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Tutorial

Auto Order FAQ

Last Updated: July 01, 2026

Table of Contents​

Overview​

The Auto Order feature in UltraCart automates recurring product purchases. By defining an order schedule on an item, merchants can streamline reorders for customers. The feature stores customer shipping address, billing address, and credit card details from the initial order for use in subsequent rebills. Customer involvement is required only during the first purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions​

We have our Auto Order processing set to send failed rebills to the A/R, however we are seeing an auto order that shows disabled, why?​

The "Send failures to Accounts Receivable" setting is enforced for credit card purchases. PayPal and Venmo transactions cannot be processed under this rule because their authorization model is a push model. This prevents UltraCart from enforcing the configured retry rule. These payment types revert to the default number of retries set on the Auto Order Processing configuration page.

What is the distinction between "cancels" and "disabled" auto orders, specifically?​

"Cancels" refers to auto orders that were cancelled by either the customer or the merchant. "Disabled" refers to auto orders that reached the failed rebilling attempts threshold configured on the Auto Order Processing configuration page.

Is it possible to cancel an auto ship order without sending a cancellation notification to the customer?​

The "Auto Order - Cancel" transactional email is sent whenever an auto order is cancelled or disabled. To prevent the email from being sent, navigate to the storefront host in the UltraCart backend, open Transactional Emails, and select the Skip option for the "Auto Order - Cancel" notification template.

On auto ship accounts, if I put 'No more orders' after a specific date will that cancel or disable an account?​

When an auto order reaches the "No orders after (MM/DD/YY)" date configured on the auto order item override, the auto order is effectively disabled. The Future orders tab no longer appears in the auto order record. In Auto Order Search results the order shows "Yes (Paused)" in the Active column. When viewing the auto order record the Status still shows as Enabled. The missing Future orders tab is the primary indicator of the disabled state.

Which payment types are valid with auto orders?​

PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and credit cards are supported for recurring billing. Amazon Payments, purchase orders, and paper checks are not supported. Only credit card transactions allow storage of the billing details required to generate future payments. Payment types such as Amazon Payments do not permit storage of billing details for later use.

The orders in UltraCart do not contain the CVV number located on the credit card. How will that affect the processing of auto orders?​

PCI regulations prohibit storing the CVV in databases that also contain other credit card billing details. The CVV provides two-factor authentication and is available only to the person with physical access to the card.

For auto orders, configure the UltraCart checkout to require the customer to enter the CVV during the initial purchase. The CVV is passed to the gateway during checkout authentication but is never stored in the UltraCart order database. For subsequent auto order rebills, configure the gateway to allow processing without a CVV value. If the gateway requires a CVV for every authorization, auto order items cannot be configured because all automated transactions will decline.

Note: You can usually configure your gateway with transaction rules to decline transactions on a CVV mismatch (when CVV is required at checkout) while still allowing transactions to process without the CVV for automated rebills.

If I am creating a kit item, can it contain a component item that has an auto order schedule configured on it?​

Yes, but only when the kit item itself has no auto order schedule defined. This is an either/or configuration. You may define an auto order schedule on the kit item in its Auto Order tab, or, if the kit item has no schedule, one or more of its component items may be configured as auto order items.

We updated the address in the auto order record, and the address also changed on the original order. Why?​

The original order serves as the template for all subsequent rebills. Updating the address in the auto order record therefore also updates the address stored on the original order.

Can I edit the item ID of an auto order item?​

Changing the item ID on an item that has active auto orders is not recommended. The change breaks the relationship between the item and existing auto orders and will cause rebilling to fail.

Instead, use one of the following approaches:

  • Apply the Grandfather Pricing option on the Auto Order tab for simple price changes.

  • Create a new item with the desired schedule and pricing. Allow existing rebills to complete their course, then begin selling the new item.

What happens when the credit card associated with an auto order reaches its expiration?​

When a credit card expires, UltraCart automatically advances the expiration year by three (the most common renewal period used by card issuers). By default, UltraCart also sends the customer an email notification containing a link to update their billing details, including card information and billing address.

See also: Understanding Emails Related to Auto Order Processing

What time does UltraCart charge Auto Orders when they are re-billed?​

Auto order processing begins at midnight Eastern Time. Processing continues until all orders for the day are complete. The volume of orders determines the exact duration. The operational goal is to finish processing before 7 AM Eastern Time so that East Coast fulfillment centers can begin preparing shipments.

How can I configure an auto order to trigger on a specific day of the month, regardless of when the auto order item is originally purchased?​

Begin the auto order steps with a pause step and set the delay to the desired future date. All new orders placed after this change will pause rebilling until the specified date. Each month, after shipping, edit the item and update the pause date to the next target day.

How do I go about making changes to a specific customer's auto order only? (e.g., change items, billing amount)​

Changes that affect only one customer must be made directly in that customer's auto order record. Changes that affect all customers who have an active auto order for a given item are made by editing the auto order steps on the Auto Order tab of the item editor.

When making recurring payments, do most companies using UltraCart require the user to create an account on the checkout page before they complete the order, or is it possible to have that step on the receipt?​

Most merchants do not require a customer profile at checkout because it adds friction and is unnecessary for order completion. When a customer later creates a profile using the same email address, UltraCart backfills the profile with the customer's prior order history.

Once a customer has an account, what are the options within the account to change address, change frequency, change quantity, and cancel a subscription?​

In the My Account customer portal the following options can be enabled:

  • Display Auto Orders

  • Allow Customers to Cancel Auto Orders

  • Allow Customers to Change Next Shipment Date

  • Allow Customers to Update Billing

  • Allow Customers to Update Shipping

  • Allow Customers to Update Payment

Is it possible to add new items to a subscription once it's started, or does the customer have to go through the checkout process again?​

Merchants can edit a customer's auto order record to add or remove auto order items. One-time purchase items cannot be added in the auto order editor; they must be configured with their own auto order schedule. Customers cannot add items from within their customer profile.

Is it possible to have recurring/subscription upsells included, or are the upsells only 1-time purchase?​

Upsell items are compatible with post-purchase upsell configuration. Many merchants use an upsell offer to present the subscription version of a product at a discounted price when the customer initially selects the one-time purchase option during checkout.

Is there a way to configure in UltraCart how many times a customer can pause their auto ship?​

No configuration exists to set a maximum number of pauses per customer. A customer is either permitted to pause their auto order or is not permitted to pause it.

How do I set up a 6-month $0 trial period followed by recurring billing on an auto order?​

UltraCart engineers advise against configuring a completely $0 initial order with the first paid charge occurring 6 months later.

Most merchant account providers, including those using the Virtual Merchant gateway, maintain strict requirements around initial authorizations and PCI compliance. They generally require an initial transaction in which the full card details (including CVV) are captured and successfully authorized. Subsequent rebill attempts that lack a prior authorization are frequently declined, even when card details remain stored.

A true $0 first order therefore carries a high risk that rebills 6 months later will fail.

Important: Charge a small amount on the initial order (as little as $1.00). This properly authorizes and vaults the payment method for future rebills while still providing the customer a low-cost entry point. Auto Order steps can then apply $0 charges for subsequent months before transitioning to the standard recurring amount.

Suggested configuration approach:

  1. Set a minimal initial price on the item (for example, $1.00) for the first order.

  2. In the item editor, navigate to the Auto Order tab.

  3. Use Arbitrary Unit Cost overrides in the rebill steps to control amounts:

    • Initial order: $1.00 (standard item price)

    • Rebills for months 2 through 6: Override unit cost to $0.00

    • Month 7 onward: Override to the standard recurring amount

  4. Save the configuration and test with a new order to confirm the timeline and successful payment method storage.

Expected result: The small initial charge authorizes the card and stores the payment details. All future rebills, including any $0 steps, process reliably because a valid initial authorization exists on file.

Do coupons work with Auto Orders?​

By default, coupons applied to the original order are propagated to rebill orders. This behavior can be controlled on the Auto Order Processing screen under Configuration → Order Management. Enable the "Skip Coupons from Original Order" option to prevent the coupon from being reapplied to rebills. Individual coupons can also be configured to skip on rebill. The default behavior applies the coupon to rebills, but the setting can be disabled globally or on a per-coupon basis.

  • Auto Order Processing

  • Auto Order Processing Configuration

  • Auto Order Search

  • Edit Auto Orders

  • Converting a Regular Order to Auto Order

  • Allowing the Customer to Cancel an Auto Order

  • Giving an Auto Order Customer One Free Item

  • Understanding Emails Related to Auto Order Processing

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