Orders / New feature

Draft orders now support subscriptions
Merchants can now build subscriptions in the admin and send them as invoices

You can now add subscription products from subscription apps to draft orders. When you send an invoice, the customer can review the order and complete payment from a link to checkout.

On this page
  1. What's changing? (30-second overview)
  2. How it works: from draft order to payment
  3. Before vs. now
  4. What the announcement covers and doesn't cover
  5. Workflow (3 steps)
  6. 5 key points for developers
  7. 3 business use cases
  8. One-line summary for proposals

1What's changing?

Subscription products from subscription appscan now be addedto Draft Orders.
Merchants can set up a subscription on the customer's behalf, then send an invoice so the customer can complete payment.

① Add

Add subscription products from subscription apps to a draft order.

② Send an invoice

Send an invoice to collect payment. The customer receives a link to checkout.

③ Customer completes

The customer reviews the order at checkout and completes payment.

2How it works: from draft order to payment

Subscription app Provides subscription products Draft order Subscription product × 1 Customer info Created by merchant Shopify admin Send invoice With checkout link Customer checkout 1. Review order 2. Enter payment Complete payment Subscription created
Key point : Instead of the merchant entering payment details on the customer's behalf, the flow hasthe customer review the order and pay at checkout themselves. The subscription takes effect only after the customer has reviewed its terms firsthand.

3Before vs. now

ItemBeforeAfter this update
Subscription products in draft orders Not supported (this update announces it as now supported) Supported Products from subscription apps can be added
Subscription setup Customer purchases on their own in the store Created on their behalf Merchants can set it up for the customer
Payment collection — Invoice sent → customer pays at checkout
Eligible apps and plans — Not stated

4What the article does and doesn't say

Stated

Confirmed information

• Subscription products from subscription apps can be added to draft orders
• Subscriptions can be set up on behalf of customers
• Payment can be collected by sending an invoice
• Customers check out from the link to review and pay
• Details are in the help documentation

Not stated

Information not available from this article

• Which subscription apps are supported
Eligible plans / countries
Handling in POS and APIs (GraphQL Admin API)
Conditions for combining with other features such as discounts and shipping
Invoice expiration

The changelog entry is only a brief announcement. Before rolling this out, check the behavior in the help documentation linked from the post and in the subscription app you actually use.

5How it works (3 steps)

1

Add subscription products to a draft order

Add a subscription product from your subscription app to a draft order.

2

Send the invoice

The customer receives a link to checkout.

3

The customer reviews and pays

The customer reviews the order at checkout and completes payment.

Specific admin button names and screen flows arenot statedin the changelog. See the help documentation.

65 key points for developers

1. A subscription app is a prerequisite

This applies to "subscription products from a subscription app." Stores without such an app have no eligible products. Which apps are supported is not stated.

2. Payment is completed at the customer's checkout

The customer enters checkout via the invoice link, then reviews and pays. Payment details are entered by the customer, not the merchant.

API ?

3. API handling is not stated

This post doesn't say whether the GraphQL Admin API draftOrder operations support this, or what input format they use. If you want to automate it, verify on a development store.

4. Works within the existing invoice flow

Rather than a new delivery method, subscriptions are handled within the existing draft order flow: send an invoice → checkout link.

5. Design around verifying the unknowns

Eligible plans, supported countries, discount stacking, invoice expiration, and similar details arenot specified. Before building this into your workflows, confirm the actual behavior together with the subscription app you use.

73 practical use cases

USE CASE 1

Taking subscription sign-ups from phone and chat inquiries

Challenge
Customers who ask for a subscription by phone or chat can only be told to sign up on the store themselves, so some sales are lost.
Solution
Staff add the subscription product to a draft order and send an invoice. The customer just reviews the details via the link and pays.
Impact
Less time spent explaining the sign-up process, and inquiries convert directly into subscriptions.
Technical note
Check in advance that your subscription app's products can be selected in draft orders.
B2B
USE CASE 2

Proposing and closing subscriptions with B2B and high-volume customers

Challenge
A sales rep agrees on a subscription during a deal, but the customer still has to sign up again through the store.
Approach
Create a draft order based on the deal, add the subscription product, and send an invoice.
Impact
The agreed terms go straight into the order, so the customer only needs to review and pay at checkout.
Technical note
Compatibility with B2B features (such as company accounts) isn't documented. Needs verification.
USE CASE 3

Complete in-store and event subscription sign-ups online

Challenge
Customers who show interest in a subscription at an event or in store often drop off before signing up on their own later.
Approach
Create a draft order on the spot and send the invoice to the customer. They review and pay later on their own device.
Impact
Capture purchase intent in the moment, while letting customers finalize payment at their own pace.
Technical note
Availability from POS isn't documented. Plan your workflow around creating draft orders in the admin.

8One-line summary for proposals

"You can now add subscription products from subscription apps to draft orders and send them via invoice.
The merchant builds the order; the customer just reviews and pays at checkout.
Never miss a subscription sign-up from phone calls, sales meetings, or in-store visits."