Order subscription always return subscription products

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A user is experiencing an issue where products added as ONE-TIME purchases to a subscription contract’s billing cycle are automatically converting to subscription products with selling plans during billing attempts, despite not having a sellingPlanId assigned.

Troubleshooting suggestions provided:

  • Product Settings: Verify the product doesn’t have a default selling plan set; ensure subscription configuration is correct and not automatically creating subscription plans
  • Billing Cycle Configuration: Check if the billing cycle is configured to automatically create subscriptions for all added products, regardless of purchase type
  • Testing Approach: Try adding different product types to isolate whether the issue is specific to certain configurations
  • Shopify Default Behavior: Shopify may have default behavior that converts one-time purchases to subscriptions under certain conditions (related to product type, pricing structure, or other factors)

If troubleshooting doesn’t resolve the issue, contacting Shopify support directly is recommended for more specific guidance. The discussion remains open with no confirmed resolution.

Summarized with AI on November 5. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I added 1 product to the billing cycle of a subscription contract as a ONE-TIME purchase (no sellingPlanId), but during the billing attempt, it always converts into a subscription product with a selling plan name attached to it? Any suggestions on how to resolve this?

sellingPlan is null
sellingPlan is null385×165 12.5 KB

a sellingPlanName attached to product
a sellingPlanName attached to product606×148 11.4 KB

2

Hi,

This is Richard at PageFly - Shopify Advanced Page Builder app.

The issue you’re facing could be due to a few reasons:

1. Product Settings:

  • Selling Plan: Even if you haven’t explicitly assigned a selling plan ID, the product might have a default selling plan set. Check the product’s settings and ensure that the selling plan is either cleared or set to a “one-time” type.
  • Subscription Configuration: Verify that the product’s subscription configuration is set correctly. If it’s configured as a subscription product, it will automatically create a subscription plan, even if you’re adding it as a one-time purchase.

2. Billing Cycle Configuration:

  • Subscription Creation: The billing cycle might be configured to automatically create a subscription for any products added, regardless of whether they are one-time purchases. Check the billing cycle settings and ensure that subscription creation is only enabled for products that are explicitly configured as subscriptions.

3. Shopify’s Default Behavior:

  • Subscription Conversion: Shopify might have a default behavior that converts one-time purchases into subscriptions under certain conditions. This could be due to the product type, pricing structure, or other factors.

Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Check Product Settings:

    • Ensure that the selling plan is cleared or set to a “one-time” type.
    • Verify that the subscription configuration is set correctly for a one-time purchase.

  2. Review Billing Cycle Settings:

    • Make sure that subscription creation is only enabled for products that are explicitly configured as subscriptions.

  3. Test with Different Products:

    • Try adding different types of products to the billing cycle to see if the issue persists. This can help isolate the problem and determine if it’s specific to certain product types or configurations.

  4. Contact Shopify Support:

    • If you’ve exhausted all other troubleshooting options, reach out to Shopify’s support team for further assistance. They may be able to provide more specific guidance or identify underlying issues.

Hoping my solution helps you solve your problem.

Best regards,

Richard | PageFly