Welcome to Ongoing! In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to unfreeze subscriptions and what happens once you do.
What happens when you unfreeze a subscription?
When you unfreeze subscriptions, they immediately start running again.
Your customers will be charged immediately (as the next billing dates are most likely in the past) so it will want to 'catch up.'
If the next billing date has already passed, it will trigger a charge (and corresponding order creation) right away.
Solution: If you would like the subscriptions to not charge immediately.... Before unfreezing them , you can change the "next billing date" to a date in the future and that will not charge them immediately but delay the billing until that future date.
Why Freeze a Subscription?
Freezing subscriptions allows you to pause billing and order creation for a set time. This can be helpful if:
A subscriber wants to temporarily pause shipments (e.g., going on vacation).
You need to postpone charges due to inventory or seasonal constraints.
When subscriptions are frozen, they stay inactive until they’re manually unfrozen. No charges or orders will be processed during the frozen period.
How to Unfreeze Subscriptions
Log in to your Ongoing app
Make sure you’re signed in to your Ongoing app via your Shopify store.Navigate to the Subscriptions Section
Go to Ongoing > Subscriptions to view a list of all your subscriptions.Unfreeze All Subscriptions
On the Subscriptions page, click Unfreeze. This will unfreeze all frozen subscriptions at once—just one click!Note: There is no additional confirmation prompt. Once you click Unfreeze, your subscriptions are active immediately.
What Happens Next?
Billing Date Check
Once the subscriptions are unfrozen, Ongoing checks each subscriber’s next billing date.If the billing date is in the future, billing will resume on the scheduled date.
If the billing date is in the past, Ongoing will immediately trigger the overdue charge(s) and generate the corresponding order(s).
Order Creation
If a charge is triggered right away (because the billing date was missed while frozen), a new order is created and pushed to your fulfillment system or integration accordingly.Email Notifications
Depending on your email notification settings, subscribers will typically receive emails about the resumed subscription and any subsequent charges or orders.
Tips & Best Practices
Check Inventory First
Before unfreezing subscriptions that are overdue for a billing cycle, ensure you have enough inventory to fulfill any generated orders.Notify Customers
If you’re unfreezing subscriptions on your customers’ behalf, let them know they may be charged immediately if their billing date was in the past.Review Scheduled Dates
After unfreezing, confirm that the upcoming billing schedule makes sense. If you want to adjust future dates, you can do so in the subscription settings.Monitor Your Dashboard
Keep an eye on your Ongoing dashboard for any unexpected behavior, such as multiple orders or missed charges.
FAQs
Can I automatically unfreeze subscriptions?
Yes! Ongoing offers a one-click Unfreeze option that automatically unfreezes all frozen subscriptions at once. This means you don’t have to navigate through each individual subscription contract—Ongoing handles it for you in a single step.Will my customers be notified of an unfreeze?
Yes, customers receive an email when their subscription resumes or an immediate charge occurs.What if I want to skip the missed billing date?
You can manually adjust the next billing date before unfreezing. This way, Ongoing won’t attempt to charge for the past date.Can I partially unfreeze a subscription for a certain product variant?
Freezing and unfreezing applies to the entire subscription. If you want to manage specific products, consider editing the subscription items instead.
Need More Help?
If you have any questions about unfreezing subscriptions or need assistance with advanced settings, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team. We’re here to help you make the most of Ongoing.
Happy selling,
The Ongoing Team