How to Cancel, Pause, or Skip a Subscription Contract

4 min read

Introduction

The Cancel, Pause, and Skip options let merchants manage active subscription contracts directly from Shopify admin. These actions control upcoming subscription orders based on customer requests or operational needs, without changing the subscription’s overall configuration.

This is a merchant initiated action taken directly on the contract, separate from the customer facing cancellation and pause retention flow. When a customer initiates a cancellation or pause themselves through the storefront, they may see retention options like a discount or a pause offer first, depending on how that flow is configured. The actions described here apply immediately once a merchant confirms them, with no retention step in between.

Why It Matters

Managing subscription status helps merchants:

Prevent unwanted or unnecessary upcoming orders
Handle temporary fulfillment issues
Respond efficiently to customer change requests
Maintain accurate subscription and billing schedules

These controls reduce manual intervention and improve subscription accuracy without requiring a full subscription cancellation and re-signup for temporary issues.

How to Cancel, Pause, or Skip a Subscription

Step 1: Access the Subscription List

Log in to the Shopify admin portal.
Open the Easy Subscriptions app.
Click Subscriptions.

The subscription page displays all active subscriptions and orders.

Step 2: Open a Subscription Contract

Select the subscription or order you want to manage.
The subscription details page opens.

Step 3: Choose an Action

On the top right corner of the subscription details page, select one of the following:

Cancel → Cancels the subscription permanently. No future orders will be generated.
Skip → Skips the next upcoming order only. The subscription continues for future cycles.
Pause → Temporarily pauses the subscription. No orders are created during the pause period.

Confirm the selected action to apply the change.

Best Practice

Review the next billing and fulfillment dates before applying any of these changes, since each option affects upcoming orders differently.
Use Skip for one-time adjustments and Pause for temporary holds, reserving Cancel for when the subscription genuinely should not continue.
Confirm the customer has been informed of the change when it’s made on their behalf, to avoid confusion about a missing or resumed order.

Support

For assistance or clarification, contact support at support@easysubscription.io.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Skip and Pause?

Skip only affects the next upcoming order, after which the subscription continues normally. Pause stops orders for as long as the pause is active, until it’s manually resumed or a pause duration rule ends it.

Does this action trigger the customer facing retention flow?

No. This is a direct merchant action taken from Shopify admin and applies immediately. The retention flow only appears when a customer initiates a cancellation or pause themselves through the storefront.

Can a canceled subscription be reactivated?

This guide covers cancelling the subscription, which stops all future orders. Contact support to confirm reactivation options if a customer wants to resume after cancelling.

Will Pause automatically resume, or do I need to resume it manually?

Pause duration is governed by your store’s pause duration rules. Check those settings to confirm whether a given pause resumes automatically or requires a manual restart.

Should I use Cancel or Pause for a temporary fulfillment issue?

Use Pause. Cancel is intended for subscriptions that should not continue at all, while Pause is meant for temporary holds where the subscription is expected to resume.