Offering a free trial or discounted first order

Want new subscribers to get a bigger discount on their first order (for example 20% off the first order, then 10% off every renewal), a free first order, or an intro price for their first few orders? All of these are possible. This guide gives you the three ways to do it, what each one is good at, and step-by-step setups you can copy.


Short answer. For "X% off the first order, then Y% off every order after", use a loyalty program: set the subscription option's discount to the intro discount (X%) and add a Change discount reward at Order 2 that switches it to the normal discount (Y%) for all future orders. For "first order free or discounted, then full price", use a Shopify discount limited to the first payment.


Table of contents



Which option should I use?


What you want

Best option

A bigger discount on the first order, then your normal subscription discount (for example 20%, then 10%)

Option 1, loyalty program

A bigger discount on the first 2, 3 or more orders, then the normal discount

Option 1, loyalty program

A free trial of a set length (for example 7 days), then the option's price

The subscription option's Free trial setting, see Free trials

First order free or discounted, then full price

Option 2, Shopify discount

A welcome code for a campaign, or only for customers who have never subscribed

Option 2, Shopify discount code

A starter kit on the first order, then a cheaper refill product

Option 3, refill

A discount that grows the longer a customer stays

A loyalty program, see Loyalty programs


The main difference between the loyalty program and the Shopify discount is stacking:


  • A loyalty Change discount reward replaces the subscription option's discount. 20% on the first order, then 10% means exactly that.
  • A Shopify discount comes on top of the subscription option's discount. With a 10% subscription option and a 25% first-payment code, the first order is 10% off and then 25% off that price, which is 32.5% off in total, not 35%.


Option 1: A loyalty program that changes the discount after the first order


Simplest: in the subscription option's Discount, set the first order's discount, click Add discount change, set After to 1 order and enter the discount for every order after it. Click Add discount change again for later steps. Use a loyalty program, as below, for rewards other than a discount.


The subscription option's own discount always prices the first order (the checkout order). A loyalty program then changes the discount from the order you choose onward, automatically, for every new subscriber on that option. Nobody needs to type a code.


Example: 20% off the first order, then 10% off every renewal


Step 1: create the loyalty program


  1. Go to Supr Bundles & Subscriptions > Grow > Journeys and click the Loyalty rewards template. It opens in the journey editor.
  2. To name it, click More actions > Rename, for example "Intro 20% then 10%".
  3. Click the Start loyalty flow step and delete the template's example rewards with their bin icons.
  4. Click Add order and set Order to 2. Order 1 is the first purchase, Order 2 is the first renewal.
  5. In the reward that opens under it, set:
    • Reward type: Change discount
    • Discount type: Percentage
    • Value: 10
    • Duration: Ongoing (all future orders)
  7. Click Turn on journey.


Pick Ongoing (all future orders). The Duration starts on One-off (single order). With one-off, only Order 2 gets 10% and Order 3 goes back to the subscription option's 20%.


Step 2: attach it to the subscription option


  1. Go to Supr Bundles & Subscriptions > Offers and open the offer.
  2. Open the subscription option, turn on Discount, choose Percentage and enter 20.
  3. Under the option's main fields, each of its other settings is a small chip that names it and, once it is on, shows On or its value. Click Loyalty program: the option's Additional settings open with it expanded. Turn it on and choose your loyalty program.
  4. Save the offer.


Step 3: test it


Place a test subscription order (it should be 20% off), then open the subscription in Subscriptions and use Renew immediately to create the next order (it should be 10% off).


Variations


  • Intro price for the first 3 orders: add the Change discount reward at Order 4 instead of Order 2. Orders 1 to 3 get the subscription option's discount, Order 4 onward gets the normal one.
  • Several subscription options with different ongoing discounts (for example monthly 10%, every 2 months 5%): set each option's discount to the intro discount and give each option its own program with its own Order 2 value. A program can run on several options, but it changes all of them to the same value.
  • A fixed intro price: use Fixed price on the subscription option and a Fixed price Change discount reward. Fixed prices are per product, so this suits offers with one product or products at the same price.


Good to know


  • The 10% replaces the 20%. Change discount rewards are worked out from the product's regular price, they never stack on the subscription option's discount.
  • What shoppers see. The widget shows the subscription option's own discount (20%). Tell shoppers what happens next in the option's name, description or Benefits (for example "20% off your first order, then 10% off every delivery"), or turn on Loyalty bonus under Design > Add-on settings to show the program's rewards with the option. At checkout, Shopify shows the first order price and the price of later orders.
  • New subscribers only. Attaching a program affects subscriptions created after you save. To move an existing subscriber onto it, open the subscription in Subscriptions, click Edit, choose the program in the Loyalty flow card and save.
  • Order 1 cannot be selected in a loyalty program. Order 1 is always priced by the subscription option's own discount, which is why the intro discount goes on the option.


Option 2: A Shopify discount limited to the first payment


A Shopify discount set to subscription purchases and limited to the first payment discounts the checkout order only. Renewals are billed at the subscription option's normal price. This is the simplest route when renewals should be at full price, and the right one for codes, campaigns and "new customers only" offers.


  1. In Shopify admin > Discounts, click Create discount and choose Amount off products.
  2. Choose Discount code or Automatic discount.
  3. Set the value: a percentage (100% for a free first order) or a fixed amount.
  4. Under Purchase type, select Subscription (or Both if one-time purchases should get it too).
  5. Under Recurring payments for subscriptions, choose Limit discount to the first payment. To discount the first few orders, choose Limit discount to multiple recurring payments and enter the number.
  6. Set any other rules (usage limits, dates, eligibility) and Save.


You only see Purchase type once your store has at least one product in a subscription offer.


Good to know


  • It stacks on the subscription option's discount. If the option has 10% off and the code takes 25%, the first order is 32.5% off. When renewals should be at full price, leave Discount off on the option and the code alone decides the first order.
  • Aiming for an exact total? An amount off is easier to plan than a second percentage. Example: the product is $40 and the subscription option takes 10% ($36). For a $26 first order, create a $10 amount off.
  • It shows in the cart and at checkout, not in the widget. Shopify applies discounts in the cart, so the product page keeps showing the subscription option's price. Mention the welcome offer in the option's description or Benefits.
  • New subscribers only. To stop people reusing a welcome discount by cancelling and subscribing again, restrict a discount code to a customer segment. See How to offer a one-time use subscription discount.
  • Existing subscriptions keep what they got. A discount is saved on the subscription at checkout, so editing or deleting the Shopify discount later does not change subscriptions already created. To remove it from one subscription, use Edit discount on that subscription, see How to add or remove a discount from an existing subscription.


Option 3: A starter product, then a refill at its own price


If the first order is a different product (a kit, a machine, a starter pack) and every order after it is a refill, click Switch to a refill after the first order on the subscription option and turn it on. The first order is the starter product at the option's price, and from the second order on the subscription delivers the refill at the Price from the second order you set. Checkout shows both prices before the customer pays.


The refill can also be the same product and variant the customer buys. Nothing is swapped then: the first order is priced by the subscription option, and from the second order on the same product renews at the Price from the second order. That is another way to discount the first order only, for example 20% off the first order and then the regular price, without a discount code.


  • One refill per subscription option. Every product and variant sold on that option renews as the refill you choose, so use the same variant this way only on an option sold on that one variant.
  • The price from the second order is the price of each unit, and it replaces the option's discount rather than stacking on it.


Full setup: Starter product, then refills.


Free trials


Use the Free trial setting on the subscription option. Open the offer in Offers, open the subscription option, set its Subscription type to Free trial and set:


  • First order discount: 100% for a free first order (shipping is charged as usual), or a smaller percentage for a discounted one.
  • First paid order after: the trial's length, in days, weeks or months, for example 7 days. Leave it empty and the trial lasts one delivery interval of the option.
  • Once per customer: on by default, so a signed-in customer cannot take the same option's trial twice.


The customer enters their payment details at checkout and pays nothing (or the discounted price) then. The first paid order is charged at the option's own price when the trial ends, and after it the option's frequency applies. See Free trial in A Beginner's Guide to Subscription Offers.


  • Example: free for a week, then $19.99 a month. Price the option at $19.99 (the product's price, or Fixed price under the option's discount), set its frequency to every 1 month, and turn on Free trial with 100% and First paid order after 7 days. Checkout shows "First payment $0.00, then $19.99 every month".
  • A $0 order is still created at signup. Ship it as a welcome pack or sample, or archive it without shipping.
  • Your payment provider must support subscriptions, see Which payment gateways work with subscriptions.


Common questions


How do I give 20% off the first subscription order and then 10% off every order after?
Set the subscription option's discount to 20% and attach a loyalty program with a Change discount reward of 10% at Order 2, Duration Ongoing (all future orders). See A loyalty program that changes the discount after the first order.


Why can't I set a loyalty reward on Order 1?
Order 1 is the checkout order, and it is always priced by the subscription option's own discount. Put the first order discount on the option and use the program to change it from Order 2.


Will the intro discount and the normal discount add up?
Not with a loyalty program: a Change discount reward replaces the subscription option's discount. A Shopify discount code or automatic discount does add up, it comes off the option's already discounted price.


Can I offer 50% off the first month and 5% after that?
Yes. Either set the subscription option to 50% with a loyalty reward that changes it to 5% at Order 2 (Ongoing), or set it to 5% and create a Shopify discount limited to the first payment. With the second route the first order is 5% off and then the code's discount off that, so work out the code's value from the option's price.


Can the discount apply to only the first 3 subscription orders?
Yes. In a Shopify discount choose Limit discount to multiple recurring payments and enter 3; the customer applies it once at checkout and it carries to the first 3 orders. Or use a loyalty program with a Change discount reward at Order 4.


Can I offer a 7 day free trial?
Yes. Set the subscription option's Subscription type to Free trial, with First order discount 100% and First paid order after 7 days. See Free trials.


I changed my welcome discount. Why do older subscriptions still have the old one?
A discount is saved on each subscription when it is created. Changes to a Shopify discount or a loyalty program apply to new subscriptions. Update an existing subscription from its page in Subscriptions (Edit).


Is there a setting to hide a second subscription option and move customers onto it after the first order?
No, and you do not need one. Use a loyalty program on one subscription option, see A loyalty program that changes the discount after the first order.



Updated on: 10/05/2026

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