Variable subscriptions let you sell the same product with multiple billing options. A classic example is a SaaS product with Monthly and Annual plans, or a membership site with Basic, Pro, and Premium tiers.
Each variation has its own price, billing period, interval, trial, and sign-up fee. Customers pick the variation they want from a dropdown on the product page.
When to use variable subscriptions
Use a variable subscription when:
- You offer the same underlying product at different billing frequencies (monthly, quarterly, annual).
- You have a tiered plan structure (basic, pro, premium).
- You want to let customers switch between options after purchase (see Switching).
If you only have one billing option, use a simple subscription instead.
Creating a variable subscription
- Go to Products → Add New.
- Enter a name and description.
- In the Product data panel, select Variable subscription from the product type dropdown.
- Go to the Attributes tab and create at least one attribute used for variations. Typical examples are:
- Billing frequency with values Monthly, Annual.
- Plan with values Basic, Pro, Premium.
Check Used for variations and click Save attributes.
- Go to the Variations tab.
- Click Generate variations to create a variation for each combination of attribute values, or add them manually.
- For each variation, expand it and fill in:
- Subscription price
- Billing period and billing interval
- Sign-up fee (optional)
- Free trial (optional)
- Length (optional)
- Stock, image, description, and other standard WooCommerce variation fields.
- Click Save changes, then Publish.
Default variation
Under the Variations tab, you can set a Default form values combination. This is the option pre-selected when a customer lands on the product page. Choose the variation you want customers to consider first.
Product page display
Customers see attribute dropdowns above the Add to cart button. When they select a combination that matches a valid variation, the subscription price and schedule for that variation are displayed (for example, “$29 every month with a 7-day free trial”).
The Clear link resets the selection. The variation’s image, description, and stock status update as the customer selects options.
Switching between variations
Variable subscriptions unlock the ability for customers to switch between variations after purchase. For example, a customer on the Monthly Basic variation can upgrade to Annual Pro from their My Account page.
You control:
- Which switches are allowed (upgrades, downgrades, cross-grades).
- How prorated amounts are calculated.
- Whether switching starts a new billing cycle.
See Switching for the full configuration.
Example configurations
SaaS with Monthly and Annual options
Attribute: Billing frequency: Monthly, Annual.
| Variation | Price | Period | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $29 | Month | 1 |
| Annual | $290 | Year | 1 |
Membership with tiered plans
Attributes: Plan: Basic, Pro, Premium and Billing frequency: Monthly, Annual.
| Variation | Price | Period | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Monthly | $9 | Month | 1 |
| Basic Annual | $90 | Year | 1 |
| Pro Monthly | $29 | Month | 1 |
| Pro Annual | $290 | Year | 1 |
| Premium Monthly | $99 | Month | 1 |
| Premium Annual | $990 | Year | 1 |
Tips
- Keep the number of variations manageable. Too many dropdowns hurt conversion.
- Give each variation a clear image so the product gallery updates meaningfully as the customer chooses.
- Use a descriptive variation description to reinforce what the customer gets.
- Set your most popular variation as the default, not the cheapest one.
Next steps
- Switching: let customers move between variations.
- Billing options: deep dive on periods, intervals, and cycles.
- Statuses: understand how subscriptions move through their lifecycle.