---
title: "Discounts on subscriptions and renewals"
description: "Choose how many subscription orders a OneCode discount applies to, and include or exclude subscription items."
url: https://docs.onecodediscounts.com/en/articles/22-discounts-on-subscriptions-and-renewals
collection: "Discount settings"
updated: 2026-11-06
language: en
---

# Discounts on subscriptions and renewals

Choose how many subscription orders a OneCode discount applies to, and include or exclude subscription items.

**In short:** By default, automatic discounts apply to every subscription renewal and codes apply to the first order only. To change this, tick **Limit discount to specific recurring cycles** and enter the **Number of cycles**.

## Set the number of renewals

1.  In **Subscription recurring limit**, tick **Limit discount to specific recurring cycles**.
    
2.  In **Number of cycles**, enter how many subscription orders get the discount:
    
    -   `3`: the first 3 subscription orders, counting the first order.
        
    -   `1`: the first order only.
        
    -   `0`: every renewal, with no limit.
        
3.  Save the discount.
    

![The Subscription recurring limit card set to 3 cycles](https://staticfiles.us.gleap.ai/p6ae440349b260bc5e19963ea/b6K2FYT9WZFyyqxSTps3rkiQAuN6jvNJTS5YW5LskhnAvl7RVTPqKXuRihsKsxQcFPoBLy1w8sV.png "The Subscription recurring limit card set to 3 cycles")

## Worked example

Code WELCOME20 gives 20% off, with **Number of cycles** `3`. A customer subscribes to monthly coffee with the code. Their first three orders are 20% off. From the fourth order they pay full price.

## Include or exclude subscription items

To stop a product discount applying to subscriptions, click **Add exclusions** and tick **Exclude subscription items**. See [Sale items and subscription items](https://jxngqfpxd.us.gleap.help/en/articles/7).

![The Exclusions box on a product discount with Exclude subscription items ticked](https://staticfiles.us.gleap.ai/p6ae440349b260bc5e19963ea/a980K7d8QrG74TupvaGQPG6ADyAZltU8JYM9LiDDkES9m7z7PmOFjc1wbkKMUimn3c7nR2O7vGx.png "The Exclusions box on a product discount with Exclude subscription items ticked")

To discount **only** subscription items, so one-time purchases don't get the discount, add the Per-Discount Condition **Item has subscription** with **Value** set to **Yes**. See [Group and Included Items conditions](https://jxngqfpxd.us.gleap.help/en/articles/12).

![A Per-Discount Condition of Item has subscription set to Yes, so only subscription items are discounted](https://staticfiles.us.gleap.ai/p6ae440349b260bc5e19963ea/cDFofIocfyxF9Se99Ex2KVNXAayWg9Xs2zLglzBamC82cOEMTyhco6445VS29d6TCvSL5pMZ0Gb.png "A Per-Discount Condition of Item has subscription set to Yes, so only subscription items are discounted")

## Good to know

-   Subscriptions need a Shopify subscription app. OneCode: Stackable Discounts works with the subscription orders that app creates.
    
-   Preorders sold with a Shopify purchase option, for example by STOQ, count as subscription items for **Exclude subscription items** and **Item has subscription**.
    
-   If you leave the box unticked, Shopify's default applies: automatic discounts apply to every renewal, codes only to the first order.
    
-   A subscription with many payments counts as one use toward **Maximum discount uses**.

## Related

- [Discount code or automatic discount?](https://docs.onecodediscounts.com/en/articles/18-discount-code-or-automatic-discount.md)
- [Schedule a discount with start and end dates](https://docs.onecodediscounts.com/en/articles/19-schedule-a-discount-with-start-and-end-dates.md)
- [How OneCode discounts combine with your other discounts](https://docs.onecodediscounts.com/en/articles/20-how-onecode-discounts-combine-with-your-other-discounts.md)
- [Limit how many times a code can be used](https://docs.onecodediscounts.com/en/articles/21-limit-how-many-times-a-code-can-be-used.md)
- [Create bulk discount codes](https://docs.onecodediscounts.com/en/articles/23-create-bulk-discount-codes.md)