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.


Table of contents



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.


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


  1. Go to Supr Bundles & Subscriptions > Settings > Tags.
  2. Enable the Has subscription contract customer tag and save. Learn more about Supr Bundles & Subscriptions tags.
  3. Go to Shopify admin > Customers > Segments and click Create segment. Learn more about creating customer segments.
  4. Create a segment that excludes customers with the tag. Example condition:
NOT customer_tags CONTAINS 'has subscription contract'

If you changed the tag's text in Settings > Tags, use your text instead.



  1. Click Save and give the segment a name.
  2. Go to Shopify admin > Discounts, click Create discount and choose Amount off products.
  3. 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.
  5. 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.


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.


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.



Updated on: 09/25/2026

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