Managing subscription orders in Shopify requires a clear understanding of how different types of subscription models operate and how to handle the associated logistics within the Shopify admin. Here’s a breakdown of how to manage pay-per-delivery orders and prepaid subscription orders effectively:

Managing Pay-Per-Delivery Subscription Orders

Pay-per-delivery subscription orders are simpler to manage because each order behaves like a standard Shopify order:

1. Order Creation: Your subscription app automatically creates new pay-per-delivery orders at regular intervals.
2. Fulfillment: These orders appear on your Orders list and are managed and fulfilled just like non-subscription orders.
3. Recurring Process: This process repeats for each subscription cycle.

Managing Prepaid Subscription Orders

Prepaid subscription orders involve more complex handling since they are paid for upfront and require multiple fulfillments over time:

Overview

• Initial Status: Prepaid subscription orders initially show as a single order with a "Scheduled" status.
• Fulfillment Cycles: When a fulfillment date is reached, the status updates to "Unfulfilled," allowing you to fulfill the order. Post-fulfillment, it reverts to "Scheduled" for future fulfillments.
• Tracking: These orders can be tracked on the Orders page under various statuses like Fulfilled, Unfulfilled, and Scheduled.

Key Actions

• Filtering Orders: Filter your Orders page by "Scheduled" to see upcoming fulfillments that don’t require immediate action or by "Unfulfilled" for orders ready to be fulfilled.
• Sorting Orders: Sort orders by the oldest date to prioritize older, ready-to-fulfill subscriptions.

Steps for Sorting and Filtering

1. Go to Orders in your Shopify admin.
2. Use Search and filter to activate filters. 
3. Add a filter for Fulfillment status and choose "Unfulfilled."  
4. Use the Sort menu to select Date and sort from "Oldest to newest." ;
5. Optionally, save this filter for future use. 

Editing Prepaid Subscription Orders

• Limitations: You can add or remove non-scheduled items in an order that contains scheduled fulfillments, but you cannot modify scheduled items themselves.
• Duplication: You cannot duplicate prepaid subscription orders.

Canceling and Refunding Prepaid Subscription Orders

• Cancellation: You can cancel orders that have not yet been fulfilled. If parts of the order have been fulfilled, cancellation isn’t possible, but you can still refund these parts.
• Refunding: Manually refund orders through Shopify, and remember to cancel the subscription in your subscription app if necessary.

Reserving Inventory

• Inventory Management: Inventory for each fulfillment cycle is reserved only when the fulfillment date is reached. This ensures accurate stock levels and availability.

Fulfilling Subscription Orders

• Scheduled Fulfillments: Fulfill orders as their scheduled dates arrive.
• Early Fulfillment: If needed, you can choose to fulfill an order before its scheduled date by marking it as unfulfilled.

Steps for Early Fulfillment

1. Navigate to Orders.
2. Select the order you wish to fulfill early.
3. In the Scheduled section, choose Fulfill early.
4. Confirm the fulfillment details and mark the order as unfulfilled to proceed with shipping.

By following these guidelines, you can effectively manage subscription orders in Shopify, ensuring a smooth operation and high customer satisfaction.