How to set up an automation for one-time purchases versus subscriptions?

[groundedbyfood]

I have 2 different subscription options, each with a one-time purchase option. (I own a meal prep company, you can try my service for a week or join the weekly meal plan - picture below as example).

How do I set up email automations that send to the one-time purchasers upselling them to join the subscription? And how do I set up an email automation that only sends to those who DID purchase the subscription option?

This is super simple to do in Squarespace or Mailchimp, I just can’t seem to figure it out on Shopify.

Thank you!!

[nick37]

Hi there,

I completely understand your frustration; setting up automations like these can be tricky on Shopify, especially compared to platforms like Squarespace or Mailchimp. From what you’ve described, it sounds like the solution lies in customizing your email marketing setup within Shopify and possibly using an app or expert assistance to tailor it to your needs.

You might consider reaching out to a Shopify expert. did you know where to get a expert

[therjwalker]

Hey,

I’d recommend using Klaviyo for this.

I worked with a meal prep company who didn’t use subscriptions, but offered different pre-paid plans and when we got Klaviyo up and running well it accounted for nearly 50% of their online store revenue.

Happy to have a chat if you have any questions.

[AiTrillion]

Hello @groundedbyfood ,

I hope you are doing well!

What you’re trying to do is absolutely possible — you just need automation based on purchase type (one-time vs subscription), which Shopify Email alone doesn’t handle very flexibly.

This is actually a good use case for AiTrillion, because it allows you to segment customers based on what they purchased and then trigger specific automation flows.

Here’s how it would work:

First, AiTrillion syncs your Shopify order data, including whether the order was a one-time purchase or subscription. Based on that, you can create customer segments such as:

• Customers who purchased the one-time option
• Customers who purchased the weekly subscription
• Customers who have never purchased

Once those segments are created, you can build two separate automation flows.

For your upsell flow (one-time → subscription):

1. Trigger: Customer purchases the one-time meal plan
2. Add delay (e.g., 5–7 days after delivery)
3. Send an email explaining the benefits of the weekly plan (10% savings, convenience, etc.)
4. Optional: Add an incentive, like bonus points or a small discount

For your subscription-only communication:

1. Trigger: Customer purchases subscription product
2. Send welcome-to-subscription email
3. Add retention emails (tips, meal highlights, referral rewards, etc.)

Because AiTrillion supports behavior-based automation, you’re not manually filtering lists — it runs automatically based on actual order data.

Another advantage is that you can combine this with:

• Loyalty rewards (reward subscription renewals)
• Referral program (give subscribers referral credits)
• Review request automation
• SMS follow-ups if needed

Instead of using separate tools like Mailchimp or Klaviyo + loyalty + popups, it keeps everything in one system connected to Shopify.

If your main goal is:
– Upsell one-time buyers into subscriptions
– Send targeted emails only to subscribers
– Automate everything based on purchase behavior

Then, a more advanced automation tool, that is AiTrillion, will make this much easier than the default Shopify email.

[Moss_Mercury]

You can handle this directly in Shopify Flow by using the “Order created” trigger and checking whether the order has a subscription contract attached. If it does, route it down your subscription path, and if it doesn’t, treat it as a one-time purchase. That condition is the cleanest way to split the logic since subscriptions always create a contract object on the order.

From there you can tag the customer or order differently in each path so any follow-up automation like emails or segmentation stays consistent.