How to Set Up a First-Month Discount in WooCommerce Subscriptions

A first-month offer should charge the introductory amount once, then renew at the advertised regular price. WooCommerce Subscriptions can handle this with a recurring discount coupon limited to one payment. A trial with a sign-up fee is another approach, but it changes how the initial charge is described and scheduled.

Choose the approach that matches your offer

• A coupon customers enter: use a limited recurring discount on an ordinary subscription.
• An introductory price built into the product: a free trial with a sign-up fee can collect an upfront amount before regular billing starts. Explain both charges clearly.
• A first-year offer: distinguish an annual subscription’s first payment from twelve payments on a monthly subscription.

Method 1: Limit a recurring coupon to one payment

For example, a $50 monthly subscription with a 50% introductory offer should charge $25 initially and $50 on the next regular renewal, before any separate taxes or shipping.

1. Create or edit the subscription product and set its normal price to $50 every month. For this example, do not add a free trial, sign-up fee, or synchronized billing date.
2. Open Marketing → Coupons and create a coupon such as FIRSTMONTH.
3. Select Recurring Product % Discount and enter 50 as the amount.
4. Set Active for x payments to 1. Leaving this field blank creates an ongoing discount.
5. Restrict the coupon to the intended subscription product and configure expiry, usage limits, and individual use if needed.
6. Publish the coupon and apply it during a test checkout. Inspect the initial order, subscription record, and subsequent renewal.

A payment limit is different from a coupon usage limit. The payment limit controls how long the discount remains on a subscription; usage restrictions control redemption. A coupon also does not automatically enforce eligibility for genuinely new customers across multiple accounts.

Method 2: Trial period plus sign-up fee

For an introductory charge without a customer-entered coupon, a monthly product can have a $50 recurring price, a one-month free trial, and a $25 sign-up fee. The customer pays the sign-up fee upfront, with regular subscription billing starting after the trial.

This is an alternative billing structure, not an ordinary discounted recurring payment. Consider shipping, taxes, refunds, trial eligibility, subscription switching, and the payment gateway’s support for your configuration. Review the actual dates and amounts shown at checkout rather than assuming every combination behaves the same.

First-year discounts

On a $500 yearly subscription with no trial, a 50% recurring coupon limited to one payment gives a $250 first annual payment. For a monthly plan discounted over twelve monthly payments, the payment limit would instead be twelve. Trials and aligned billing dates can change when the first qualifying payment occurs.

Verify the renewal before promoting the offer

• Confirm the initial amount, recurring amount, and next payment date shown to the customer.
• Test with the intended product variation and gateway in its sandbox environment.
• Check coupon restrictions, taxes, shipping, and any sign-up fee separately.
• Use a controlled test renewal to verify the full price resumes; do not trigger charges on a real customer’s subscription for testing.
• Make sure the offer copy describes when the discount ends.

Example: “$25 for your first month, then $50 per month. Renews automatically until cancelled.” Adapt the wording to the actual billing and cancellation terms.

Common questions

Will a normal product sale price end after one month?

Do not rely on a scheduled product sale to control a subscription’s later renewals. Use a defined subscription discount duration and verify the saved subscription totals.

What if there is a free trial?

A coupon limited to one payment may apply to the first qualifying paid payment after the trial rather than the signup date. Test that combination before advertising the offer.

Official reference: WooCommerce’s limited payment coupon guide and subscription product settings.

For payment troubleshooting, see my WooCommerce payment gateway checklist.

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