SubscriptionFlow documentation

Plan Switching & Upgrades

Let customers upgrade, downgrade or switch plans themselves, or do it from the admin — turning a Starter customer into a Pro one without them starting over.

Available onPro

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What this does

  • Customers (Pro): from their dashboard, a customer can change their plan using an “Upgrade Plan” button — if you’ve allowed it on the product.
  • Admins (always): from a license’s edit screen, you can change the plan, allowed sites, and duration for any customer.

Why it exists: growth. Customers should be able to upgrade the moment they’re ready, and you should be able to adjust a subscription without cancelling and recreating it.

Typical use cases

  • A Starter customer upgrades to Pro for more allowed sites.
  • You move a customer to a custom “Agency” plan after a sales conversation.
  • A customer downgrades at renewal to a cheaper tier.

Enabling customer upgrades

Step 1 — Allow upgrades on the product. Open the product → Subscriptions Settings tab → tick Allow Upgrades. (Pro)

Step 2 — Set where the upgrade button goes. Set the Upgrade URL on the product (or leave blank to use your shop page). This is where the dashboard’s “Upgrade Plan / Renew Now” button sends customers.

Step 3 — Define upgrade paths on the plan. On SubscriptionFlow → Plans, edit a plan and set its Upgrade Options (which plans it can move up to).

Customers then see the upgrade action on their dashboard.

Changing a plan as an admin

  1. Go to SubscriptionFlow → Licenses and open the customer’s license.
  2. In Change Plan (Upgrade / Downgrade / Switch), choose the New Plan, New Allowed Sites, and optionally a New Duration.
  3. Apply the change. Changing the duration recalculates the expiry from today.

See Licenses for the full edit screen.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Define clear upgrade paths. Use each plan’s Upgrade Options so customers only see sensible next steps.

  • Point the Upgrade URL at the right product/checkout so upgrading is one smooth click.

  • Prefer plan changes over cancel‑and‑rebuy. Switching keeps the customer’s history and license intact.

  • Communicate what changes. Make it clear whether allowed sites, price, or renewal date change on upgrade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is plan switching available on the Free plan?

Customer self‑service upgrades are a Pro feature. Admins can change a license’s plan on any level from the Licenses screen.

How do I let customers upgrade themselves?

Enable Allow Upgrades on the product, set an Upgrade URL, and define Upgrade Options on the plan.

Does upgrading create a new subscription?

No — it changes the existing subscription/license, preserving history.

What happens to the expiry date when the duration changes?

Changing the duration recalculates the expiry from the current date.

Can a customer downgrade?

Yes, if you include the lower plan in the Upgrade Options paths (or handle it from the admin).

Where do customers find the upgrade button?

On the customer dashboard, when Allow Upgrades is enabled for their product.

Admin DashboardPlansPlans are the named tiers your customers subscribe to. A plan defines the price, billing interval, allowed sites and features a subscription product offers.Admin DashboardLicensesManage every license your store has issued — extend, cancel, refund or change a customer's plan. The screen you will use most for customer support.Getting StartedYour First Subscription ProductTurn a normal WooCommerce product into a subscription, field by field, using the Subscriptions Settings tab — the detailed reference behind the Quick Start.Customer DashboardSubscriptions & InvoicesInside the customer dashboard, subscribers manage their plans in Subscriptions and reach their Invoices. What customers can and cannot do there.