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How-To Guide

This guide provides step-by-step workflows for common tasks with the Subscription Plugin for Mollie.

How the Plugin Works

Data Flow Overview

Customer orders subscription product → Subscription created → Automatic renewal → New order

Detailed Flow:

  1. Order: A customer adds a product with a subscription option to the cart and completes the order
  2. Creation: The plugin automatically creates a subscription based on the chosen interval and payment method
  3. Reminder: 3 days before the next renewal, the customer receives a reminder email
  4. Renewal: On the due date, the background task creates a new order and charges the stored payment method
  5. Repeat: The next renewal date is calculated and the cycle begins again

Payment Flow with Mollie

Initial order (sequenceType: first) → Mandate saved → Renewal (sequenceType: recurring)

During the initial order, a payment mandate is stored at Mollie. All subsequent renewals use this mandate for automatic charges.

Payment Flow with Prepayment

Renewal created → Status: Awaiting Prepayment → Payment received confirmed → Subscription active

With prepayment, the subscription pauses after renewal and waits for confirmation of payment receipt.

Common Workflows

How to: Set Up Your First Subscription Product

Goal: Offer an existing product as a subscription

Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes

Prerequisites: - Plugin is installed and activated - Basic configuration is complete

Steps:

  1. Check plugin settings
  2. Navigate to: Extensions → My Extensions → Subscription Plugin for Mollie → Configure

  3. Ensure the plugin is enabled and the desired interval limits are set

  4. Edit the product

  5. Navigate to: Catalogues → Products → [Your Product]

  6. Scroll to the Subscription Options card at the bottom of the General tab

  7. Add subscription options

  8. Click Add Option
  9. Enter: Interval (e.g., 2 weeks), Label (e.g., "Every 2 weeks"), Position (1)
  10. Repeat for additional intervals (e.g., 4 weeks, 6 weeks)

  11. Activate all desired options

  12. Save the product

  13. Click Save

Result: On the product detail page in the storefront, the choice between one-time purchase and subscription with the configured intervals appears.

How to: Set Up Mollie Payments

Goal: Activate credit card, SEPA direct debit and PayPal for subscriptions

Time Required: Approximately 10 minutes

Prerequisites: - Mollie account available - Mollie API keys available

Steps:

  1. Enter API keys
  2. Navigate to: Extensions → My Extensions → Subscription Plugin for Mollie → Configure
  3. Section Mollie API
  4. Enter the Test API Key

  5. Click Test API Connection

  6. Assign payment methods

  7. Section Payment Methods
  8. Select the Mollie credit card payment method for Credit Card Payment Method
  9. Select the Mollie SEPA payment method for SEPA Payment Method

  10. Select the Mollie PayPal payment method for PayPal Payment Method (optional)

  11. Configure SEPA

  12. Enable SEPA Direct Debit

  13. Set Maximum SEPA Retries (recommended: 3)

  14. Save and test

  15. Save the configuration
  16. Place a test order with a subscription

  17. Check the Mollie Dashboard to verify the payment was received

  18. Go live

  19. Enter the Live API Key
  20. Disable Test Mode
  21. Save again

Result: Customers can choose credit card, SEPA direct debit or PayPal for subscription orders. Renewals are processed automatically via Mollie.

How to: Handle a Paused Subscription

Goal: Reactivate or adjust a paused subscription

Time Required: Approximately 2 minutes

Steps:

  1. Find the subscription
  2. Navigate to: Orders → Subscriptions
  3. Filter by status "Paused"

  4. Click on the desired subscription

  5. Check the status

  6. Check the reason for pausing (Notes field)

  7. Verify all items are available

  8. Make changes (optional)

  9. Adjust the interval
  10. Change the payment method

  11. Update item quantities

  12. Reactivate

  13. Click Reactivate
  14. The next renewal date is calculated automatically

Result: The subscription is active again and will be renewed on the calculated date.

How to: Handle a SEPA Failure

Goal: Repair a subscription with a failed SEPA payment

Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes

Steps:

  1. Find the subscription
  2. Navigate to: Orders → Subscriptions

  3. Filter by status "SEPA Failed"

  4. Assess the situation

  5. Open the detail view
  6. Check the SEPA Failure Count — how many attempts have been made?

  7. Check the notes for additional information

  8. Change payment method (if needed)

  9. Change the payment method to an alternative (e.g., credit card or invoice)

  10. Save the change

  11. Reactivate

  12. Click Reactivate

  13. The SEPA failure counter is reset

  14. Inform the customer

  15. Contact the customer and request an update to their payment details

Result: The subscription is active again with a working payment method.

Advanced Workflows

Managing Discount Tiers

Complexity: Medium

When to Use: When you want to reward loyal customers with additional discounts

Discount tiers are managed in the database table webla_subscription_discount. Each tier defines:

  • Minimum Renewal Number: From which renewal the discount applies
  • Discount Percentage: How much additional discount is granted
  • Active: Whether the tier is applied

No tiers are created on installation, and there is no admin interface for them — rows have to be inserted directly. Tier discounts apply to renewal orders only.

Quick Reference

Task Key Steps Settings Required
Offer product as subscription Product → General tab → Subscription Options card → Add options Plugin active
Set up Mollie Configure → API keys → Assign payment methods Mollie account
Force renewal Subscription → Detail view → Force Renewal —
Pause subscription Subscription → Detail view → Pause —
Change interval (admin) Subscription → Detail view → Interval field → Save —
Change interval (customer) My Account → Subscriptions → Change Interval Interval change enabled
Handle SEPA failure Status filter "SEPA Failed" → Change payment → Reactivate —

Best Practices

  1. Test mode first: Always set everything up in Mollie test mode first and run test orders before going live
  2. Keep reminders enabled: Automatic reminder emails reduce churn rate as customers are informed before charges
  3. Moderate discounts: Start with a moderate base discount (5%) and use loyalty tiers for long-term customers
  4. Regular checks: Regularly review the dashboard for failed payments and paused subscriptions
  5. SEPA retries: Keep the maximum number of SEPA retries at 3 to avoid overcharging customers

What to Avoid

  • ❌ Switching directly to live mode without running test orders
  • ❌ Activating all interval options at once — offer 2–3 sensible intervals
  • ❌ High discounts without loyalty tiers — this reduces value for new customers
  • ❌ Setting SEPA retries above 5 — this can damage customer trust
  • ❌ Modifying subscriptions directly in the database — always use the admin interface