Introduction to Odoo Subscriptions App

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Introduction


Subscriptions are a key business model for companies offering recurring services or products. With the Odoo 18 Subscriptions app, businesses can streamline their subscription management by automating billing, tracking renewals, and improving customer retention. Odoo’s subscription model integrates smoothly with sales, invoicing, CRM, and eCommerce, providing a seamless end-to-end solution.

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

The Subscriptions module in Odoo 18 enables businesses to manage recurring revenues efficiently. Whether it’s software-as-a-service (SaaS), digital content, maintenance contracts, or physical product subscriptions, Odoo offers flexible tools to handle every stage of the subscription lifecycle.

Key Features:

  • Automated recurring billing
  • Subscription renewals and upselling
  • Customer self-service options
  • Integration with eCommerce and CRM
  • Reporting and analytics for active subscriptions

Creating and Managing Subscriptions

Subscriptions can be created manually through the Sales or Subscriptions apps, or automatically via Odoo eCommerce for online sales. Products tagged as subscription items generate recurring invoices based on the defined billing cycle.

 

Steps to Create a Subscription Product:

  1. Navigate to:
    Subscriptions → Products → Create
  2. Enable the Subscription
  3. Configure product details:
    1. Product Type: Usually set to Service
    2. Invoicing Policy: Determines when the invoice is triggered
    3. Sales Price: The recurring price for the subscription
    4. Recurring Plans: Define the billing period (e.g., monthly, annually)
  4. Set optional configurations for Variants, Attributes, and Purchase details if needed.
  5. To publish the product on the website:
    Click Go to Website, then switch the slider to Published.

Recurring Plans Configuration

Before you start selling subscription products, configure the Recurring Plans:

Navigate to:
 Subscriptions → Configuration → Recurring Plans

Recurring Plans define how often a customer is billed. Common options include Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly. Each plan includes:

  • Billing Period: Set the interval (e.g., every 1 month)
  • Automatic Closing: Set a grace period for failed payments
  • Align to Period Start: Standardize renewal dates
  • Invoice Email Template: Assign a dynamic email for automated invoicing
  • Company Assignment (if using multi-company setup)

 

 

Self-Service Options for Customers

Empowering customers to manage their own subscriptions enhances satisfaction and reduces service workload.

In each Recurring Plan, the Self-Service section includes:

  • Closable: Customers can cancel their own subscriptions
  • Add Products: Customers can add or modify product quantities (triggers upsell quotations)
  • Renew: Allows customers to request a renewal quotation
  • Optional Plans: Enables plan switching via new quotations

 

Upselling and Renewing Subscriptions

Upsell a Subscription

Upselling is supported by allowing customers to modify their existing subscriptions. Any changes trigger an Upsell Quotation, allowing the sales team to finalize adjustments.

 

Renew a Subscription

Renewals can be manual or automated, based on the Recurring Plan settings. Customers may also trigger renewals through the self-service options if enabled.

 

Closing Subscriptions

Subscriptions can be closed:

  • Manually by the sales team
  • Automatically, if no payment is received within the defined Automatic Closing period
  • By the Customer, if the Closable option is enabled

This flexibility helps businesses maintain clean subscription records and reduce churn friction.

 

eCommerce Integration

In Odoo 18, subscription products can be sold directly through your eCommerce store. When a customer places an order:

  • A subscription quotation is created automatically
  • Upon confirmation, the subscription begins, and billing starts based on the assigned recurring plan

This integration simplifies the buying process for recurring services and enables easy subscription management via the customer portal.

 

Creating Subscription Quotations

You can also manually create subscriptions:

  1. Go to Sales or Subscriptions → Create
  2. Choose a Customer and Recurring Plan
  3. Add the product lines
  4. Set:
    1. Quotation Template (optional)
    2. Expiration Date to set offer deadline
    3. Pricelist, if offering promotions
    4. Payment Terms to define billing timing
Click Send by Email or Confirm to activate the subscription


Pricing Customization in Recurring Plans

The Pricing tab in the Recurring Plans form allows price overrides for specific plans. This is useful for:

  • Discounts on long-term plans
  • Special pricing for specific variants
  • Limited-time promotional offers

Smart Buttons for Subscription Insights

Each recurring plan comes with Smart Buttons at the top of the form:

  • Subscriptions: View all active subscriptions using that plan
  • Subscription Items: View itemized subscription lines across customers

These shortcuts help managers track performance and manage renewals or churn proactively.

Conclusion

 

The Subscriptions module in Odoo 18 is a powerful tool for companies moving toward recurring revenue models. With automation, customer self-service, and tight integration with other Odoo apps, businesses can focus on delivering value while Odoo handles the operational backbone.

By configuring recurring plans, offering flexible self-service options, and enabling eCommerce sales, businesses can grow and scale their subscription offerings effortlessly.

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