Introducing: Subscriptions Beta

If there's one thing we always feel like shouting from the rooftops, it's "Support indie brands!"

We took that battle cry and, like any good software company, turned it into a feature. So today we're introducing, in its baby beta form: Subscriptions.

Here's the tldr: Now Big Cartel shops can accept monthly recurring payments from their supporters. It's a way for your most fervent fans to demonstrate devotion, and it's a way to keep your wheels turning and bills paid, without a constant need to create new products.

As we said, this is a beta feature. That means we ain't done yet! We're still hammering out more bells and whistles for Subscriptions, but wanted to put it in your hands as soon as possible. That means we're hoping you'll be patient with this simple version of what this new revenue stream can become, and we want to hear how it goes, and where Subscriptions can be improved.

How it works (for now)

When you activate this feature, a new page will be created in your shop (something like subscribe.bigcartel.com/yourawesomeshop). Your audience can go to that page and sign up to send you the amount they choose ($1 or more, if your shop is set to USD). While we're in beta, this amount won't be tied to physical goods or exclusive content, just think of it as a show of support for your business, like the tip jar at your regular coffee spot.

Turn on Subscriptions

This feature is available to all of Big Cartel's paid plans, and you'll need to connect your shop to Stripe to accept recurring Subscription payments. Once you've checked those details in the Account section of your admin, just toggle the switch to "on," and you're ready to accept recurring donations. Subscribers enter their email and monthly amount, and off they go. If they decide to change or cancel their monthly contribution, they just need to update the amount via the link that will be emailed to them.

As the shop owner, you'll receive an email when a subscriber signs up or cancels, and you can always review your list of supporters within your Stripe admin. And if things change, you can toggle subscriptions off to hide the sign-up page and pause active subscriptions.

We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Subscriptions is a beta feature. If you have questions about how it works, our help site and customer support team are ready to lend a hand. If you have requests for how we can improve, we'll be eagerly reading survey responses. We'd love your feedback as you give it a try, and we're excited to expand this new part of your shop into a valuable piece of your business.