The takeaway
Pre-select the subscription option on the widget, badge it as best value, and show today's price next to the renewal price. Price the one-time option visibly higher so the reason to subscribe is the gap between the two, not the size of the discount. Set this up once the BFCM prices are final, and check it again before any sitewide code goes live.
An example
Illustrative example: the $60 box from Step-Down Discount.
Widget as it should read during BFCM:
◉ Subscribe & Save — Best value $36 first order, then $48 every 30 days Pause, skip or cancel anytime · Free delivery · Early access to new products
○ One-time purchase — $60
The same widget with a sitewide 20% code applied to one-time orders:
◉ Subscribe & Save — $36 first order, then $48 ○ BFCM deal — $48 one-time
In the second version a shopper can get the subscription's renewal price with no commitment, so the widget gives them no reason to subscribe.
Put it into practice
- Confirm the prices first. You need the introductory price, the renewal price and the one-time price from Step-Down Discount, plus any sitewide BFCM discount marketing plans to run. All three prices should be final before you touch the widget.
- Set subscription as the default. In the widget settings, make the subscription option pre-selected and add the best-value badge. [confirm with product: setting name and whether the badge text is editable.] The widget should open with subscribe already chosen.
- Write the price and benefit lines. Show the first-order price, the renewal price and the delivery frequency together, in one line. Below it, list two or three benefits that only subscribers get: flexibility, delivery, perks. Keep the one-time price visible and higher.
- Check the one-time price against sitewide discounts. If a BFCM code applies to one-time purchases, calculate what the one-time price becomes. If it lands at or below the renewal price, exclude subscription products from the code or raise the one-time price so the gap holds.
- Verify on the live page. Load the product page on desktop and mobile. Check that subscribe is pre-selected, both prices show, the one-time price is higher, and the checkout total matches the widget.
Watch out for
- A sitewide code that closes the gap. One-time buyers get the subscriber price without subscribing, and subscription share falls during your biggest week.
- Leading with the percentage. "40% off" says nothing about what renews at what price. Show the two prices.
- Hiding the renewal price. It surfaces at order two as a cancellation reason.
Measure the result
Track subscription share of orders on products with the widget, comparing the BFCM week with October. Review daily during the sale and once after it closes. If share drops, check whether a sitewide code changed the one-time price, and whether the default selection held on mobile.
Related entries: Step-Down Discount · Box Tiers · Checkout Links