What are Selling Plans?
Selling plans are Shopify’s standard way to offer subscriptions, deposits, and payment plans on products. Subscription apps like Recharge, Appstle, and Loop create selling plans on your products — and Checkout Links detects them automatically. When you add a product with selling plans to a checkout link, you can select which plan to pre-select for customers. No configuration or setup needed — it just works.Compatible Subscription Apps
Checkout Links works with any subscription app that uses Shopify’s standard selling plan API. This includes:| App | Description |
|---|---|
| Shopify Subscriptions | Shopify’s native subscription app |
| Recharge | Leading subscription management platform |
| Appstle | Subscriptions, memberships, and build-a-box |
| Loop | Subscription management with bundling |
| Bold Subscriptions | Recurring orders and subscription boxes |
| PayWhirl | Subscriptions and payment plans |
| Seal Subscriptions | Simple subscription management |
Any app that creates standard Shopify selling plans will work with Checkout Links automatically. If your subscription app isn’t listed here, it almost certainly works — just add a subscription product to a link and check.
How the Integration Works
Checkout Links integrates with subscription apps through Shopify’s native selling plans:- Your subscription app creates selling plans on your products (e.g., “Subscribe & Save — Deliver every 30 days”)
- Checkout Links detects these selling plans when you add products to a link
- The first selling plan is auto-selected by default — you can click Edit on the line item to choose a different plan or select One-time purchase if you don’t want a subscription
- Customers see the subscription pre-selected when they click your link — no need to choose manually
Why Use Checkout Links for Subscriptions?
Native Shopify cart permalinks don’t support selling plans. Checkout Links bypasses this limitation by using the Storefront API, which fully supports selling plans. This means you can:- Create direct subscription links — Customers go straight to checkout with the subscription pre-selected
- Share anywhere — Email campaigns, SMS, social media, QR codes, customer support conversations
- Combine with promotions — Add free shipping, discounts, or free gifts to sweeten the deal
- Track performance — Use attribution and analytics to measure subscription campaign conversions
- Remove friction — No need for customers to find the subscription option themselves
Use Cases
- Subscribe & save campaigns — Drive recurring revenue with one-click subscription checkout
- Win-back flows — Re-engage churned subscribers with a direct link to re-subscribe
- Upgrade flows — Send customers a link to switch from monthly to quarterly and save
- Klaviyo and email automation — Include subscription links in automated email sequences
- SMS promotions — Direct link to checkout with subscription pre-selected
- Customer support — Send a link with the exact product and subscription plan during a conversation
Next Steps
Create a subscription link
Follow the step-by-step guide to create your first subscription checkout link