FAQs: Chargify Commerce

Table of Contents

1. System Requirements
2. App Onboarding
3. App Features
4. Available Chargify Plans
5. In-App Support
6. Subscription Configuration
7. Subscription Management
8. Payments and Processing
9. Storefront Application
10. Uninstalling the Chargify Commerce App

System Requirements

Does Chargify Commerce handle digital product licensing?

YES! Chargify Commerce handles both physical and digital products in BigCommerce

Do all of my Products need to have SKUs?

Yes. All Products that you wish to sell on subscription will require a unique SKU down to the Option Level. 

BigCommerce Products that are not part of your subscription offering do not require SKUs.

Can I use Chargify Commerce if my BigCommerce checkout is already customized?

Please Contact Us prior to installation of the Chargify Commerce app and the application of the Ebizio Checkout if you have any existing customizations applied to your BigCommerce Checkout. 

Chargify Commerce uses a proprietary checkout built using the BigCommerce Open Source Custom Checkout API. This means that we "replace" your current checkout with a custom version built for Chargify Commerce and other apps by Ebizio. This custom checkout does not take your customers away from your site - it is simply a new version of the BigCommerce Optimized One-Page Checkout. 

It is possible to implement existing customizations onto the Ebizio Checkout. However, this process may require difficult development, and may necessitate additional development fees. 

Do I need to enable the BigCommerce Saved Cards feature?

Yes. Chargify Commerce leverages the secure tokenization process native to BigCommerce to create secure subscriptions in Chargify, and enable customers to manage their Credit Cards and Subscriptions.

Does my BigCommerce site need to be using a Stencil theme?

No, your website can be Stencil or Blueprint.

Pro-Tip: For Blueprint Theme users, we strongly recommend that you upgrade to a Stencil site for better site performance, security, and longevity.

 

App Onboarding

For all Onboarding directions and information, please visit the Chargify Commerce Onboarding Guide. 

 

App Features

Can customers checkout with mixed carts?

YES! Customers are able to checkout with both subscription and non-subscription items in their cart.

Additionally, customers can have varying subscription frequencies in their cart. In other words, a customer can checkout with an "Every Day" subscription item and an "Every Month" subscription item in their cart.

Does Chargify Commerce leverage my existing BigCommerce Product Database?

YES! Chargify Commerce does not require an additional product database. Use the app to create Subscription options and apply those options to specific products in your existing BigCommerce database. 

Does Chargify Commerce keep my customers on my BigCommerce Checkout?

YES! Your customers will never leave your website, and will checkout through the BigCommerce checkout, ensuring that their checkout experience is seamless, secure, and successful.

Pro-Tip: Chargify Commerce uses our propriety Ebizio Checkout. This is a customized checkout built on the new BigCommerce Checkout API.

Does Chargify Commerce automate Orders after the first Subscription?

YES! Once a customer has placed a Subscription order through your website, Chargify Commerce will automatically recreate that order at the defined frequency, and charge the customer. For example, if your customer ordered a product on subscription for once per month, a new order will be created in BigCommerce for that subscription once each month until the subscription is cancelled.

Pro-Tip: This feature allows you to handle your Subscription Products and orders like all other orders through your website. This will save your fulfillment team a lot of time and headaches!

Can I display a custom message to my Customers on the Checkout when they have a Subscription Product in the cart?

YES! Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Configuration" → "Storefront." From here you can edit a default message for your Customers at checkout.

Does Chargify Commerce include any reporting or analytics?

YES! There are some basic insights available on the Chargify Commerce App Dashboard under "User" → "Home." You can see the basics, like total subscriptions, daily and monthly revenue, and more.

Chargify offers a more detailed reporting tool for your Subscriptions in your Chargify account. Login there any time to see more detailed metrics.

Pro-Tip: Upgrading your Chargify Account will also give you access to a fantastic Business Insights tool that will make reporting a breeze. We recommend this feature and upgrade to advanced users with growing subscription books.

Is Chargify Commerce compatible with my other site Apps?

YES! Chargify Commerce is compatible with MOST BigCommerce Apps available in their App store. The only exceptions would be Checkout apps that would directly conflict with our custom checkout or subscription checkout features. Please Contact Us with questions about your existing Apps on BigCommerce, or integrations with other external systems

NOTE: If you have a customized checkout with custom development / features, please contact us to review for compatibility.

Can I request a new feature?

YES! Please contact us, and we will be happy to evaluate your requests for future Ebizio Checkout development. Choose 'Custom Applications' from the dropdown menu on the contact page.

Is Chargify Commerce compatible with BigCommerce coupons?

Yes, though specific restrictions based on the specific type of coupon discount may apply. Please contact us, and we will be happy to review your requirements.

Can I disable coupons for carts that include a Subscription Product?

YES! There is a setting available to turn off coupons when a cart contains any subscription products. From the BigCommerce Dashboard, go to "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Configuration" → "Storefront" → "Coupons." From here you can choose to "Allow coupons to be used with subscriptions", and can write a 'disabled coupon message' for your customers that will appear in the checkout. 

Can a Customer skip a renewal?

YES! Customers can pause their subscription and/or skip their next renewal from the in-store application. Customers log into your site, and navigate to the Subscriptions page. From here, they can manage their subscriptions.

 

 

Available Chargify Plans

What payment plans are available for the Chargify Commerce App?

Currently, using the Chargify Commerce app is 100% FREE. You only need to pay for your Chargify account, directly to Chargify.

What Chargify plan is right for me?

For store owners that are new to subscription selling, and do not have existing subscription customers, Chargify offers a specialized Chargify Commerce plan that is $399/mo plus a 1 month free trial. This plan includes a maximum subscription revenue of $10k/month, with 1% overage charges. Once you have exceeded this monthly subscription revenue cap, you will automatically be bumped up to the Essentials Plan, which starts at $599/mo, and custom quotes for Enterprise users thereafter. 

For store owners that have an existing subscription customer base, you will need to receive a custom quote from Chargify for your Chargify account. Please visit this link to request pricing information.

If I have existing Subscriptions and would like to move to Chargify and BigCommerce, what should I do?

Contact Us today to get a custom quote for migration to Chargify and BigCommerce. We will seamlessly migrate your existing subscription customers to use Chargify Commerce. This work may require additional fees and development. 

 

In-App Support

I'm having issues with the App, where should I seek Support?

For all support requests, please use the blue "Help" button in the left navigation of the Chargify Commerce App. You can search a full library of user guides and growing list of FAQ's to try to find an answer first, and if you can not find documentation for your question / issue, please submit a support request directly through the App. 

Pro-Tip: Ebizio provides all front-line support for Chargify Commerce users. Please do not contact Chargify or BigCommerce for support before first reaching out to Ebizio through the in-app support. We'll get back to you ASAP!

Is there a phone number I can call to speak with technical support?

We do not currently offer dial-in phone support. Please submit a ticket through the in-app support system, and we will reach out via phone if necessary to learn about and resolve your issue.

With whom am I speaking at Ebizio Support?

We handle support for all of our apps in-house at our Philadelphia, PA location, so you will speak directly with someone who works on and develops the applications to resolve any issues.

Can I reach out via email?

Please do not email support requests, as that will cause your lead time to increase. We want to provide great service, and that starts with submitting a Support Request directly through the app.

 

Subscription Configuration

Can I adjust the price of a Subscription Product?

YES! You can adjust the price of any Subscription Product by a fixed dollar amount or percentage.

Pro-Tip: Giving your customers a slight discount on Subscriptions is a great way to boost sales. 

Can I adjust the shipping fees associated with the purchase of a Subscription Product?

YES! You can apply an override shipping cost to any Subscription Product offering.

Pro-Tip: You may want to charge a different amount for a Subscription Product than that same product as a one-time purchase. For example, you may want to offer Free Shipping on Subscription Products to attract more customers, but still want to charge your regular shipping rate for that product as a one-time purchase.

Can I adjust the frequency, or interval, at which my subscription products are processed?

YES! You can create Subscription Options based on any number of days or months. You can create multiple options for a single product, or apply different, single options to each product which you would like to sell on subscription.

What are Autoship Option Sets?

Autoship Option Sets are created to add a Subscription Option to any Product, or group of Products, in your store. The Autoship Option Set will determine the frequency of your Subscription option, and allow you to update product and shipping pricing per Option.

For example, if you want to sell a product on a once-per-month subscription, you would create a new Autoship Option Set, add your once-per-month Option to the set, and then apply that Option Set to a Product Group.

What is a Product Group?

A Product Group is a collection of any number of Products from your BigCommerce store, as you define that group. Choose any number of Products and/or Categories of Products to form a new Product Group, to which you will apply an Autoship Option Set, making those subscription options available on that Product Group.

How do I control the Order Status of subscription Orders created by Chargify Commerce?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Configuration" → "BigCommerce" → "Order Statuses." From this page, you can choose a "Create Order Status," which will be the status on which Subscription Orders will created in BigCommerce. 

How does Chargify Commerce choose which new Orders should be processed as Subscriptions in Chargify?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Configuration" → "BigCommerce" → "Order Statuses." From this panel, you can select the Order Statuses at which Chargify Commerce will process your BigCommerce Order as a new Subscription. For example, you don't want to create a Subscription for orders that are on the BigCommerce 'Cancelled' status. 

How do I apply an Autoship Rule to a Product Group?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Configuration" → "Subscriptions." From this panel, click the "Add Autoship Rule" button, and select your Autoship Option Set and Product Group. Optionally, add a description (recommended), and hit "Submit." You have successfully configured a subscription product!

Are my Subscriptions live on my site?

Look for this banner at the top of the "Configuration" → "Subscriptions" panel. Subscriptions will not be made live and public to your customers until you click the green "GO LIVE!" button. 

When your Subscriptions are live, you will see a green checkmark next to your Autoship Rule, as shown in the image below.

How do I show the Percentage (%) Savings for My Customers?

There is currently no method for implementing a 'Subscribe and Save X%' message on your product detail page via Chargify Commerce. This sort of on-page calculation would require additional development on your BigCommerce Theme that is not included in your Chargify Commerce App subscription. However, you can use the following simplified method to display the percentage savings for your customer.

When creating your "Auto-Ship Rule," instead of naming the rule "Every Month," simply change the name to "Every Month - Save (X)%". Replace the "(X)" with the percent that your customers will save against the one-time purchase cost. Now, customers will see their savings in the option drop down menu on the Product Detail page of your BigCommerce site. 

Alternatively, you can display a fixed dollar-amount saving rather than percentage. eg, "Every Month - Save $5/mo"

Note that this method is STATIC, meaning that if you change the price of the option in the future, you will also need to update the name of the Auto-Ship Option to reflect that change in savings. This is NOT a dynamic or calculated solution.

Can I set subscriptions to renew on a fixed date?

YES! You can now set a Subscription to renew on a specific date.

How does Subscription Renewal work with a Fixed Date Renewal?

A merchant will want to use a Fixed Date Renewal if they want to charge all of their customers on the same day each month, regardless of the specific date that the customer signed up for the subscription. 

For example, if you have a Fixed Day renewal set to the 1st of each month, all of your subscriptions for that product will renew on the 1st day of each month. So if a customer purchases the subscription on March 5th, they can expect to receive their subscription product for the following month (April 1st), and the subscription will first renew on the subsequent month (May 1st).

Can I assign a Cutoff date for Fixed Date Renewals?

YES! You can designate a Cutoff Date for new subscribers. For example, if your Subscription product Fixed Date Renewal is the 1st of each month, you can set a cutoff date of "X days before" for customers to be included in the subsequent period. This is useful for businesses that need to know a definitive number of subscribers X days before the subscriptions renew. 

How exactly do Fixed Date Renewals work with Cutoff Dates? When will customers' subscriptions renew?

If a customer buys ON or AFTER the assigned cutoff day, they will be charged immediately for the first order, skip the first renewal, and then pay for the second renewal. (eg, if the Cutoff date is March 1st for a March 10th Fixed Renewal date, and a customer subscribes on March 2nd, they will pay for the first order immediately (to be fulfilled in the April 10th renewal period), and the renewal will not be charged until May 10th.)

If a customer buys BEFORE the assigned cutoff date, they will be charged immediately for the first order, and then will pay for the subsequent renewal. (eg, if the Cutoff date is March 1st for a March 10th Fixed Renewal date, and a customer subscribers on February 27th, they will pay for the first order immediately (to be fulfilled in the March 10th renewal period), and the renewal will be charged on April 10th)

Can I set a Subscription to stop renewing after a defined period?

YES! You can now set subscriptions to "Renew X Times" before cancelling. This is ideal for many business models, and is now available by default in the application.

Pro-Tip: When choosing the number of renewals, remember that the FIRST Order placed is not a renewal. For example, if you want your customer to subscribe to your "Hat of the Month Club" for 6 months, renewing monthly (they receive a hat once per month for 6 months), you want to set your Auto-Ship Option to expire after 5 renewals. One initial order, plus 5 renewals, will be your 6 month offering.

 

Subscription Management

Can customers manage their subscriptions?

YES! Customers will be able to see their current active Subscriptions directly on your website, after logging in. They will be able to update their credit card information from this same view. 

Can merchants change customer subscription details?

YES! You will have access to update any and all subscription data. This will be accessible from the storefront of your website by logging into your BigCommerce dashboard, and viewing the site as a specific customer, or can be updated in your Chargify account.

You can also manage the options available to your customers by navigating from the Chargify Commerce App dashboard, and going to "Storefront" → "Storefront App." From here you can control your Customers' ability to make updates to their payment information, shipping address, and pausing / holding their subscriptions.

How do I view my active subscriptions?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then click the "Subscriptions" tab under "Manage" in the left navigation. From here you can view and manage all of your subscriptions, and can filter and search through the subscriptions with a number of parameters, including create dates, next renewals, keywords, state, and value of the subscriptions.

You can also view your complete subscription data in your Chargify account. 

How do I manage renewal failures

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then click the "Renewal Failures" tab under "Manage" in the left navigation. From here you will be able to view subscriptions that have come due, and have been successfully billed via Chargify, but have failed to inject the order into BigCommerce.

Pro-Tip: Common Renewal Failure triggers include expired credit card information and low inventory in your BigCommerce store, or unresolved changes to Products in your BigCommerce database that have not been reconciled with active subscriptions.

Can I refund my Customer through the Chargify Commerce App?

TBD

Can I survey my Customers who cancel their Subscriptions?

YES! Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Configuration" → "Storefront" → "Cancellation Reasons." On separate lines, enter / edit the reasons that you want your Customer to choose from when they cancel a subscription.

Pro-Tip: This feature can be very valuable for store merchants that want to evaluate their offerings and optimize for their customers. It is always great to hear the reasons for customer cancellation, so can continue to improve your subscription business model.

What are the definitions of the fields under Manage Subscriptions?

ID - The Subscription ID is a unique identifier for each Subscription. Click on this ID for more Subscription details

Status - States whether the Subscription is "Active"

Name - Name of the Customer

Email - Email of the Customers

Created At - Date on which the Subscription was created

Next Renewal - The date on which the Subscription will next renew and create a BigCommerce Order. 

Value - The total dollar value (USD) of the Subscription.

Total Revenue - The total revenue generated through the lifetime of the Subscription.

Actions - From this dropdown, you can manage most aspects of your customer's Subscription. 

How do I see an overview of a customer's subscription?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Manage" → "Subscriptions," and select the Subscription you want to see by clicking on the Subscription ID. You can also click the "Actions" dropdown to view options.

From the Overview page for each Subscription, you will have access to more detailed information on the Subscription (Value, Dates, Status, etc) and the Customer (Name, Customer ID, Email, and Phone).

There will also be handy links to BigCommerce order details, and to Chargify account details, which will let you navigate directly to that information in Chargify.

How does I see the history of a customer's subscription?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Manage" → "Subscriptions," and select the Subscription you want to see by clicking on the Subscription ID. From here you can choose the "History" tab.

From the Subscription History, you will be able to see the historical invoices for that Subscription. Clicking on the Invoice ID will also take you to view this subscription in your Chargify account (will open a new page). You will also see the Status of the Invoice, Due and Paid Dates, and the total dollar amount of the Invoice. 

How do I update a customer's payment method?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Manage" → "Subscriptions," and select the Subscription you want to see by clicking on the Subscription ID. From there you can click the Update Payment tab to enter new credit card information for your customers. 

How do I update a customer's address information?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Manage" → "Subscriptions," and select the Subscription you want to see by clicking on the Subscription ID. From there you can click the Update Address tab to enter new billing or shipping address information.

Can I update the frequency of an existing Subscription?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Manage" → "Subscriptions," and select the Subscription you want to see by clicking on the Subscription ID. From there you can click the "Change Frequency" tab to update the frequency of your Subscription. 

NOTE: This feature is currently in development. Please check back soon for more information.

How do I pause or cancel a Subscription?

Navigate to the Chargify Commerce app from the BigCommerce dashboard by clicking "Apps" → "Chargify Commerce," then go to "Manage" → "Subscriptions," and select the Subscription you want to see by clicking on the Subscription ID. From there you can click on either "Pause Subscription" or "Cancel Subscription" to manage these preferences.

Pro-Tip: Under "Pause Subscription," you will have two choices. You can choose to place a Subscription on "Hold" or "Pause" the Subscription. You can place the Subscription on hold until a defined later date when the Subscription should resume. Or, you can Pause the Subscription indefinitely until it is manually reactivated or cancelled. 

Pro-Tip: You can manage the options for "Reason for Cancellation" under "Configuration" → "Storefront" → "Cancellation Reasons" tab.

 

Payments and Processing

What Payment Gateways are currently supported by Chargify Commerce?

At this time we support the following gateways:

• Authorize.net
• Braintree
• Stripe

Additional Payment Gateway integrations are currently in development. If you would like to request a specific Payment Gateway that is not currently accepted, please Contact Us and we will add your gateway to our development roadmap.

How do I use 'wallet' payments like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Amazon Pay with Chargify Commerce?

If a Customer's cart includes subscription items, the customer will be limited to use only the above approved Payment Methods when checking out on your store. All other Payment Methods will be dynamically hidden based on the cart contents.

For Carts that do not include subscription items, "wallet" payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, etc. will still be available in your Checkout. 

In order for Subscription Orders to process properly, Customers will need to select their Payment Method from the Checkout, making it necessary to remove any Payment Methods that show directly on the Cart page of the BigCommerce site (like PayPal express). 

Do I have to enable "Authorize & Capture" within BigCommerce?

No, you will not need to enable "Authorize & Capture" for your payment gateway in order for Chargify Commerce to work. Having "Authorize Only" will be sufficient.

Why do I have to use Ebizio Checkout with Chargify Commerce?

In order to properly create and process subscriptions, there are a few functionality requirements that need to happen on the Checkout. Note that all of this functionality is dynamic, meaning if a customer doesn't have a subscription item in their cart, none of this functionality occurs.

1. Customers with subscriptions in their cart must checkout using only your configured Chargify Commerce payment gateway. If you are using Authorize.net for example, this is the only payment gateway that can be used by your customers. Because of this, we will only display the allowed gateways to customers with subscriptions in their cart.
2. Customers with subscriptions in their cart must additionally have "Save this card for future transactions" checked when adding a new payment method. This functionality will occur automatically, and he disable the customer's ability to uncheck this box.
3. Because customers are required to use the BigCommerce "saved cards" feature, they must have an account and be logged in before getting to the checkout's payment step. Customers with subscriptions in their cart will be held at the first checkout step until they login or create an account. 

How does Chargify Commerce handle taxes?

In addition to your BigCommerce tax configuration, and as part of the onboarding process, you will configure tax settings in your Chargify account.

Pro-Tip: Follow Chargify's Tax Setup Documentation for the best possible configuration.

When is my customer charged for their Subscription?

Your customer will be billed at the interval set on your subscription options. For example, a product with a subscription interval of one month will be billed on the same day each month - the day on which the product was purchased. Weekly subscriptions would be charged on the same day of the week each week.

How do I manage refunds while using Chargify Commerce?

All non-subscription Orders (Orders which do not contain a subscription product) placed on BigCommerce will follow your current / existing processes for refunds. 

Refunds on subscription Orders (Orders which contain a subscription product, and which have been processed using Chargify (ie, not the 'Originating' Order, which is not charged through Chargify), will be refunded through BigCommerce just like any other order, with 2 additional steps. 
1. Select "Refund customer through third party provider" from within BigCommerce (see Screenshot below). 
2. Manually refund the customer within Chargify for the proper amount.

Next 

TBD

 

Storefront Application

What is the Storefront Application?

The storefront application is a theme-based application that allows both you and your customer to view and interact with Subscriptions. Customers can only view and edit their own subscriptions. You may login as any customer via the BigCommerce back office to edit their subscriptions as well.

How do I link customers to the Storefront Application?

During the onboarding process you were asked to create a new web page. If you do not know how to link to this page, please visit "Storefront" → "Web Pages" within your BigCommerce dashboard and look for the "subscriptions" web page.

Can I change the appearance of the Storefront Application?

Yes, you can change the general branding of the storefront application by simply editing the hex values within the subscriptions web page's content. Your hex values should contain the hash symbol. Additionally you can set the "palette-type" to be "dark" instead of light.

<div id="dittopay-storefront-app"
      data-palette-type="light"
      data-palette-main="HEX_COLOR_HERE"
      data-palette-contrast-text="CONTRASTING_HEX_COLOR_HERE">
 </div>

What does the Storefront Application look like for customers?

Can the Storefront Application open a particular subscription and tab?

Yes! You can use URL query parameters to open a given subscription and tab. The format for the URL is as follows:

yourdomain.com/your_page?subscription={{ SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}&tab={{ TAB }}

The "tab" query parameter is optional and defaults to "overview". The values that can be used are as follows:

• overview
• history
• update-payment
• update-address
• change-frequency
• pause
• cancel

An example valid URL may look something like below:

yourdomain.com/your_page?subscription=69890392&tab=update-payment

 

Uninstalling the Chargify Commerce Application

WARNING: Do not uninstall Chargify Commerce if you are planning to continue support for your existing subscribers via Chargify and BigCommerce. 

What happens if I uninstall Chargify Commerce?

Uninstalling the Chargify Commerce app from you BigCommerce store will disconnect the app from the BigCommerce and Chargify API's. Subscription data will still be available in your Chargify account, but orders will no longer be pushed to your BigCommerce store from Chargify. Subscriptions in Chargify will also not be renewed on their original date. 

Existing subscription information will still be available in your Chargify account, and can be exported and migrated to another subscription platform. We do not offer service or support for this process.

What to do if I want to cancel Chargify Commerce, but keep my subscribers?

Please contact us to discuss the process to move to another subscription solution. 

Please note that neither Chargify nor Ebizio is responsible for completing the work associated with moving to a new Subscription provider. This service is not included in your monthly Chargify fee.

Can I pause my Chargify Commerce subscriptions?

TBD