If you operate a subscription service, an online membership platform, or need to manage regular donations, implementing recurring payments on your WordPress site can enhance your revenue stream.
These recurring payments provide a consistent cash flow and foster long-lasting relationships with your customers.
We offer a variety of WordPress plugins across our brands, and by providing recurring payment options, we have maintained satisfied customers over extended periods while enhancing our operations.
In this article, we will guide you through several simple methods to accept recurring payments in WordPress.
Important:Most WordPress plugins require you to set up a ‘subscription’ plan to enable recurring payments. This plan automatically charges your customers at the intervals you specify, such as monthly or annually.
Why Should You Implement Recurring Payments in WordPress?
Integrating recurring billing into your WordPress website offers numerous advantages.
Firstly, it automates the billing process, saving you valuable time. With recurring payments, you eliminate the need to manually send invoices and wait for customer payments.
Implementing automatic recurring payments can enhance your revenue from your WordPress site by minimizing payment delays and errors.
By automating billing, you can enhance your customers’ experience and improve retention since they won’t be receiving constant payment reminders.
Now, let’s explore how to set up recurring payments in WordPress. You can use the quick links below to navigate directly to your preferred method:
- Method 1: Setting Up Recurring Payments with the WPForms Stripe Addon
- Method 2: Setting Up Recurring Payments with MemberPress
- Method 3: Setting Up Recurring Payments with WP Simple Pay
- Method 4: Setting Up Recurring Payments with WooCommerce
- Frequently Asked Questions About Recurring Payments in WordPress
Method 1: Setting Up Recurring Payments with the WPForms Stripe Addon
💡Ideal for:Small businesses, nonprofits, and beginners looking to easily incorporate a recurring payment or donation form into their website without the need for a complete eCommerce setup.
One effective way to manage recurring payments is by integrating a form into your website. This approach is particularly suitable for beginners and small businesses because of its quick and straightforward setup.
To set up a recurring payment form, you need a versatile and easy-to-use form builder plugin. We recommend WPForms, as it enables you to create various forms for your website, including those designed for recurring payments.
Additionally, we use WPForms for our contact forms and annual surveys, and we have been very satisfied with its performance. For more insights into our experience, check out our comprehensive WPForms review.
Begin by installing and activating the WPForms plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
In this guide, we will utilize WPForms Pro, which provides access to the Stripe Pro addon. This addon simplifies the process of collecting recurring payments through Stripe.
Important Note:Although there is a free version of the WPForms plugin, we advise using the Pro version. The free version only supports one-time Stripe payments.
Stripe is a widely-used payment processor that allows you to accept credit card payments on your website without the complications of establishing a separate merchant account.
If you haven’t set up a Stripe account yet, don’t worry. WPForms will assist you in creating an account with easy-to-follow steps.
Once you have activated the WPForms plugin, navigate to WPForms » Settingsand input your WPForms license key.
You can locate this key by signing into your WPForms account.
Next, navigate to WPForms » Addons. This page displays all the available addons for installation.
Scroll down until you find the ‘Stripe Addon.’
Then, click the ‘Install Addon’ button.
After activating the Stripe addon, your next step is to connect Stripe to your WordPress site.
To do this, go to WPForms » Settings » Payments.
On this page, locate the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button and click it.
WPForms will guide you through signing into your Stripe account or creating a new one.
After completing this step, you will be redirected to the WPForms ‘Settings’ page.
The ‘Connect Status’ should now display a green checkmark, indicating that WPForms is successfully connected to your Stripe account.
The next step is to create an online order form and enable the Stripe recurring payment feature. First, let’s go to WPForms » Add New.
This will open the WPForms editor. In the ‘Name Your Form’ field, you can enter a name for your recurring payment form.
This name is for your reference only and will not be visible to your site visitors.
WordPress will display a variety of pre-designed WPForms templates to help you get started. For this guide, we will use the ‘Billing / Order Form’ template.
To select this template, hover over it and click the ‘Use Template’ button.
WPForms will open the selected template in the form builder for customization.
You can now modify any of the template’s fields to suit your requirements. Simply click on a field to edit it.
The left-hand menu will display all the settings for the field you have selected.
After customizing the fields, you need to add a Stripe Credit Card field to your form, which enables you to collect recurring payments from your customers.
In the left-hand menu, click on the ‘Add Fields’ tab.
Next, scroll down to the ‘Payment Fields’ section.
Then, drag and drop the ‘Stripe Credit Card’ field into your form.
Once you are satisfied with the appearance of your form, proceed to set up recurring payments by selecting the ‘Payments’ tab.
Next, click on ‘Stripe.’
Then, check the box next to ‘Enable Stripe payments.’
Your form is now ready to accept payments through Stripe.
After completing that step, navigate to the ‘Subscriptions’ section.
Next, check the box labeled ‘Enable recurring subscription payments.’
Now, create a plan name that will be displayed in your Stripe transactions, helping you track the source of each payment.
Enter this name in the ‘Plan Name’ field.
If you leave this field blank, WPForms will automatically use the form’s name as the plan name.
Then, select the frequency of charges for your customers from the ‘Recurring Period’ dropdown menu.
You can choose from options ranging from daily to yearly recurring payments.
To process recurring payments through Stripe, you need to provide the customer’s email address, which allows Stripe to notify them of any payment issues.
To provide this information to Stripe, open the ‘Customer Email’ dropdown and select ‘Email.’
Next, enable AJAX form submissions to allow customers to submit the recurring payment form without reloading the page, enhancing their experience.
To enable AJAX form submissions, go to Settings » General.
Here, you can click to expand the ‘Advanced’ section.
Now, let’s enable the AJAX form submission feature.
Once you’ve completed that, click the ‘Save’ button to store your form settings.
Integrate the Recurring Payment Form into Your Website
WPForms simplifies the process of adding forms anywhere on your website or WordPress blog.
To display your recurring payment form, open the page or post where you want it to appear.
In the WordPress content editor, click the ‘+ Add Block’ button.
Then, search for ‘WPForms’ to locate the appropriate block.
After selecting the WPForms block, it will be added to your page or post.
Next, open the dropdown menu and choose the form you created earlier.
You will now see a preview of your form directly within the WordPress editor.
If you’re satisfied with the form’s appearance, click ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ to make the changes live.
Now, visit your website to view your recurring payment form.
After publishing any form, it’s wise to track its performance to identify what works and what doesn’t. For more information, check out our comprehensive guide to simple WordPress conversion tracking.
Method 2: Accept Recurring Payments with MemberPress
💡Ideal for:Building comprehensive membership sites where you can sell subscriptions to secure exclusive content, online courses, and community features.
Are you in the process of creating a membership site and looking to establish recurring payments for your subscribers?
This is where MemberPress becomes essential.
MemberPress is the leading membership plugin for WordPress. With this plugin, you can sell subscriptions, online courses, and group memberships for corporate teams.
It also enables you to create various membership levels, process payments, restrict access based on membership tiers, and much more.
At CanadaCreate, we have successfully utilized it to build and manage our video website, yielding excellent results. For more information, check out our comprehensive MemberPress review.
First, you need to establish a membership website. You can follow our detailed guide on creating a WordPress membership site to begin.
After creating your membership site, you will need a method to collect recurring payments.
To configure your payment settings, navigate to MemberPress » Settings. Then, simply click on the ‘Payment’ tab.
To enable recurring payments, you must add at least one payment gateway.
To add a payment option, click the ‘Add Payment Method’ button.
Enter a name for this payment gateway in the ‘Name’ field.
Next, open the ‘Gateway’ dropdown menu and select ‘Stripe (Recommended)’ as your payment gateway.
MemberPress will now display additional options to help you set up Stripe.
To begin, click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.
You will be prompted to log into your MemberPress account.
After entering your username and password, click the ‘Submit’ button.
Once logged into your MemberPress account, you can connect MemberPress to Stripe.
If you don’t have a Stripe account yet, don’t worry. MemberPress will guide you through the account creation process step by step.
On the next screen, MemberPress will request your email address.
If you already have a Stripe account, make sure to enter the email address associated with that account.
Don’t have a Stripe account? You can enter the email address you wish to use for your new Stripe account.
After completing that, click the ‘Continue’ button.
MemberPress will now verify if there is a Stripe account associated with your email address.
If an account is found, MemberPress will prompt you to enter your Stripe password. Type your password in the ‘Password field’ and then click ‘Continue.’
If MemberPress does not locate a Stripe account associated with your email, the setup wizard will guide you through creating a new account.
After finishing the setup wizard, you will be taken back to your WordPress dashboard.
Next, you need to create at least one membership that will facilitate recurring payments.
In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to MemberPress » Memberships. Then, click the ‘Add New’ button.
After that, enter a name for this membership level in the ‘Add title’ field.
This screen also features a text editor where you can insert images and text.
All of this content will be visible on your WordPress website, so take this opportunity to promote your membership level. For instance, you might want to highlight the exclusive content and features available to members.
Once you have completed that, look for the ‘Membership Terms’ section on the right side of the screen.
This is where you will input all the payment information for this recurring membership subscription.
Begin by entering the membership price in the ‘Price’ field.
Next, open the ‘Billing Type’ dropdown menu and select ‘Recurring.’
Then, set the billing interval for your recurring payment, which determines how frequently your members will be charged.
To view your options, click on the ‘Interval’ dropdown and choose from the list, such as monthly or yearly billing intervals.
If you prefer a different interval, simply select ‘Custom.’
WordPress will provide additional controls for you to create a custom billing interval.
Many membership sites offer a free trial, allowing potential customers to explore the content and features available with a membership.
If you choose to provide a free trial, check the ‘Trial Period’ box.
The ‘Trial Duration (Days)’ settings let you define how long the trial period will last.
You can easily adjust the trial length by clicking the arrows to increase or decrease the duration.
By default, MemberPress allows each customer to have only one free trial.
If a member cancels their subscription and later tries to re-subscribe, they will not be eligible for a second free trial.
An alternative is to eliminate this limitation and provide unlimited free trials to all customers. To achieve this, simply uncheck the ‘Allow Only One Trial’ option.
Next, scroll down to enter the membership settings in the meta box located below the post editor.
Here, you can modify the text displayed on your membership registration button and personalize the emails sent to your members.
Ensure that all emails from your membership site reach your members’ inboxes and do not end up in the spam folder.
The most effective way to accomplish this is by utilizing an SMTP service provider to enhance email deliverability. For further information, refer to our guide on resolving WordPress email sending issues.
Once you are satisfied with the configuration of this membership level, you can proceed to publish it.
Simply click the ‘Publish’ button. Visitors to your website can now register for a recurring membership.
To preview how the new membership registration will appear to visitors on your website, just navigate to MemberPress » Memberships.
On this page, you will see the membership level you just established.
You can now hover your cursor over this membership level.
Then, click on the ‘View’ link.
WordPress will now display your membership signup form in a new tab.
💡 Pro Tip:Do you want to give your visitors options for recurring memberships? Just follow the same steps mentioned above to set up additional membership levels.
After creating a recurring membership, you can motivate visitors to sign up. To increase sign-ups, consider offering incentives like exclusive giveaways, contests, a members-only email newsletter, or bonus episodes from your podcast.
Method 3: Accept Recurring Payments with WP Simple Pay
💡Ideal for:Users looking to create straightforward, dedicated payment forms for recurring subscriptions using Stripe, without the need for complex shopping cart or membership functionalities.
Another way to accept recurring payments on your WordPress site is by using WP Simple Pay.
WP Simple Pay is the leading WordPress plugin for Stripe payments. As shown in the following image, you can utilize WP Simple Pay to create a straightforward recurring payment form without needing to install an eCommerce or membership plugin.
In our testing, we found the plugin to be user-friendly and easy to use. For more information, check out our detailed WP Simple Pay review.
Begin by installing and activating the WP Simple Pay plugin. For assistance, refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Important:To process recurring payments using WP Simple Pay, you must purchase the Pro version. The free version supports only one-time payments, while upgrading allows you to create subscriptions and access additional advanced features.
After activation, a setup wizard will pop up on your screen. Click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button to proceed.
Next, you will need to enter your plugin’s license key.
You can find this information in your account on the WP Simple Pay website.
Then, connect your plugin to Stripe to facilitate online payments seamlessly.
Remember, since WP Simple Pay integrates with Stripe, it will not function on your website until you link it to a new or existing Stripe account.
To begin, click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.
For comprehensive guidance, check out our tutorial on accepting Stripe payments in WordPress.
Once connected successfully, the setup wizard will prompt you to configure your email settings.
At this stage, you can activate options to receive email alerts for payment confirmations, upcoming invoices, and payment updates.
Next, enter the email address where you would like the plugin to send these notifications. After that, click the ‘Save and Continue’ button.
You can now proceed through the remaining setup wizard steps according to your preferences.
After that, navigate to theWP Simple Pay » Payment Formssection in the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Create Your Payment Form’ button.
This will direct you to the ‘Select a template’ page, where you will find a selection of pre-designed templates provided by WP Simple Pay.
From this list, find the ‘Payment Form’ template and click the ‘Use Template’ button located beneath it.
This template will then open in the WP Simple Pay editor, allowing you to customize it to your liking.
To begin, enter a name for this payment form in the ‘Title’ field. This name is for your reference only and will not be visible to your site visitors.
Once you have completed that, click on the ‘Payment’ tab in the left-hand menu.
By default, WP Simple Pay will create this form in test mode. In this mode, WP Simple Pay will not process any payments when the form is submitted.
Once testing is complete, ensure your form can successfully collect and process payments by clicking the ‘Live Mode’ button.
Next, navigate to the Price Options section.
Here, simply click the ‘Add Price’ button.
This will create a new ‘Amount’ section.
The default value is set to ‘USD ($) 1.00,’ which represents a one-time payment. Since we are setting up a recurring payment form, select the ‘Subscription’ button.
By default, WP Simple Pay processes payments in US dollars.
If you prefer to receive payments in a different currency, click on the ‘USD ($)’ field to select a new currency from the dropdown menu.
In the ‘Amount’ field, enter the price for this recurring product or service.
This is the amount that your customers will be billed during each billing cycle.
Next, proceed to the ‘Billing Period’ section, where you can define how frequently WP Simple Pay will charge this amount to your customers.
For instance, you might charge your customers $10 each month or $100 annually.
Offering free trials can be an effective strategy to encourage visitors to try your products or services. If you wish to provide a free trial, scroll down to the ‘Free trial’ section.
Specify the duration of your free trial in days.
If you prefer not to provide a free trial, simply leave this field empty.
If you wish to charge new subscribers a one-time setup fee, enter the amount in the ‘Setup Fee’ field.
Next, navigate to the ‘Payment Methods’ section where the ‘Card’ option will be pre-selected.
Additionally, you can offer various payment options such as Bancontact, Klarna, AliPay, and others.
Once you have configured your settings, you can proceed to create your recurring payment form.
Click on the ‘Form Fields’ tab to access the form builder in WP Simple Pay.
You can now modify any of the default fields in the form.
To make changes to a field, click on it. This will expand the section to reveal all customizable settings, including the option to change the field label or add placeholder text.
You can also eliminate fields from your recurring payment form.
To remove a field, simply click on the ‘Remove’ link associated with it.
To add more fields to your recurring payment form, click on the ‘Form Fields’ dropdown menu. For instance, you might want to request your customers’ shipping address or phone number.
Next, select a field from the dropdown menu.
Once you’ve chosen a field, click the ‘Add Field’ button. WordPress will automatically include this field in your recurring payment form.
You can rearrange the order of the fields in your form using the drag-and-drop functionality.
While customizing your form, you might want to see how it appears to your visitors. Click the ‘Preview’ button located in the upper-right corner to do this.
When you’re satisfied with the appearance of your form, click on ‘Publish’ to make it live.
You can now integrate this form into your website by copying the ‘Form Shortcode’.
Simply paste this shortcode into any page, post, or widget where you want the recurring payment form to appear.
For more information on how to insert the shortcode, refer to our guide on adding a shortcode in WordPress.
Method 4: Accept Recurring Payments with WooCommerce
💡Ideal for:Current online stores looking to add subscription products, or anyone needing a comprehensive eCommerce solution with recurring billing capabilities.
WooCommerce is one of the largest eCommerce platforms globally and is considered one of the top eCommerce plugins for WordPress due to its affordability and user-friendly management. It enables you to sell physical products, services, and subscription plans.
If you already have a WordPress site, you can easily install and activate the WooCommerce plugin.
If you don’t have a website yet, you will need to purchase a domain name, an SSL certificate, and a hosting account that supports WooCommerce.
For WooCommerce hosting, we recommend choosing Bluehost.
Bluehost is an officially recommended hosting provider by WordPress, offering CanadaCreate users a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, and a significant discount on WooCommerce hosting plans.
To get started, visit the Bluehost website and click on the ‘Get Started Now’ button.
Next, choose a plan that suits your needs.
We suggest that online business owners select the ‘eCommerce Essentials’ plan.
Afterward, you can either enter a new domain name for your WooCommerce store or link an existing one to your website.
You also have the option to skip this step and purchase a domain name at a later time.
Bluehost will then request your account and contact details.
Next, complete your payment and log in to your Bluehost dashboard.
One of the greatest advantages of using Bluehost is its automatic WordPress installation.
Once you access your hosting dashboard, go to the ‘Websites’ tab where your website will be listed. To enter the admin area, simply click on ‘Edit Site.’
You are now prepared to configure WooCommerce. For detailed guidance on the setup process, check out our comprehensive WooCommerce tutorial.
Configuring Recurring Payments in WooCommerce
To set up recurring payments in WooCommerce, you must first add at least one payment gateway.
There are numerous payment gateways available for WooCommerce, but Stripe is the top choice for payment processing.
WooCommerce does not include Stripe as a default payment option. However, you can enable recurring payments through Stripe by installing the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway plugin.
Begin by downloading, installing, and activating the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway. If you require assistance, please refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Once you have activated this plugin, navigate to WooCommerce » Settingsand then click on the ‘Payments’ tab.
Next, locate the ‘Stripe – Credit Card’ option.
Click on the ‘Set up’ button.
This will open a setup wizard that guides you through connecting WooCommerce to Stripe.
On the following screen, click the ‘Enter account keys’ button.
WooCommerce will prompt you for your Stripe account keys. To obtain this information, log into your Stripe dashboard in a new tab.
In the Stripe dashboard, select ‘API keys’ from the menu on the left.
You can now copy the ‘Publishable key.’
Return to your WordPress dashboard and paste this key into the ‘Live publishable key’ field.
Once you’ve done that, go back to your Stripe dashboard and click the ‘Reveal live key’ button.
This action will display your secret key.
Now, return to your WordPress dashboard and paste this key into the ‘Live secret key’ field.
After that, click on the ‘Test connection’ link.
After a few moments, you will see a ‘Connection successful’ message, indicating that WooCommerce is now linked to your Stripe account.
You can now proceed by clicking the ‘Save live keys’ button.
This will redirect you to the Stripe ‘Settings’ screen.
On this screen, ensure the ‘Enable Stripe’ box is checked.
Make sure to uncheck the ‘Enable test mode’ option.
This will take your Stripe connection out of test mode, allowing you to start accepting payments from your customers immediately.
Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the ‘Save changes’ button.
After that, you need to install and activate the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension. You can install this extension just like any other WordPress plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
WooCommerce Subscriptions is a premium extension that costs $199 per year.
Once you have downloaded and activated the extension, you can enable recurring payments for any WooCommerce product.
Let’s explore how to create a new product with a recurring payment option. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Products » Add New.
Then, scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section.
You can now click to expand the ‘Product Data’ dropdown. In this menu, you will find two new options: ‘Simple subscription’ and ‘Variable subscription.’
If you choose ‘Simple subscription,’ WordPress will display fields where you can set your subscription price and billing frequency.
You can set an expiration period and optionally include a sign-up fee.
To attract more subscribers, consider offering a free trial period.
Another option is to select ‘Variable subscription’ from the dropdown menu, which functions similarly to WooCommerce’s variable products.
If you choose ‘Variable subscription,’ you’ll need to create variations for your product. Click on the ‘Attributes’ tab to get started.
If you’ve already set up product attributes, you can select them from the ‘Custom product attribute’ dropdown.
You can choose any existing attribute from the dropdown list.
Alternatively, you can create a new attribute to include in your variable subscription.
To add a new attribute, simply click the ‘Add’ button.
A new section will appear where you can define your product attributes.
Make sure to assign these attributes to your product variations by checking the ‘Used for variations’ box.
After filling in all the details for this attribute, click ‘Add’ to save it.
To add more attributes, just repeat the process outlined above.
Once you are satisfied with your new attributes, click ‘Save attributes’ to finalize.
Next, select the ‘Variations’ tab and then click the ‘Go’ button.
WooCommerce will now introduce a new section.
You can utilize these new settings to create subscription variations based on the attributes you added earlier.
Once you are satisfied with the product settings, click the ‘Publish’ button.
Now, visit your website to see this new WooCommerce product live.
After successfully adding recurring payments to your WooCommerce site, you’ll want to attract visitors to your product pages.
You can find out how to do this in our detailed guide on creating a WooCommerce popup to boost sales or check out our selection of the best WooCommerce plugins for your store.
Alternative:While you can use WooCommerce’s default Stripe addon as demonstrated in this tutorial, we recommend the free Stripe Payment Gateway plugin by FunnelKit for a better experience.
This plugin offers additional features such as an easy setup wizard, automatic webhooks, integrations with subscription plugins, and more.
Which WordPress Recurring Payment Plugin is the Best?
The best WordPress recurring payment plugin will depend on your specific business goals and requirements.
WPForms is an excellent option for easily accepting recurring payments or donations through a form.
For creating specialized payment forms with Stripe without needing a complete shopping cart, WP Simple Pay is the ideal choice.
If you aim to build a comprehensive membership site that offers protected content and online courses, we highly recommend MemberPress. It stands out as the most robust solution for selling subscription-based memberships.
For those with an existing online store or looking to sell a combination of physical and subscription products, WooCommerce with the Subscriptions extension is the optimal solution.
Common Questions About Recurring Payments in WordPress
Here are some common questions our readers have about recurring payments in WordPress:
What occurs if a recurring payment fails?
Most payment plugins include an automatic system to manage failed payments, often referred to as dunning management.
Typically, the system will attempt to charge the customer’s card several times over a few days. It will also send automated emails to inform the customer about the issue and encourage them to update their payment details.
Is it possible to provide a free trial with recurring payments?
Absolutely! The solutions highlighted in this guide, such as MemberPress, WP Simple Pay, and WooCommerce Subscriptions, come with built-in options to offer a free trial period.
This feature allows customers to experience your service for a designated number of days before their first recurring payment is processed.
Which payment gateways are compatible with recurring payments?
Stripe is the leading payment gateway for recurring payments in WordPress, known for its seamless integration with nearly all plugins.
PayPal also accommodates subscriptions, and other gateways like Authorize.net can be utilized with specific extensions for plugins such as WooCommerce or MemberPress.
Can customers manage their own subscription cancellations?
Yes, all the plugins we discussed offer a customer account area.
In this area, users can conveniently view their subscription information, update their payment methods, and cancel their recurring payments without needing to reach out for assistance.
We hope this article has equipped you with the knowledge to accept recurring payments in WordPress. You might also find our guide on passing payment processing fees to customers or our expert selection of the best WordPress PayPal plugins helpful.
If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel for insightful WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
