How to Swap a Product in a Customer’s Subscription

3 min read

Introduction

Product Swapping allows merchants to replace an existing product in a subscription order with another product, most often used when the current product is unavailable or needs to be substituted for another reason. This is a manual, one time substitution on a specific order, distinct from features like time based series subscriptions, where products change automatically according to a pre-set schedule, or the swap retention action available in the cancellation flow, which offers a swap as an alternative to a customer canceling.

Why It Matters

Product Swapping supports uninterrupted subscription fulfillment. It lets merchants manage stock issues or product changes while preserving the customer’s active subscription and billing cycle, rather than needing to cancel and recreate the subscription entirely.

How to Manage Product Swapping

Step 1: Access the Subscription Order

Log in to the Shopify admin portal.
Open the Easy Subscriptions app.
Click Subscriptions to view all active orders.
Select the order you want to update.

Step 2: Edit the Product

On the order page, click the three-dot menu on the right side.
Select Edit Product.

Step 3: Swap the Product

On the product page, click the three-dot menu again.
Select Swap.
The Product Swap panel opens.
Choose the replacement product.
Click Swap to confirm.

Best Practice

Confirm the replacement product’s availability before completing the swap, so the customer isn’t switched to another item that’s also out of stock.
Review pricing and product details after swapping to make sure the order reflects the correct information for the new product.

Support

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does swapping a product cancel or restart the customer’s subscription?

No. Product Swapping replaces the product on the existing order while preserving the subscription and its current billing cycle.

When would I use this instead of canceling the subscription?

Use Product Swapping when the issue is with a specific product, such as it being out of stock, rather than with the subscription itself. It avoids disrupting the customer’s billing history and signup date.

Is this the same as the swap option in the cancellation retention flow?

No. The retention flow’s swap option is offered to a customer as an alternative to canceling. Product Swapping described here is a manual action a merchant takes directly on an order, independent of any cancellation attempt.

Is this the same as the automatic product changes in a time based series subscription?

No. A time based series, also called calendar swap, changes products automatically according to a pre-set schedule. Product Swapping is a manual, one time substitution a merchant performs on a specific order.

What should I check after completing a product swap?

Confirm the new product’s pricing and details are accurate on the order, since the swap replaces the product but doesn’t automatically verify that everything else on the order still makes sense.