Overview
You can create a subscription contract directly from the Subi admin panel — without the customer visiting your storefront or going through checkout. This is useful for:
Phone and email orders — convert leads into recurring revenue during a call or conversation
B2B clients — set up automatic monthly deliveries for wholesale customers
Migrations — move customers from a previous subscription platform or spreadsheet
Support requests — re-create a subscription that was cancelled by mistake
Before you start
Make sure the following are in place:
At least one Subscription Plan is active in Subi
The customer has a saved payment method in Shopify (required to process future billings)
The products you want to subscribe have a selling plan attached via Subi
Step 1 — Open the Create subscription page
In your Shopify admin, go to Apps → Subi Subscriptions → Contracts.
Click the Create subscription button in the top-right corner.
Step 2 — Add products
On the Create subscription form, use the Products section to add items to the subscription.
Type a product name in the search field, or click Browse to open the product picker.
Select one or more products and click Add.
Step 3 — Select a customer
In the Customer section on the right, search for an existing customer by name or email.
Click the customer in the dropdown to select them.
Once selected, Subi will automatically load the customer's:
Payment method — saved cards on file in Shopify
Shipping addresses — all addresses on the customer's account
Step 4 — Set billing and shipping
With the customer selected:
Choose the payment method to charge for future renewals
Select a shipping address (or enter a new one)
Review the billing date for the first and future orders
Check Charge first payment immediately if you want to bill the customer right away
Step 5 — Create the subscription
Once products, customer, payment method, and shipping address are all set, the Create subscription button becomes active.
Click Create subscription to confirm.
Subi will create the subscription contract and — if you selected immediate charge — process the first payment automatically.
After creation
The new subscription will appear in the Contracts list. From there you can:
View and manage the subscription like any other contract
Skip, pause, or cancel orders
Edit products, quantities, or billing frequency
Frequently asked questions
Can I create a subscription without a saved payment method?
No. A saved payment method is required so Subi can process future renewals automatically. If the customer does not have one, they need to make a purchase in your store first, or you can add a card via Shopify's customer page.
Will the customer receive a confirmation email?
Yes. Shopify sends an order confirmation for the first order if you chose immediate charge. Subi also sends subscription-related emails based on your notification settings.
Can I create a subscription for a product without a selling plan?
No. Products must have a selling plan (subscription plan) assigned in Subi before they can be added to a manual subscription.
Can I backdate the subscription start date?
No. The subscription starts from the date of creation. You can adjust the next billing date after creation from the contract detail page.