Subscription discount on the first order: take rate 35% to 66%
Test run byConversion FanaticsCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsApplying the 10% subscription saving to the first order, not just later refills, raised subscription take rate from 35% to 66%.
Conversion Fanatics ran this test at checkout for a direct-response seller of a consumable shipped product.
The effect on total orders and long-term revenue was not shared.
- Subscription take rate: 35% to 66%, nearly double.
- First-order revenue per subscriber drops by the 10% discount. The agency expected rebills to make up for it, but no lifetime value data was shared.
- The effect on overall order rate was not shared.
The change
The 10% subscription saving moves from future refills to today's order.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The subscription was pitched as a 10% savings club. Shoppers paid full price today, and the discount only applied to later refill orders.
Variant
The 10% saving applied straight away to the first order at checkout when the shopper joined the subscription.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A saving today feels more real than a saving on some future order.
- Paying full price now for a discount later can feel like a catch, which may have put people off.
- Seeing the lower price in the order total gives instant proof that joining pays off.
Caveats: No sample size, duration or confidence level was shared. The test reports take rate only, not total orders, cancellations or lifetime value.
Who ran it
Conversion Fanatics ran this test for a direct-response seller of a consumable shipped product and published the results (Conversion Fanatics blog case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Conversion Fanatics →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we apply the subscription discount to the first order instead of only to refills, then more buyers will subscribe because the saving is immediate and visible.
- Primary metric
- Subscription take rate at checkout
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Subscriber cancellation rate after first order
- Overall checkout conversion
- Who should test it
- Brands selling consumables that people reorder, such as supplements or refills. If your margins can't absorb a discount on the first order, or many subscribers cancel after one box, test carefully.
Questions
Should a subscription discount apply to the first order?
In this test, giving the discount on day one nearly doubled the share of buyers who subscribed.
Check that rebills make up for the lower first order.
Does a bigger subscription take rate mean more revenue?
Not on its own. Watch cancellations and lifetime value, because subscribers who quit after one discounted order can cost you money.
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