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Docs: Flexible Subscription - One Time Payment Addon

What this add-on does

This small add-on lets you use subscription features on individual variations inside a single variable product.
In plain terms: you can have some variations sold as regular one-time purchases, and other variations sold as subscriptions — all in the same product.

Why is this useful? If your product comes in multiple options (for example sizes or flavors) and you want to offer a subscription for just some of those options, this add-on makes that possible without creating separate products.

Compatibility & requirements

  • WooCommerce (required)
  • Flexible Subscriptions (the core Flexible Subscriptions plugin) — this add-on extends that plugin’s functionality.
  • WordPress: requires at least 6.2 (plugin header), tested up to WP 6.8.
  • WooCommerce: requires at least WC 9.8, tested up to WC 10.1.
  • PHP: requires at least 7.4.

Make sure both WooCommerce and Flexible Subscriptions are installed and active before you activate this add-on.

Installation

  1. Install and activate WooCommerce and Flexible Subscriptions first.
  2. Upload the add-on ZIP or place the plugin folder into wp-content/plugins/ and activate it in Plugins → Installed Plugins.
  3. After activation, the add-on integrates with the product edit screen automatically — there are no extra global settings to configure.
If you are installing a plugin file manually, use Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, or put the folder into the server and activate from the plugins list.

How to enable subscription behavior per variation

Follow these steps to enable subscription mode for a specific variation:

  1. Open the product you want to edit: Products → All Products → (select product).
  2. Make sure the product type is Variable product (Product data → Product type).
  3. Go to the Variations tab inside the Product data panel and expand the variation you want to make a subscription.
  4. Find the checkbox labeled Subscription variation and tick it. This will mark that variation as a subscription variant.
  5. When the checkbox is enabled, the usual subscription fields (billing schedule, subscription price fields and trial options) will be available for that variation — fill them as needed.
  6. Save changes and update the product.
Once a variation is marked as a subscription, Flexible Subscriptions will treat that variation as a subscription product. Other variations that are not marked remain regular one-time purchases.

What your customers will see

  • On the product page, subscription variations display subscription pricing and billing schedule (for example “billed every month”) just like regular subscription products.
  • Regular variations remain regular one-time purchases — customers can buy them without creating a subscription.
  • If a customer selects a subscription variation, the cart and checkout follow Flexible Subscriptions’ normal subscription flow (recurring payment rules, trials, etc.).

Practical examples

  • Example 1 — Coffee tin: Size S & M are one-time purchases; Size L is available as a monthly subscription. Use the add-on to only mark Size L as a subscription.
  • Example 2 — Software licenses: Offer “Basic” as a one-time license and “Pro” as a monthly subscription under the same product listing.

Tips & behavior notes

  • There are no global settings in this add-on. The per-variation checkbox is the only control you need to enable/disable subscription behaviour for the variation.
  • The add-on reuses Flexible Subscriptions’ existing pricing, billing schedule and trial fields — you don’t need to recreate subscription settings.
  • Remember to set correct prices, stock and availability per variation — subscription variations behave the same as subscription products from Flexible Subscriptions.

Troubleshooting

Nothing changes after enabling the checkbox

  • Update and save the variation after checking the box — unsaved changes aren’t applied.
  • Clear object / page caches and test in an incognito browser to avoid cached admin pages.

Subscription fields do not appear

  • Confirm you expanded the specific variation row in the Variations tab (each variation has its own fields).
  • Check that the product is a Variable product (product type must be “Variable product”).

Compatibility or version issues

  • Check your WordPress, WooCommerce and PHP meet the versions listed in the Compatibility & requirements section above.
  • If you use other plugins that alter the product edit screen, temporarily disable them to rule out conflicts.

If you still have problems after these checks, contact support (see the Support section below).

FAQ

Can I mix subscription and non-subscription variations in the same product?

Yes. That is the main purpose of this add-on — mark only the variations you want to behave as subscriptions; leave the rest as one-time sales.

Does this add-on alter my existing subscriptions?

No — it only affects how variations behave moving forward. Existing subscription orders/subscriptions remain handled by Flexible Subscriptions as before.

Are there any new global settings to configure?

No. The add-on adds a per-variation checkbox. Subscription fields are available when the checkbox is enabled.

Support

If you need help:

  • Check your plugin versions and compatibility (WooCommerce and Flexible Subscriptions must be active).
  • Try the troubleshooting steps above.
  • Contact the WP Desk support team on support page

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