What are Subscription Rewards?
Subscription Rewards lets you thank subscribers for staying — automatically. You build a reward ladder for a subscription plan: a set of rewards that unlock as a subscriber reaches order milestones (for example, a bigger discount on order 3, a free gift on order 5). Appstle applies each reward at billing time on the right order, with no discount codes and no manual steps for you or your customer.
Each selling plan has its own ladder, so a monthly plan and a weekly plan can reward differently.
Where to find it
Open Subscription Plans, choose a plan, and click View Rewards — this opens the Subscription rewards page with a tab for each selling plan in the group.
The same rewards also appear under Journeys, where each ladder is shown as a loyalty journey — both places edit the same rewards, so use whichever you prefer.
If you see an upgrade prompt instead of the editor, your current Appstle plan doesn’t include subscriber loyalty features yet.
Reward types
Percentage off — e.g. 15% off from order 3.
Amount off — a fixed amount off the item price.
Fixed price — the item bills at an exact price you set.
Free gift — a product you pick is added to the qualifying order at no charge.
Free shipping — shipping is free on the qualifying order.
Building your ladder
Keep the joining price, percentage, or amount discount on the plan itself, and use the reward ladder for later milestones. Free gifts are the order-1 exception: when configured for the first subscription order and the customer subscribes through the Appstle widget, the widget adds the gift to the cart and Appstle’s automatic discount makes it free at checkout.
Click Add reward, choose the order number it unlocks on (e.g. "Order 5"), pick the reward type, and set the value. For a free gift, pick the product; for percentage or amount off, enter the number.
A reward can apply to a single order ("Order 5") or from that order onward ("Order 5 onwards") — the editor shows this on each reward.
Rewards apply automatically when the subscription bills for that order — nothing to send, no codes to manage.
Repeating rewards
Rewards can fire once, or repeat forever. Each reward has an "Include in the repeating pattern" checkbox:
Rewards marked with the repeat symbol (↻) repeat together, as one pattern — not each on its own schedule. The editor tells you the cadence (for example, "Rewards marked ↻ repeat together as one pattern, every 4 orders").
You never have to work out the math: each repeating reward shows exactly which orders it will land on (for example, "fires on orders 3, 7, 11").
Rewards you leave unchecked fire once at their order number and never again — perfect for one-time milestones like an anniversary gift.
Prepaid subscriptions
For prepaid plans, a single payment covers several deliveries, so rewards work per billing group rather than per delivery: rewards marked ↻ repeat for each future prepaid billing group. The editor explains this in place whenever you’re editing a prepaid plan’s ladder.
What your customer sees
The storefront subscription widget can show the plan’s reward ladder while customers shop. In the customer portal, upcoming orders show the rewards they include, such as a discount, free shipping, or a free gift. Customers can also see how many orders remain before their next free gift. Configured rewards apply automatically at billing.
Use the Customer preview toggle inside the rewards editor to see your ladder exactly as a customer would — before you save anything.
Free gifts show up as a no-charge line on the qualifying order.
FAQs
Do rewards apply to my existing subscribers? Yes. Rewards are based on how many orders a subscription has completed, so long-time subscribers get the rewards their order count has already earned.
Can different plans reward differently? Yes — every selling plan has its own ladder. Use the tabs at the top of the Subscription rewards page to switch between plans in a group.
What happens if I edit the ladder later? Changes take effect from each subscription’s next billing — past orders are never changed retroactively.
Can I combine a joining discount with rewards? Yes. The plan’s own discount handles the first order; the ladder takes over from whichever order you choose.
Something looks off? Reach out to us on chat — the support team can see exactly how your ladder is configured and what each upcoming order will charge.