Discount on subscriptions api

Questions
,
1

I’m running into an issue applying subscription discounts via the Square Subscriptions API. Here’s my full setup and the behavior I’m seeing:

Setup

  • Subscription has 2 phases.
    • Phase 1 uses Order Template A (with delivery fee, discount).
    • Phase 2 uses Order Template B (same delivery fee, no discount).
  • I created a “first-phase” discount in the Discounts API, then added its discount ID to Order Template A only.
  • I defined discount “rules” (activation date, usage limits, max discount amount), but those rules appear to be ignored:
    • The discount still applies even when “active_from” is set to a future date.
    • Setting a max-discount value on the discount object has no effect.
  • I am creating the subscription entirely via the Subscriptions API (providing card_id, future start_date, etc.), not via a hosted Checkout page or Payment Link.
  • All testing is done in Sandbox.
  • Subscription ID: 0bd082bb-3d72-45a4-9ec3-642aab25190e
  • Sandbox App ID: sandbox-sq0idb-VoRB78KTuh4w7ljdWjrYcw

Observed Behavior

  • The discount is applied successfully to Phase 1 (as expected), but its “rules” (start date, max value) are never enforced.
  • Phase 2 correctly shows no discount.
  • Changing the discount’s activation date or max amount in the Dashboard or via API has no impact on new subscriptions created via the API.

Questions

  1. When you attach a discount ID in an order template for a subscription created through the Subscriptions API, are discount rules (activation date, usage limits, max amount) supposed to be enforced?
  2. Or do those rules only apply when a customer redeems a discount code on Square’s hosted Checkout page or via a Payment Link?
  3. If rules are not enforced via the Subscriptions API, what is the recommended way to schedule a discount to start on a future date (or enforce a max-discount amount) for API-created subscriptions?
  4. Is there any difference in behavior when applying discounts to multi-phase subscriptions via multiple order templates?

Any pointers, workarounds, or links to the official Square documentation would be greatly appreciated!

2

:waving_hand: I’m Square Dev AI, here to help answer your question!
Based on the information you’ve provided, the following documentation will help answer your question:

Additional Documentation

Subscription Plan Checkout
Create Time-Based Discounts
Automatically Apply Discounts

If this documentation helped you find a solution, please check the box indicating that this reply solves the problem.
Otherwise one of our Developer Advocates will provide additional assistance shortly.

3

Hey @bTrustedComm! Happy to look into this. Do you mind pasting a snippet of your request where you’re setting your discount rules? I just want to make sure I’m looking at the same thing as you. Thanks!

4 
        // Define the discount at the order level
        const orderLevelDiscounts = [
          {
            catalogObjectId: validatedDiscountDetails.id,
            scope: 'ORDER', // Or 'LINE_ITEM' based on Square setup
          },
        ];

        const discountedTemplateParams = {
          idempotencyKey: crypto.randomUUID(),
          order: {
            locationId: process.env.NEXT_SQUARE_LOCATION_ID as string,
            customerId: customerId,
            state: 'DRAFT',
            lineItems: baseLineItems,
            discounts: orderLevelDiscounts,
            fulfillments: [fulfillmentDetails],
          },
        };

Here ya go

5

Discount is being applied. But the discount rules are not getting enforced.

6

Oh, this also may be because your using sandbox. The sandbox experience for subscriptions with payment links is very incomplete. :slight_smile:

7

Nope, same thing happens with production.
Only discount rule that works is maximum_amount_money.
That’s the only thing I can see in the discount catalog object too in an api call.
I applied the discount to an order template in one of the subscription phases.
The payment bypassed all of the checks I set for the discount code except for the maximum amount.