Marketing, Technology

How to create a membership program for your Shopify brand [2025]

Your LTV is flat, CAC is through the roof, and loyalty programs aren’t cutting it anymore. And while product subscriptions work well for replenishment-heavy categories, they fall short when your customers crave flexibility, variety, or a deeper connection with your brand.

On average, loyal customers are worth 10x as much as their first purchase. Yet most retention programs barely scratch the surface.

That’s where memberships come in.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to create a high-performing Shopify membership program that increases repeat purchases, generates a reliable stream of cash, and deepens customer loyalty. We’ll also help you figure out whether a membership model is even right for your brand in the first place.

What is a membership program?

A membership model is a paid program that gives customers access to exclusive benefits in exchange for a recurring fee. Think perks like:

  • Member-only discounts (the #1 most valued benefit)
  • Free shipping
  • Monthly store credit
  • Early access to launches
  • VIP-level customer service

Unlike a product subscription, a membership isn’t tied to one specific product. It’s tied to the shopper’s relationship with your brand. That’s what makes it flexible, powerful, and scalable.

Here’s how you can set it up for your Shopify brand in 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Find out if your brand is even a fit for memberships

Not every Shopify brand should launch a membership (and that’s okay). Here’s what a good fit typically looks like:

  • You sell 50+ stock keeping units (SKU)s, ideally 100+
  • Your average order value (AOV) is under $300
  • Your customers come back regularly

Some of the best-fit categories include beauty, wellness, fashion basics, home essentials, and lifestyle products.

Less ideal categories include fine jewelry, appliances, luxury apparel, and accessories. That’s because these products typically have longer repurchase cycles and fewer repeat purchases.

However, at the end of the day, the best indicator isn’t your catalog size or AOV. It’s your shopper’s behavior. Look at how frequently customers repurchase, what they buy again, and whether you already have a strong cohort of loyal buyers.

Data plays a huge role in creating membership programs too. Read on to know how.

Step 2: Use data to design a membership that customers will actually want to pay for

Successful membership programs aren’t built on assumptions. They’re built on customer insight and hard data. Here is how you can collect this. 

Start with your best shoppers. Run a survey asking them what perks they’d pay for. We’ve seen discounts consistently outperform everything else, even over free shipping. Store credit, early access, and VIP perks are also great bonuses.

Then look at your analytics. 

What’s your AOV? How long does it take for a repeat customer to come back? This will help you decide:

  • What perks to offer
  • How often to charge (monthly, quarterly, annually)
  • What price point makes sense

You can also segment shoppers by cohort (first-time vs. repeat vs. VIP) to tailor offers accordingly. The more aligned your offer is with how your customers already shop, the better it will perform.

Step 3: Design your Shopify membership program keeping these 4 things in mind

Now that you have the data, it’s time to structure the offer. To get it right, focus on these 4 pillars:

Set a price that aligns with shopper behavior and brand value

Membership pricing should be guided by your data, not just a guess or a competitor benchmark. Look at your AOV and how often high-value customers return. The goal is to find a sweet spot: not so low that you undercut your brand, but not so high that it deters signups and cuts into your margins. 

The right price feels justified by the perks offered, encourages commitment, and maximizes value without hurting conversion.

Another great approach to this is the store credit model. 

Instead of charging a fee just for perks, customers pay a monthly fee that converts into store credit they can spend sitewide, plus they receive exclusive benefits. This reduces friction, creates upfront cash flow, and gives customers more reasons to come back and shop.

Offer perks your customers care about

Discounts win every time. But start with fewer perks and expand over time to keep early members happy and future offers fresh. Focus on benefits that drive repeat behavior. 

As we discussed above, perks should also align with existing buying habits and provide clear, repeatable value with every purchase cycle.

Choose a billing cycle

Don’t default to billing based solely on purchase frequency. The best cadence is rooted in your customer data, specifically your AOV, lifetime value, and the structure of your store credit model. 

Even for Shopify brands with longer repurchase cycles, a monthly billing plan can make sense when paired with rolling store credit. This encourages customers to come back more frequently while giving them flexible ways to redeem value over time.

UX strategy for easy access

Your membership shouldn’t be buried on a landing page. Highlight it on product detail pages  (PDPs), cart, and checkout. Explain the benefits clearly. Make sign-up frictionless and reinforce the value visually and contextually. Use simple headlines, comparison charts, or even shopper testimonials to boost conversion.

And there you have it. A Shopify membership program that aligns with your brand and customers. We’ll discuss how you can create one in under 2 weeks, but first, let’s explore some benefits of this model. 

Top 5 benefits of setting up a membership model

If done right, a membership program doesn’t just add revenue, it transforms your retention engine. Here’s how: 

  • Repeat purchases increase 2–4x: Members are more engaged and incentivized to come back frequently, especially when perks are structured to reward ongoing purchases.

  • Generates reliable, upfront cash flow: Monthly or annual billing provides a predictable revenue stream, helping you reinvest confidently in marketing and inventory.

  • Improves your LTV:CAC ratio: The more value you extract from each customer over time, the better your return on acquisition spend, and memberships help you unlock that multiplier.

  • Deepens brand loyalty and engagement: When customers feel like insiders, they buy more often and advocate harder. A good membership builds that emotional connection.

  • Gives you more control over your customer relationship:  You’re not at the mercy of platforms or algorithms. A membership model gives you a direct, owned channel to engage, nurture, and retain your best customers.

Ready to launch your membership program? Here’s how you can do that in just 2 weeks.

How to launch a high-impact membership program in just 2 weeks

Launching a Shopify membership shouldn’t take 6 months or an army of devs. But doing it right by following the steps we mentioned above takes time, expertise, and iteration.

That’s exactly what Subscribfy helps with. It’s a retention platform purpose-built for Shopify brands that want to increase LTV, drive repeat purchases, and launch high-impact membership programs without draining internal resources.

With Subscribfy, most brands go live in just 2 weeks. Our platform is Shopify-native and built for scale. 

Here’s what you get:

Custom pricing and tiered perks: All fully customizable to your brand’s goals and audience, so you can design offers that feel native, not bolted on.

One seamless dashboard: Easy for shoppers to manage perks with a seamless experience that drives adoption and long-term engagement.

Automated billing, renewals, and credit logic: You don’t need manual ops. Subscribfy automates everything behind the scenes so you can scale without support tickets.

Advanced analytics: Track churn risk, retention, revenue, and uncover actionable insights to continuously optimize your membership performance.

White-glove onboarding: From mockups to launch, we handle setup and tailor the implementation to your tech stack and team workflow.

Post-launch support: Strategic optimization and hands-on iteration with agency-level guidance. This is where the real work begins—refining your model for long-term growth and performance.

Subscribfy isn’t just a tool, it’s your membership growth partner. Our team works alongside you from setup to scale, bringing proven playbooks and ongoing strategic support to make sure your program performs at its best

Click here to book a free demo with our experts and learn how to set up a membership program for your brand in under two weeks!