How to Send a WooCommerce Subscription Reminder Email: Step-by-Step Guide

Want to keep your customers engaged and ensure they never miss a subscription renewal?

Sending automated WooCommerce subscription reminder emails is the best way to achieve that.

Reminder emails can help engage customers and build trust and loyalty. Plus, its timely execution can increase user retention.

Customers who purchased subscription items from your store may not remember their renewal date, which is normal. However, they can get frustrated when they see an automatic charge they weren’t expecting.

So, how do you solve this problem and hit your goals? Easy! With subscription reminder emails!

In this post, you will learn how to set up an automated subscription reminder email for your WooCommerce store.

What Is a WooCommerce Subscription Reminder Email?

A WooCommerce subscription reminder email is a friendly notification to customers about upcoming subscription charges.

Take a look at your email inbox. We bet you've gotten plenty of subscription emails. Various websites and platforms send these emails to remind you that your subscription is approaching its expiration or renewal date.

It's a great way to give customers a heads-up: 'Hey, just so you know, we'll be charging your account soon. Time to renew.

This way, they will not be surprised suddenly when they notice the transaction. Here's an example to get an idea of how it goes.

Slack sent this reminder email to its subscribers. They ask users to verify their billing information before finalizing the payment procedure.

It's also a good approach to reminding customers about their upcoming subscription charges by asking them about their billing information. 

This way, customers learn about the upcoming charge and can update their billing details if needed so the payment goes through successfully.

Want to know more? Let's dive deeper…

How to Set Up Automated WooCommerce Subscription Reminders Email and Reduce Churn?

For this method, we will use the Sublum Subscriptions.

This is a complete subscription plugin that handles both physical and digital products. It supports installments, recurring payments, and subscribe-and-save plans, so you are not locked into a single subscription model across your entire catalog.

Beyond creating and managing subscriptions, it has built-in email notifications for renewal reminders, failed payments, and other subscription events. 

The reminder system is one of the more practical features. You can set up two reminder emails per subscription, one a set number of days before renewal and another closer to the date.

Something like seven days out and two days out. Customers get enough notice to update a card or make a decision, and you catch fewer missed payments as a result.

Once it is configured, the whole thing runs automatically without manual follow-up.

Note: Make sure to set up subscription products with different plan types using Sublium Subscriptions. 

Next, the steps you need to follow below to set up an automated WooCommerce subscription reminder email: 

Step 1: Navigate to WooCommerce renewal reminder emails 

First, navigate to Sublium Subscriptions ⇒ Payment Recovery.  Here you will find all emails related to payment recovery and renewal reminders. 

Here, you will find two built-in renewal reminder emails. You can customize the number th delays before each email is sent. Plus, the email subject line, preview text, and content. 

Next, set the “Renewal reminder before days”. Here we are setting it to 7 days. 

Step 2: Configure and design the renewal reminder emails

Next, set up From Name, From Email, and Reply-To Email. 

Note: By default, the renewal reminder emails are sent to customers. 

Then set the subject and preview texts. Use merge tags to personalize both. For example, here we are using:

• {{subscriber_first_name}}: Adds the subscriber’s first name to make the email feel more personal.
• {{subscription_end_date}}: Automatically inserts the subscription renewal or end date, so customers know exactly when their plan renews.

To design the email, you can use two template types: 

• Rich Text: A rich text editor that lets you write your emails with merge tags and format text using styling options like headings, bold, links, and more.
• Visual Builder: A drag-and-drop email builder for creating visually appealing emails. It includes multiple content blocks, layout options, and merge tags for personalization.

We recommend going with Visual Builder. For this, select this one and hit Edit. 

You’ll find a prebuilt email template designed to remind users about upcoming subscription renewals. It includes dynamic merge tags for personalization, such as customer name, next payment date, and subscription details, as well as a CTA with a dynamic link to my account card update page. 

Plus,  neatly aligned product details, along with a clear CTA that directs users to review and update their card details.

You can select any section and customize it.

You also use any of the available blocks to add new content to the existing template.  Blocks include site logo, text, list, button, image, menu social, along with WooCommerce blocks like Product, Coupon, Subscription Info, Subscription items, and more. 

After making the necessary changes, make sure to hit Save. 

Step 3: Audit and test the reminder email 

Next, you can audit the email to find if it has any issues like missing URLs, broken URLs, shortened URLs, and email size.

Once everything is sorted, you can send a test email to see what it will look like in a real inbox. 

Step 4: Enable the renewal reminder email 

Once you are happy with the renewal reminder email, make sure to activate the email. 

Here is what the first renewal reminder email looks like:

And that’s it. This is how you can use a single plugin to create subscription products and send automated subscription renewal reminder emails.

What Are The Benefits of Sending Subscription Reminder Emails?

So now you've got the scoop on subscription reminder emails, right?

A reminder email prompts users to take action. This way, you’re seeking permission from your users to cut any charges. As a result, customers feel secure and are more likely to stay with your brand.

For instance, you’re actually:

1. Gaining trust

When you email your customers to remind them about upcoming charges, you give them enough time to decide if they want to continue their subscription or not. This way, customers feel you’re valuing them. And it will eventually retain them to stay with your brand for a long time.

2. Reducing support headaches

After purchasing a product or service, what's the first thing you do if you encounter any issues? You probably reach out to the support team or submit support tickets, right? The same thing happens if you suddenly cut a charge from a customer’s account that they’re not aware of. Reminder emails give them a heads-up about upcoming subscription charges.

3. Avoiding unnecessary negative reviews

Positive reviews mean more sales. More sales indicate you’re doing good business. Plus, reminder emails can boost your positive reviews by prompting customers to share their experiences. Also, you’ll understand the user’s perspective about your product’s insights through the reminder email.

4. Complying with legal and regulatory rules

In some countries, like the UK and certain states in the US, inform customers about upcoming renewals and charges. It’s called GDPR and CCPA compliance. It’s a must-follow thing to prevent any legal compliance and regulatory rules. You can automatically follow these compliance rules by sending reminder emails to your customers.

5. Avoiding churn and refunds

Why pay fees to the gateway when you have to refund anyway? Let the customer decide. Sending reminder emails reduces churn and refunds. They keep customers informed, prevent unintended cancellations, address concerns, and highlight service benefits. This encourages continued use and loyalty.

6. Transferring the ownership of the cancellation to the customer

Reminder emails allow customers to manage their subscriptions easily. They can review upcoming renewals, make changes, or cancel them directly from the reminder email.

7. Creating awareness and upsell opportunities

Subscription reminder emails often inform customers about new features, product improvements, or exclusive offers, providing businesses with the chance to upsell additional services or products and increase customer value and revenue.

8. Notifying customers to update billing information

Let's face it, customers can forget about their subscriptions or update their billing information. So you can gently set the context about the missing information or tell them to update the billing details in the email. Side by side, you can push them to renew their subscription.

5 Things to Consider Before Sending a Reminder Email

Sending a reminder email is a crucial task that can significantly impact the recipient's response. 

This not only makes your email professional but also shows attention to detail and builds trust, which is essential for any business interaction.

59% of people say marketing emails affect what they buy. 80% of business professionals think email marketing keeps customers.

Optinmonster

Let’s now jump in and explore the five must-know factors while crafting a subscription reminder email:

1. Set intention and proper time

Before sending a reminder email, define its purpose. Is it for a payment renewal or a follow-up? 

Make sure the objective is clear.

Once you've nailed down your reason, think about timing. If sent too early, it might be forgotten, and if sent too late, it might be useless. 

Think about the recipient's time zone, their active time, and day. Then prepare your plan for the reminder email, schedule it, and send it based on the subscription type.

2. Email content optimization

The next step is to optimize your email content and find the right tone.

Keep your email professional, concise, and to the point. Present the billing information, highlighting key details such as the next billing date, price, and personal information.

Don’t overwhelm them with so many options, text, images, and links. 

The subject line should be direct and informative, making the email's purpose immediately apparent. Personalize it for a better open rate. 

Here’s an example of properly optimized email content for a subscription reminder email:.

This email is from Apple Music. It is simple and easy to read, has a visible CTA button, and includes billing information.

Also, at FunnelKit Automations, you’ll find different email templates to get started with.

3. Email personalization

We all know the importance of personalization in email marketing. And how it impacts the user’s attention.

Therefore, address the recipient by their name to make the email feel more personal and less generic. 

Reference any previous interactions or relevant information that contextualizes the reminder.

Here’s an example of a personalized email template for subscription reminders:

4. Professionalism and proofreading

Always double-check for typos and errors before hitting send. Typos and grammatical errors can make your email seem unprofessional. An error-free email reflects professionalism.

Before doing so, double-check for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Also, ensure the email is well formatted, with proper paragraphs, bullet points, and spacing. Before clicking on the send button, check every point carefully.

5. Smart multiple reminders

It's always important to send multiple reminders, as customers might miss one. We shared how to send two reminders so customers are well informed about upcoming renewal charges.

5 Best Practices for Sending Subscription Reminder Emails

One of the biggest challenges that store owners face is keeping customers engaged and informed. It’s vital for maintaining strong customer relationships, especially for ensuring consistent renewals.

Nail your email, and you're way more likely to win your customers over. The same goes for sending reminder emails.

62% of marketers leverage dynamic content to personalize their email marketing campaigns. [Source: Search Engine Land]

This means an optimized yet dynamic email can be a game-changer for you, even if it’s a small change or doing A/B testing for your transactional emails.

Alright, let's break down some key strategies you'll want to master:

• Focus on your subject line: A captivating subject line is crucial for grabbing your recipient's attention and encouraging them to open the email. It should be clear and direct, immediately conveying the purpose of the email, such as "Your Subscription is About to Expire" or "Renew Your Subscription Today".
  
• Provide clear information: Clarity is essential for renewal instructions. Simplify the process with a clear call-to-action button directing them to the renewal page.
  
• Give incentives and offers: Incentives are powerful motivators for renewals. Offering exclusive discounts, bonus content, or other special perks can make renewing more appealing. Highlight the benefits of renewing early or opting for a longer-term plan to encourage subscribers further.
  
• Keep your email design neat and clean: A visually appealing email can significantly enhance its effectiveness. Use a clean, professional layout that aligns with your brand’s aesthetics. Image-based emails have a higher open rate of 30.27% and an open rate of 21.9% (source: Getresponse)
  
• Optimization for mobile is a must: With many subscribers reading emails on their smartphones, ensuring your email is mobile-friendly is crucial. Use a responsive design that looks good on all devices. MailChimp shared that responsive email design may increase mobile click rates by up to 15%.

Boost Your Customer Retention with Smart Subscription Reminder Emails

Want to become a pro at crafting killer WooCommerce subscription reminder emails? Just follow process we shared above.

Each step is designed to help you communicate, engage your subscribers, and encourage timely renewals. 

These strategies ensure that your reminder emails are both professional and persuasive, from segmenting your audience and crafting subject lines to personalizing content. 

So start sending great emails, designing good visuals, optimizing for mobile Sublium Subscriptions.

With these tips in your toolkit, you'll be well on your way to nailing your email campaigns and seeing awesome results.

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