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# How to Offer a One-Time Use Subscription Discount

This guide explains how to **offer a welcome discount to new subscription customers** and make sure it can only be used once, even if a customer cancels and subscribes again. It uses a Shopify discount code restricted to a customer segment of people who have never subscribed.

| Want 20% off the first order and then your normal 10% on every renewal, without a code? Use a loyalty program instead: see [Offering a free trial or discounted first order](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/offering-a-free-trial-or-discounted-first-order-1ai5b8u/).

### Table of contents

* [When to use this guide](#3-when-to-use-this-guide)
* [How the code and the subscription discount add up](#3-how-the-code-and-the-subscription-discount-add-up)
* [Step by step: create a one-time discount for new subscribers](#3-step-by-step-create-a-one-time-discount-for-new-subscribers)
* [How it works](#3-how-it-works)
* [Troubleshooting](#3-troubleshooting)
* [Tips and best practices](#3-tips-and-best-practices)
* [Common questions](#3-common-questions)
* [Related guides](#3-related-guides)

### When to use this guide

Use this method if you want to:

* Offer a welcome discount (e.g., 15%) **only to new subscription customers**, usually as a code in an email, ad or popup.
* Prevent returning customers from reusing it by cancelling and resubscribing.
* Apply it to the first order only, or to the first few orders, after which the customer pays your normal subscription price.

### How the code and the subscription discount add up

The code comes **on top of** the subscription option's own discount. If the option gives 5% off and the code gives 15% off the first payment, the first order is 5% off and then 15% off that price (19.25% off in total), and every renewal after it is 5% off.

If the first order should be exactly 15% off in total and renewals 5% off, either lower the code's value to match, or use a loyalty program where the subscription option gives 15% and a **Change discount** reward switches it to 5% from Order 2. See [Loyalty programs](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/loyalty-programs-bun7bv/).

### Step by step: create a one-time discount for new subscribers

1. Go to [**Supr Bundles & Subscriptions > Settings > Tags**](https://admin.shopify.com/apps/super-subscriptions/app/settings/tags).

2. **Enable** the **Has subscription contract** customer tag and save. Learn more about [Supr Bundles & Subscriptions tags](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/tag-settings-dex0xq/#3-customer-tags).

3. Go to [**Shopify admin > Customers > Segments**](https://admin.shopify.com/customers/segments/new) and click **Create segment**. Learn more about [creating customer segments](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/customers/customer-segmentation/create-customer-segments).

4. Create a segment that excludes customers with the tag. Example condition:
```liquid
NOT customer_tags CONTAINS 'has subscription contract'
```
If you changed the tag's text in **Settings > Tags**, use your text instead.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/f/3/a/7f3a3e9ddc403000/screenshot-2025-07-14-at-22320_sf60ki.png)

5. Click **Save** and give the segment a name.

6. Go to **Shopify admin > Discounts**, click **Create discount** and choose **Amount off products**.

7. Set up the discount:
   * Select **Discount code** (customer segments are set on discount codes).
   * Under **Discount value**, set the discount, and set **Purchase type** to **Subscription**.
   * Under **Customer eligibility**, select **Specific customer segments** and choose the segment you created in step 4.
   * Under **Recurring payments for subscriptions**, select **Limit discount to the first payment** (or **Limit discount to multiple recurring payments** for the first few orders).
   * Optionally set **Limit to one use per customer** and a total usage limit.

8. **Save** your discount.

### How it works

Once a customer places a subscription order, the app tags them with **has subscription contract** (or your own text for that tag). That removes them from the new customer segment, so they cannot use the welcome code again, even if they cancel and later resubscribe.

### Troubleshooting

* **The customer reused the discount**
  Make sure the tag is enabled in **Settings > Tags** and that your segment excludes tagged customers, using the exact tag text.

* **The discount code is not applying at checkout**
  Check that the customer is in the segment, the **Purchase type** is **Subscription**, and **Recurring payments for subscriptions** is set to **Limit discount to the first payment** (or multiple payments).

* **The customer was not tagged**
  Confirm the **Has subscription contract** tag is enabled in [Tag Settings](https://admin.shopify.com/apps/super-subscriptions/app/settings/tags).

### Tips and best practices

* Test the flow with a test customer account before launching it publicly.
* Use clear discount names like "WELCOME15" to track usage in Shopify's reports.
* Mention the welcome offer on the product page, for example in the subscription option's **Benefits**, because Shopify discount codes are applied at checkout and do not show in the widget.

### Common questions

**Can I make a subscription discount code that only works once per customer?**
Yes. Restrict the code to a segment that excludes the **has subscription contract** tag (steps above), and tick **Limit to one use per customer**.

**Can I use an automatic discount instead of a code?**
Yes for everyone, but to limit it to new subscribers you need a customer segment, which is set on discount codes.

**Will the code stack with my subscribe and save discount?**
Yes. It comes off the subscription price after the subscription option's discount. See [How the code and the subscription discount add up](#3-how-the-code-and-the-subscription-discount-add-up).

**Can a code give 10% off the first 3 subscription orders only?**
Yes. Choose **Limit discount to multiple recurring payments** and enter 3. The customer enters the code once at checkout.

**If I delete or change the code later, does it change existing subscriptions?**
No. A discount applied at checkout is saved on that subscription. To remove it from one subscription, see [How to add or remove a discount from an existing subscription](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/how-to-add-or-remove-discount-from-the-existing-subscription-contract-w7w5lu/).

### Related guides

* [Offering a free trial or discounted first order](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/offering-a-free-trial-or-discounted-first-order-1ai5b8u/)
* [How subscription discounts work](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/how-subscription-discounts-work-1yk98pw/)
* [Tag Settings](https://supr-bundles-and-subscriptions.crisp.help/en-us/article/tag-settings-dex0xq/)
* [Creating customer segments](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/customers/customer-segmentation/create-customer-segments) (Shopify Help Center)