SparrowHub gives you two ways to send customers a cart to pay for: share carts (sometimes referred to as payment links) and subscriptions. Both let you collect payment from a customer remotely and fulfil the order through your usual workflow, but they're designed for very different scenarios.
In short:
Use a share cart when a customer needs to pay for something once.
Use a subscription when a customer wants the same order on a regular schedule.
Share carts as a glance
A share cart is a one-off payment link you create and send to a customer via SMS or email. You build the cart with whatever items you need - OTC products, prescriptions, service fees, or other charges, and the customer pays via the link.
Share carts can be sent as either a payment link only (payment with no delivery) or as a cart with delivery (where the customer chooses between click & collect, Australia Post, or DoorDash). Once paid, the order appears in SparrowHub, ready to process.
The customer pays each time you send them a cart. There's no stored payment method and no automation.
📘 Learn more: How do I share a cart with a customer?
Subscriptions at a glance
A subscription is an automated, recurring order on a schedule you set (e.g. every 4 weeks, every month, every 3 months). You create the subscription for the customer once, and from there it runs on its own.
The customer completes a one-off checkout to save their card the first time, and gets notified before each subsequent charge. At each cycle, their card is charged automatically and the order lands in SparrowHub for fulfilment.
Subscriptions are currently available for click & collect orders only.
📘 Learn more: How do I set up a subscription for a customer?
Side-by-side comparison
| Share Cart | Subscription |
Purpose | One-off payment | Recurring, scheduled orders |
Payment | Customer pays each time | Card saved once, then charged automatically each cycle |
Customer notification | Receives the cart link via SMS or email | Receives the initial payment link via email |
Scheduling | Sent manually whenever needed | Runs automatically on a set interval |
Delivery options | Click & Collect, Australia Post or DoorDash | Click & Collect only |
Payment-only option | Yes, it can be sent as a payment link without delivery | No, it is currently always tied to a Click & Collect order |
Best for | Ad-hoc sales, service fees, one-off top-ups, custom orders | Customers who want the same order or medications regularly |
When should I use each?
Use a share cart when...
The customer is making a one-off purchase and you just need to take payment
You need to collect a service fee or other charge
The customer wants their order delivered (Australia Post or DoorDash) rather than collected in-store
The customer hasn't committed to a regular schedule, or isn't sure how often they'll need the order
Use a subscription when...
The customer buys the same product(s) regularly and wants a set-and-forget solution
The customer is happy to collect in-store each cycle
You want to build predictable, recurring revenue from regular customers
You want to reduce the manual effort of re-sending carts to repeat customers each time
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sent a customer a share cart and set up a subscription for them?
Yes. The two tools work independently. A customer might have an active subscription for their regular vitamins and still receive one-off share carts for other purchases.
Can I convert a share cart into a subscription, or vice versa?
Not directly. If a share cart customer wants to move to a subscription, you'll need to set up a new subscription for them. If a subscription customer only wants a one-off purchase, send them a share cart.
Why are subscriptions click & collect only?
Recurring delivery support is still being developed. For now, subscriptions are designed for customers who can collect their regular order in-store each cycle. Delivery-based subscriptions will be added in future.
Can I set a subscription to run indefinitely?
Yes. When setting up a subscription, you can choose a fixed number of cycles (e.g. 3 repeats or "cycles") or select the Forever option to let it run until cancelled.
Do I need different staff permissions to use share carts vs subscriptions?
Both tools are part of SparrowHub. If you have access to one, you should have access to the other but don't hesitate to reach out if it appears anything is missing in your account.
Do customers get charged differently for subscriptions?
Customers save their card at the initial checkout, and that card is charged automatically at each cycle. They're notified before each charge so there are no surprises. For share carts, the customer enters their payment details fresh every time they pay.