reviews. It sets up subscriptions from the Shopify admin, lets customers pause or skip orders, and sells subscription products on POS. At 3.7 it is the lowest rated app here, so read its recent reviews first.
Loop Subscriptions
Loop Subscriptions on the App Store. 5.0 from 767 reviews. Free up to 50 active subscriptions, Starter $99/month + 1%, Pro $399/month + 0.75%. Starter lists dunning with up to 15 retries and cancellation flows; prepaid and gift subscriptions are on Pro.
Joy Subscriptions
Joy Subscriptions on the App Store. 4.9 from 457 reviews. Free up to 50 active subscriptions, Starter $49/month + 0.75%, Professional $199/month + 0.5%. Starter lists dunning with smart retry logic; Professional adds a mystery subscription box.
Bold Subscriptions
Bold Subscriptions on the App Store. 4.0 from 380 reviews. Launch $24.99/month + 2%, Grow $49.99 + 1%, Scale $74.99 + 0.9%, each with a 30-day free trial. Launch lists customizable frequencies, order-based and fixed-date schedules, dunning and prepaid subscriptions.
What happens when a recurring payment fails?
A renewal can fail because the card expired, the bank declined it, or the customer's balance was too low. A failed charge creates no order, so the app has to try again. This is called dunning: a retry on a schedule, plus an email asking the customer to update their card.
What to look for:
- Retries on a schedule you can set, not a single attempt.
- A link in the email that takes the customer straight to updating their payment method.
- Automatic card updates from the gateway. Shopify Payments does this for cards a bank has replaced.
In Subi, failed payment retry is on every paid plan and the Subi plan adds a longer recovery window; our guide explains what each billing error means.
When is Subi the right recurring payments app, and when is it not?
Subi fits when:
- You sell memberships or boxes alongside products and want them in one app. Memberships and boxes are on every paid plan.
- You want prepaid plans alongside memberships and bundles in one app. Prepaid is on Starter at $29 + 1.6%.
- You want to bill every subscriber on the same day of the month.
Subi is not the right pick when:
- You want no percentage at all. Appstle and Seal list 0% on their paid plans.
- You have fewer than 50 subscribers and want to pay nothing. Seal, Loop and Joy are free there.
- You only need subscribe-and-save. Shopify's own app is free.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify support recurring payments?
Yes, through a subscription app. Shopify stores the customer's payment method at checkout and the app charges it on each renewal. Shopify's own Shopify Subscriptions app is free; other apps add memberships, loyalty and more plan types.
Which payment gateways support recurring payments on Shopify?
Shopify lists Shopify Payments, PayPal Express, Authorize.net, Adyen and Stripe, with Stripe available only to select merchants. Local, manual or non-credit-card payment methods might not be available for subscriptions.
Can customers pay for a subscription with PayPal on Shopify?
Yes, if your gateway allows it. Shopify says customers can use PayPal as an accelerated checkout on Shopify Payments, and PayPal is the only wallet available on Authorize.net.
Can I take recurring payments for a membership rather than a product?
Yes. A membership app charges on a schedule for access or perks, such as members-only prices or pages. Subi lists membership management and perks on every paid plan.
What is the cheapest way to take recurring payments on Shopify?
Shopify Subscriptions is free. Among paid apps, Appstle and Seal charge no percentage: Appstle is free up to $500 a month in subscriptions and $10 a month up to $5,000; Seal is free up to 50 subscriptions and $5.95 a month up to 100.