Choosing a PrestaShop subscription module

Key points

To choose a PrestaShop subscription module, check compatibility with your PrestaShop and PHP versions, who collects and retries recurring payments, how renewal orders reach PrestaShop and what subscribers can do on their own from their account. The Ciklik module works with PrestaShop 1.7.7 to 9.2 and PHP 7.2 to 8.4. Ciklik charges the subscriber at each renewal date, retries declined payments and creates an order in PrestaShop once the payment is accepted. SEPA direct debit is not available with the PrestaShop module.

The criteria to check

A subscription module is judged on a dozen concrete criteria. For each one, the table below gives the question to ask the vendor and the answer for the Ciklik module, with the documentation page that covers it.

Criterion	Question to ask	What Ciklik does
PrestaShop and PHP versions	Which PrestaShop and PHP versions are supported?	PrestaShop 1.7.7 to 9.2, PHP 7.2 to 8.4. One module file per PHP version in the releases published on GitHub. See Install the Ciklik module.
Collecting renewals	Who charges the customer at each renewal date?	Ciklik charges the payment method saved by the subscriber, on the renewal date. See Subscribe and manage your subscription.
Retrying declined payments	Is a declined payment retried? Is the customer told?	4 attempts by default, with an adjustable number and interval. After each failure, the subscriber gets an email with a secure payment link. See Customize subscription renewals.
Payment methods and providers	Which payment providers are supported? Can you use your own account?	Card via Stripe (an account managed by Ciklik or your own Stripe account), card via PayPlug, PayPal. See Subscribers’ payment methods.
Payment page	Where does the customer pay, and with what branding?	On a page hosted by Ciklik, under a subdomain of your domain (`abo.` followed by your domain), with your logo, favicon, colors and fonts.
Renewal orders	Is the renewal order created in PrestaShop? With which status?	Yes, once the payment is accepted. Ciklik first checks that the product exists in PrestaShop and reads its price. The status is the one you choose in the module configuration.
Mixed cart	Can a customer buy one-off and subscription products in the same order?	Yes. The cart is paid through Ciklik and only subscription products are charged again. One cart can create several subscriptions, one per frequency.
Subscriber self-service	What can subscribers do on their own, from their account?	Cancel and resume their subscription. Depending on the options you enable: pick a new next order date, skip their next delivery, change frequency.
Upsell	Can subscribers add a one-off product to their next delivery?	Yes, as an option: a button on the product page, for a logged-in customer with an active subscription. The product is delivered once.
Commitment	Can you prevent cancellation for a minimum period?	Yes, as an option: a commitment period during which the subscriber cannot cancel. See Configure the subscription.
Expiring cards and unpaid subscriptions	Are expiring cards handled ahead of time? What happens to an unpaid subscription?	An automatic email on the 25th of the month to subscribers whose card expires before their next charge, a card update link you can send on request, automatic cancellation after a number of unpaid cycles (option). See Send a credit card update link.
Refunds	Where do you refund a transaction?	From the PrestaShop order details, CIKLIK Refunds section, in full or in part.
Tracking and reports	How do you follow your subscribers and renewals?	A KPI dashboard and exportable lists in Ciklik, a daily renewal report in Slack, detailed renewal errors. In PrestaShop: the Subscriptions and Orders and Stock Forecast pages.
Webhooks and API	Can you sync an ERP or an external tool?	Webhooks on subscriptions, orders, transactions, invoices and customers. API documented at ciklik.github.io/api. The module’s source code is public on GitHub.
Test environment	Can you test before selling?	Yes: the Test box when creating your PrestaShop space deploys a test environment, with your payment provider’s test key.
Support	Who answers when something goes wrong?	Ciklik support, at support@ciklik.co. Documentation in French and English.
Total cost	What monthly fee, what commission on transactions if any, what payment provider fees?	A monthly subscription to your Ciklik account, billed on its anniversary date. Prices are published at ciklik.co/prix.

What the Ciklik module does not do

A good choice also accounts for limits. The Ciklik module’s limits are documented:

No SEPA direct debit. SEPA direct debit via GoCardless is not available with the PrestaShop module: your subscribers pay by card or with PayPal.
One PrestaShop order per subscription. A customer with two subscriptions gets two orders at each renewal, with shipping calculated for each. There is no automatic grouping. See Managing subscription-related orders.
No PrestaShop order for a declined payment. Until the payment is accepted, the order stays in Ciklik; it does not appear in your PrestaShop orders.
No card change from the PrestaShop customer account. Subscribers change their card through the secure link sent by Ciklik, and this change is not notified to PrestaShop.
A single commitment period. The commitment period applies to all subscriptions in your store; it is not tied to a minimum number of orders.
Frequency changes. A product not offered in the new frequency is removed from the subscription. See Change the frequency of a subscription.
Reactivating an expired subscription. It triggers an immediate order and charge; this behavior cannot be turned off. See Cancel and reactivate a subscription.
PrestaShop 1.7. Hiding other payment methods requires a theme change, and a new frequency in combinations mode is created in the database on PrestaShop 1.7.7. On PrestaShop 8 and later, both settings need no technical work.
A reachable store. Ciklik calls your store at each renewal: a firewall, a password or maintenance mode blocks these calls. The renewal is then retried every 24 hours, with no double charge. See Rebill and PrestaShop site unavailability.
PrestaShop only. Ciklik does not offer a module for other e-commerce platforms.

How to evaluate a module before committing

Test the full journey in a test environment: subscribing on the product page, paying, the order being created in PrestaShop, then a renewal. Then check what subscribers see in their account and what you see in your back office. For the Ciklik module, the setup order is described on the Ciklik subscription module for PrestaShop page.

Frequently asked questions

Which PrestaShop versions does the Ciklik module work with?

The Ciklik module works with PrestaShop 1.7.7 to 9.2 and PHP 7.2 to 8.4. A module file is published for each PHP version.

Who collects recurring payments with the Ciklik module?

Ciklik charges the payment method saved by the subscriber at each renewal date, then creates the order in PrestaShop once the payment is accepted. If the payment is declined, Ciklik retries it, 4 times by default, and notifies the subscriber by email.

Does the Ciklik module offer SEPA direct debit?

No. With the PrestaShop module, your subscribers pay by card, via Stripe or PayPlug, or with PayPal.

Can a customer buy one-off and subscription products in the same cart?

Yes. The mixed cart is paid through Ciklik and only subscription products are charged again at the following renewals.

How much does the Ciklik module cost?

Ciklik is billed as a monthly subscription to your Ciklik account. Current prices are published on the pricing page of the ciklik.co website.