How to Set Up a Time-Based Series Subscription
6 min readIntroduction
Time based series subscriptions are built for offerings where the product delivered should change according to a calendar schedule rather than how many orders a customer has received. Merchants can build a sequence of any length, often 10 to 12 deliveries, and assign a different product to each one based on the date it falls on. Many merchants refer to this as a calendar swap, since the product effectively swaps out on a fixed calendar cadence regardless of when an individual customer joined. This fits offerings like courses or structured programs that run for a specific period selected during setup, where every customer needs to receive the same product at the same point in the calendar.
Why It Matters
A time based structure, or calendar swap, keeps delivery predictable for offerings where the product itself is meant to change over time rather than staying the same every cycle. Every customer receives the correct product for the correct calendar date, regardless of when they joined, since the sequence is driven by dates rather than each customer’s individual order count. This matters for courses, seasonal programs, or any series with a fixed start and end where the content or product needs to progress on schedule.
How to Set Up a Time-Based Series Subscription
Step 1: Enable Series Subscription Settings
- Log in to the Shopify admin portal.
- Open the Easy Subscriptions app.
- Click Growth Tools.
- Locate Series Subscriptions Settings.
- Turn the setting on.
Step 2: Create a Subscription Plan
- Go to the Subscription Plan.
- Click Create Plan.
- Select Sequential Subscription, With Series.
- Click Create.
Step 3: Configure the Subscription Series
- Complete the standard subscription setup, including plan title and selecting your subscription products.
- Add the required product.
- Locate Type of Series.
- Select Time Based.
- Enter the total number of series, commonly 10 to 12, though any count is supported.
- Assign a specific product to each series in the sequence. This is what allows the product to change from one calendar date to the next, which is the core of the calendar swap setup.
- Define the delivery date frequency.
- Optionally add an additional product after the series completes.
Configuration Field Reference
Use this table as a quick reference while filling out the plan setup screen.
| Field | What It Does |
| Plan title | Internal reference name for the plan, not shown to customers. |
| Select subscription products | Choose the products or collection products to offer in sequence. |
| Subscription frequencies | Set up the frequency name and the billing or delivery rules, such as delivery every 1 month. |
| Selling plan name | The name customers see for this subscription option at checkout. |
| Delivery intervals | Choose Year, Month, Week, or Day as the base unit for scheduling. |
| Recurring day of month | Sets the actual billing day, from 1 to 31, when Month is selected as the interval. |
| Type of series | Choose Order Based or Time Based. Time Based schedules deliveries by date instead of order count. |
| Number of series | The total number of deliveries in the series. The series starts immediately based on the selected duration. |
| Add-on products | Optional product a customer can add on alongside the main series. |
| Products purchased | Defines whether a product is available subscription-only or as a recurring purchase option. |
| Product ships every | The delivery cadence for the product, such as every 1 month. |
| Customer tag | Optional comma separated tags applied to customers on this plan, useful for segmentation. |
Best Practice
- Enter the total number of series carefully. An incorrect count can cause deliveries to stop early or run longer than intended.
- Match the delivery frequency to actual product availability, especially for time sensitive programs or courses.
- Review the full schedule before activating the subscription, since changes after customers have joined can affect their delivery dates.
Support
For assistance or clarification, contact support at support@easysubscription.io.
Frequently Asked Questions
Calendar swap is the common merchant term for a time based series subscription. It refers to the product changing from one delivery to the next based on calendar dates, so the sequence swaps in a new product at each scheduled point regardless of when a customer joined.
Any number is supported. Most merchants build sequences of 10 to 12, but the total count depends on your program’s length and how many distinct products or stages you want to schedule.
A time based series schedules deliveries by date, so every customer receives products on the same calendar schedule regardless of signup date. An order based series instead counts each customer’s own order sequence, so timing varies by when they joined.
Courses, structured programs, or any offering with a fixed start and end date, where every customer needs to stay on the same schedule.
Yes. The setup includes an option to add an additional product once the defined series is complete.
Review the full schedule carefully before activating, since editing the series count after customers have joined can affect their remaining deliveries. Contact support if you need to adjust an active series.
Yes. The Customer Tag field accepts comma separated values so you can segment these customers for marketing or reporting.
Yes. You can optionally select an add-on product that customers can purchase alongside the main series.
