Selling access — not just products — is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce trends. Whether you’re launching a membership program, online learning portal, or exclusive content library, Shopify can power it.
Here’s how to turn Shopify into your own member-based platform:
1. Choose a Membership or Course App (Free & Paid)
- Courses Plus by Architechpro (Free + Paid) — Deliver lessons, quizzes, and video content.
- Thinkific (Paid, external integration) — Enterprise-level LMS for Shopify.
- Bold Memberships (Paid) — Build gated content, member pricing, and recurring plans.
- Sky Pilot — Deliver exclusive content (video, PDF, audio) post-purchase.
2. Set Up Gated Content
Use customer tags and custom liquid code to:
- Show/hide pages or products
- Offer exclusive products to members only
- Lock lesson content unless subscribed
3. Enable Recurring Payments & Plans
Apps like:
- Appstle Subscriptions or PayWhirl to charge monthly/annual fees
- Bold Memberships for tier-based access and auto-renewals
4. Design Your Member Dashboard
Give customers access to:
- Lesson history or progress tracking
- Download center for PDFs, guides
- Upcoming content/events calendar
- Account status and plan changes
5. Notification Flows & Community Add-ons
- Use Klaviyo to send lesson reminders, milestone emails
- Add forums via Discourse or Facebook Group embed
- Push updates using PushOwl or WhatsApp Alerts
6. Accepting Payments Globally
All major gateways support these models:
- Shopify Payments (Stripe) — Seamless and global
- PayPal — Monthly or annual subscriptions
- Razorpay Subscriptions — India-based eLearning businesses
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s an online academy, members-only community, or digital resource center — Shopify can support recurring membership models at scale.
Need help launching gated courses, digital clubs, or expert communities? Talk to CommerceBolt.