How to migrate from Zuora Subscribe and Amend to Orders
They say that change is the only constant in life, and that is especially true for e-commerce. Zuora users were recently faced with a big shift in how they run subscription commerce when Zuora announced the end of life for Subscribe and Amend.
When do you need to switch to Orders?
Zuora recently announced that Subscribe and Amend is in maintenance mode. This object model will not be developed or enhanced further, and the company will stop all enhancements. Only critical, revenue-impacting defects with no workarounds or alternatives may be fixed at Zuora's discretion.
While this could mean you could stay forever on Subscribe and Amend, Zuora recommends that users switch as soon as possible. This will ensure they can benefit from a a more modern platform, regular updates, and new features as Orders continues to evolve. So 2026 could be the year you decide your organisation should move on.
How to move from Subscribe and Amend to Orders
The switch to Orders can be quite complex, depending on your starting points. Here are the steps required to make the switch:
Complete training. Zuora University offers two required courses: 'Zuora Orders: An Introduction' and 'Orders Harmonization'. These cover Orders Harmonization, Full Orders, Order Metrics, and related features. Access both using code: zuorderupgrade18.
Enable Orders Harmonization. Subscribe and Amend customers can enable Orders Harmonization through the self-service interface in Feature Management. This doesn't impact your existing integrations, require code changes, or affect your existing subscriptions and amendments. Zuora automatically creates Order objects whenever you create subscriptions or amendments via Subscribe and Amend, and email notifications are automatically created for the equivalent order actions.
Run an observation period. Use this time to validate behaviour, access Order Delta Metrics, and get comfortable with the Orders framework before making further changes.
Unlock new capabilities. Orders Harmonization is a prerequisite for features like Order Line Items, Ramps, CPQ X, and Prepaid with Drawdown—though some require additional enablement or a support request. Many customers adopt these incrementally: starting with the Orders UI, then CPQ, then gradually refactoring self-service APIs.
Optionally enable the Orders UI. The Orders UI remains off by default. When ready, enable it in Billing Settings > Define Default Subscription and Order Settings to start creating and managing subscriptions through the Orders interface.
Migrate APIs (if desired). You can stay in Orders Harmonization mode indefinitely—Zuora recommends it. Moving to full Orders (without Harmonization) removes access to Subscribe and Amend, and requires integration changes, migration of historical amendment data to Orders, and extensive testing. If you do choose to fully migrate, you'll need to transition from Subscribe and Amend SOAP, CRUD, or REST APIs to Orders APIs, re-integrating all commercial channels: your ecommerce store, purchasing flows, and self-service actions.
Test integrations. If you're migrating APIs, verify and re-test every integration in your API Sandbox with the new Orders API.
Enable in Production. Enable Orders Harmonization in your Production environment and validate everything works as expected.
Migrate historical amendment data (optional). If you want historical amendments represented as Orders, this migration is time-consuming. Run it during low-activity periods, especially with large subscription volumes.
How Limio makes switching to Zuora Orders easy
Switching from Subscribe and Amend to Orders may seem like a long and complicated process, especially when you look at all the associated documentation. This may put you off switching, especially if the process disrupts your regular business. Thankfully, there is an easier way for Zuora users to move from Subscribe and Amend to Orders. Limio can ease the burden for Zuora users who need to switch from Subscribe and Amend to Orders by doing all the hard work for you.
Limio natively integrates with Zuora Orders, which means our users can switch without navigating the lengthy migration process. Our integration means you can automatically start using Zuora’s latest features and APIs, allowing you to focus more on growth than another back-end migration.
All you have to do is activate Order Harmonization and start setting up Limio, and voilà - you are now on Zuora Orders!
Plus, you'll never have to maintain the integration between your ecommerce, self-service, partner portals again or even CPQ, as Limio is responsible for maintaining a high-quality integrations with all Zuora features.
Ready to switch from Subscribe and Amend to Orders?
If you’re looking to make the switch and you want to make it easier for your team, get in touch with the Limio team — we’re happy to help.