--- title: "Sell memberships with Constellation" url: "https://kestrelwp.com/docs/selling-woocommerce-memberships-with-constellation/" description: "Sell Constellation memberships with one-time or automatically renewing products." published: "2026-10-06T20:28:18+00:00" modified: "2026-10-07T05:39:39+00:00" --- Members join a plan by buying a product linked to it. That product can be any simple or variable product for a one-time or manually renewed membership, or a **Recurring billing** product that renews automatically. Create the plan first, then the product that sells it ([Create membership plans in Constellation](/docs/creating-membership-plans-to-provide-access-perks/)). ## When you’d use this - Sell a lifetime membership for a one-time price. - Sell a yearly membership that members renew by buying again. - Bill members monthly or yearly, with an optional free trial or sign-up fee. - Offer tiers with a variable product, one plan per variation. - Give memberships away free. ## How to use it ### 1. Choose the product type Go to **Products » Add New**: - **Simple product** or **Variable product** for a one-time payment or a manual renewal. Pair it with a plan whose **Membership length** is **unlimited** (one-time) or **specific length** (members buy again to renew). - **Recurring billing** or **Variable recurring billing** for automatic renewals. Set the price, billing period, and any free trial or sign-up fee in the product’s **General** tab. ![Constellation by Kestrel: Choose the product type (product data box, type selector to Membership plans field)](https://kestrelwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/constellation-cn-07.png)### 2. Link the product to a plan Tick **Grant membership access** next to the product type, open the **Grant Access** tab, and pick the plan under **Membership plans**. You can pick more than one plan. On **Recurring billing** products, **Grant membership access** is ticked for you. ![The Grant membership access option next to the product types](https://kestrelwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/constellation-woocommerce-memberships-product-data.png)For a variable product, every variation grants the parent’s plans by default. To give each variation its own plan (Basic, Plus, VIP), set **Grants access to membership plans** on each variation. The plan’s **Products** list on its **General** tab updates to match when you save. ### 3. Set the plan’s length for recurring billing For a plan sold with recurring billing, open the plan and set **Subscription-tied Membership length** to **subscription length**, so access lasts as long as members keep paying. [Create membership plans in Constellation](/docs/creating-membership-plans-to-provide-access-perks/#3-set-how-long-memberships-last) covers the other choices. ### 4. Make sure non-members can buy it If a plan restricts all products, or the category your membership product is in, non-members can’t buy their way in. Open the product’s **Constellation** box and turn on **Disable restrictions** to keep it public. ### 5. Place a test order In a private browser window, buy the product as a new customer. When the order reaches **Processing** or **Completed**, check that the customer appears under **Constellation » Members** and that the order shows on their membership. ## When memberships are created - A membership is created when the order becomes **Processing** or **Completed**, including orders you create in the admin. - Every membership needs a customer account. When a membership product is in the cart, checkout requires creating an account, on both the classic checkout and the checkout block, even if your store allows guest checkout. - If the customer already holds the plan, the purchase renews or extends that membership instead of adding a second one. - Refunding the order (status **Refunded**) cancels the membership it created. ## Renewals and extensions ### Manual renewals For a **specific length** plan, members renew by buying the product again, from the shop or the renewal link in the [membership emails](/docs/constellation-email-settings/). The purchase renews their existing membership. ### Buying several periods at once With **Allow cumulative purchases** on ([Constellation settings](/docs/constellation-settings/#allow-cumulative-purchases)), a quantity of 2 of a one-year membership gives two years. With it off, the order grants one period whatever the quantity. ### Recurring billing and membership status A recurring billing membership follows its billing status: | Recurring billing | Membership | |---|---| | Active | **Active** (or **Free Trial** during a trial) | | On hold (a failed or late payment) | **Paused** | | Pending cancellation (the member cancelled) | **Pending Cancellation**, with access until the paid period ends | | Expired | **Expired** | Members manage their billing, payment method and cancellation from My Account; see [What Constellation members see in My Account](/docs/member-account-experience/). Recurring billing records are listed under **Constellation » Recurring Billing**, with a **Memberships** column linking each to its membership. Renewal settings, such as early renewal and reminder emails, are on [Constellation settings](/docs/constellation-settings/#recurring-billing). Automatic renewals need a payment gateway that supports recurring payments. When the cart holds a recurring billing product, checkout only offers the payment methods that do, so check your gateway’s documentation before you launch. ## Changing plans Without WooCommerce Subscriptions, members can’t switch plans by themselves. They cancel and buy the other plan’s product, or you change the plan on their membership under **Constellation » Members**. ## With WooCommerce Subscriptions If WooCommerce Subscriptions is active, it runs recurring billing instead of Constellation’s built-in engine. Use its **Simple subscription** and **Variable subscription** product types and its settings under **WooCommerce » Settings » Subscriptions**, and link the products to plans the same way. Upgrades and downgrades between subscription products then move the member to the matching plan. ## Free memberships - Set the plan’s **Grant access upon** to **user account registration**, so everyone who creates an account joins. - Or sell a product priced at 0, linked to the plan, so customers join through checkout. ## Recipes - [Give members recurring store credit with Constellation](/docs/recurring-store-credit-constellation/): pair a recurring billing membership with an Account Funds cashback reward, so members get store credit with every payment. ## Common issues ### Customers bought the product but aren’t members Check that the order is **Processing** or **Completed**, that it belongs to a customer account rather than a guest, and that the product (or the variation they bought) is linked to the plan. For past orders, use [Grant Access](/docs/creating-membership-plans-to-provide-access-perks/#give-existing-customers-access). ### Non-members can’t buy the membership product A product restriction rule covers it. Turn on **Disable restrictions** in the product’s **Constellation** box. ### A recurring billing membership was paused after a renewal The renewal payment failed or is waiting, so the recurring billing is on hold. When the payment goes through, the membership becomes **Active** again. ## Keep learning - [Create membership plans in Constellation](/docs/creating-membership-plans-to-provide-access-perks/) - [Restrict and discount products with Constellation](/docs/protecting-or-discounting-products/) - [What Constellation members see in My Account](/docs/member-account-experience/) - [Give members recurring store credit with Constellation](/docs/recurring-store-credit-constellation/)