Sumo Subscriptions adds recurring billing and installment payment plans to WooCommerce with a one-time license fee rather than annual renewal. This guide covers the full setup from purchase to first subscription product.
Step 1: Purchase and Install
Sumo Subscriptions is available on CodeCanyon ($69 regular license). Download the plugin ZIP and install via WordPress → Plugins → Upload Plugin. Activate and enter your purchase code in the plugin settings to unlock auto-updates.
Step 2: Configure Global Settings
Go to Sumo Subscriptions → Settings → General. Configure:
- My Account page — verify WooCommerce My Account is set as the subscription management page
- Email notifications — enable renewal reminders, payment failure notices, and cancellation emails
- Retry failed payments — set retry intervals (e.g. retry after 1 day, then 3 days, then cancel)
- Mixed cart — enable if customers should be able to add both subscription and regular products to the same cart
Step 3: Configure Payment Gateway
Go to Sumo Subscriptions → Settings → Payment Gateways. Enable your payment gateway. Stripe and PayPal are the primary supported gateways for automatic renewals. Verify your gateway is properly configured in WooCommerce → Settings → Payments before testing subscriptions.
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Step 4: Create a Subscription Product
Edit any WooCommerce product. In the Product Data panel, find the Sumo Subscriptions tab. Enable subscriptions for this product and configure:
- Subscription type: Standard (indefinite recurring) or Installment (fixed number of payments)
- Billing frequency: daily, weekly, monthly, or annual
- Price per period: the recurring charge amount
- Free trial period: days before first charge (optional)
- Sign-up fee: one-time additional charge on first payment (optional)
Step 5: Set Up Installment Plans
Sumo Subscriptions’ installment feature is a key differentiator. To create an installment plan for a product:
- Select “Installment” as the subscription type
- Set the total product price
- Configure number of installments (e.g. 6 monthly payments)
- Sumo calculates the per-installment amount automatically
When all installments complete, billing stops automatically. The customer owns the product with no further charges. This is ideal for courses, coaching packages, or higher-priced products that need payment plan options.
Step 6: Test the Complete Flow
Use Stripe test mode to simulate a purchase. Verify: subscription product displays correctly, recurring terms are clear at checkout, payment processes, subscription appears in Sumo Subscriptions admin with correct renewal date. Trigger a test renewal from the admin to confirm the renewal order creates and payment processes correctly.