This article explains how to create a new customer subscription directly within the MiniBC dashboard. This is ideal those customers experiencing technical issues or those requiring phone orders or offline payments.
This guide will walk through all the steps and details needed for creating a subscription within the MiniBC dashboard. You can use the linked titles below to skip to any section you may have specific questions on.
- Storefront & Currency
- Product Selection
- Customer Information
- Billing Address
- Shipping Address
- Shipping Method
- Shipping Schedule
- Payment Method
- Best Practices and FAQ
Limitations - Customized Subscriptions
If your store uses custom rules, discounts (pre- or post-applied), or other changes that affect subscription creation, validate those conditions before using this tool. If you notice any gaps or issues, contact support to discuss possible solutions. Customizations may include:
- Post creation discounts or grandfather price adjustments
- Separate subscriptions for different product types
- Post creation product changes based on region or product type
To begin you'll find the Add New button on the far right hand corner of the Subscriptions panel of the MiniBC dashboard. Click the Add New to begin.
1. Storefront & Currency
Confirm the storefront and currency for the subscription. MiniBC selects these based on your BigCommerce store defaults, but you can change them if needed. Changing the storefront or currency could affects the order’s pricing, taxes, and shipping rules, so double-check that you’ve selected the correct storefront.
To verify the storefront in BigCommerce: go to Orders → Expand an order, then check the Order Source item to see the storefront name. Use the storefront listed for subscription creation.
2. Product Selection
Add the products the customer wants to include in the order/subscription. You can add both one-time and subscription items, but at least one subscription item is required.
Search for the product by name or SKU, and select it. A pop-up window will appear to configure product options (such as quantity, variant, subscription frequency). Note: the product must be in stock in order to add it.
Once you have added all the requested items, proceed to the next step.
3. Customer Information
You'll need to enter the email address of the customer next. MiniBC will present a drop-own of existing customers if present or allow the creation of a new customer. MiniBC supports both the creation of new customers and the use of existing customers (in BigCommerce or MiniBC). New customers are saved within BigCommerce and will require a password reset to gain access to the account.
4. Billing Address
Enter the billing address. If the customer has saved addresses, select one from their address book. You can also enter a new address if needed.
Any new addresses entered here (or in the next Shipping Address step) will be saved to the customer’s BigCommerce address book for future use.
5. Shipping Address
MiniBC assumes the shipping address matches the billing address (the box is pre-checked). If it differs, uncheck the box and enter the shipping address.
Any new shipping address will also be saved to the customer’s BigCommerce address book.
6. Shipping Method
Once both addresses are entered, available shipping methods will populate automatically. MiniBC retrieves options from BigCommerce or connected third-party shipping integrations.
These methods match those available on your storefront. Select the desired shipping method to continue.
7. Shipping Schedule
MiniBC supports two scheduling options so you can decide when the subscription begins and whether payment is collected now or later:
| Ship Today | A new order is created immediately and the customer’s payment method is charged once the process completes. The subscription renewal is scheduled based on the items and their frequency. |
| Ship on future date | Schedules the subscription to start on a future date. On that date, MiniBC will attempt to renew the subscription and charge the stored payment method (if available). |
There is currently no restriction for choosing a future date. We recommend enabling the Upcoming Renewals notification to ensure subscribers are reminded of upcoming renewals when using this option.
8. Payment Method
Now you configure the payment method for the subscription. MiniBC offers the following flexible options:
| Add New Payment Method | Enter new credit-card information provided by the customer. |
| Use Existing Card On File | Use an existing tokenised (vaulted) card stored in MiniBC. |
| COD (Offline Payment) | COD (Cash On Delivery) - Use this for offline payments; the customer will be billed outside MiniBC during initial creation and/or future renewals. |
| Skip Payment | No payment method is entered now; the customer will enter their payment information before the first renewal date. Note: If you select Skip Payment, you must choose the Ship on Future Date schedule option so that the customer has time to provide their payment method before the first renewal. |
After the preferred payment method has been chosen you can click the "Create Subscription and ..." button. If any issues arise during creation those will be presented. If you chose Ship Today an order will be create and the customer will receive a BigCommerce generate confirmation. If configured the customer will also receive the Successful Sign-Up email.
9. Best Practices and FAQ
Best Practices
- Always verify the correct storefront and currency before creating the subscription.
- Ensure the subscription item is in stock.
- If you select “Ship on Future Date”, communicate the payment timing to the customer and ensure they will enter payment method before the renewal date.
- Use tokenised cards where possible for compliance and ease of renewal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What happens if the customer’s card is declined on renewal?
A: If configured the customer will receive a Billing Error email and have 7-days (by default) to add payment details before action on the subscription take place. The Billing Error email will also be trigger if no payment details are present.
Q: Can I change the shipping schedule after creation?
A: Yes, you can or the subscriber can edit the next renewal date.
Q: Does this tool support discount codes or bundles?
A: MiniBC supports bulk product discounts, though no other pricing customizations, coupons or discounts are supported at this time when using this tool.