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Recurring revenue through subscriptions: the 90-day rhythm in direct selling

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 13 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

In short

A genetic analysis is bought once; personalized supplements get used up and reordered. At Novogenia, one delivery lasts 90 days. The 90-day subscription with automatic reorder is billed through Novogenia or through your own system, and Novogenia ships directly to end customers. The formula is recalculated for every new production run, and follow-up data such as an updated questionnaire or blood values give new reasons for a conversation. Recurring revenue comes from satisfied customers, not from lock-in: end customers can switch distributors at any time, and canceling should be as easy as ordering.

Bought once, used every day

A genetic test is bought once. A personalized supplement gets used up and reordered. Those two sentences contain the entire business model: the analysis starts a customer relationship, and the personalized products keep it going.

The Canadian NOW trial shows that a personal reason helps people stick with it. 140 participants in a weight management program received either the standard program or the same program plus gene-based advice. Only the group with gene-based advice significantly reduced the share of fat in their energy intake by the end of twelve months, from 36.0% to 30.2%. And they adhered better to recommendations on total and saturated fat over the long term than the comparison group did (Horne et al., BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2020).

The logical conclusion: people who know why a recommendation suits them are more likely to stay with it. For your network, this means that the personal reason behind the genetic analysis is not just an argument for the first purchase but also a reason to stay on board for the long run.

The 90-day rhythm

With Novogenia’s personalized supplements, one delivery lasts 90 days. The daily sachets arrive together in a handy dispenser, and the subscription runs with automatic reorder. Your customer does not have to remember to reorder in time.

Think of the subscription as a metronome. It ticks once every 90 days, and every tick is a reason to get in touch: a new box, an updated formula, a question about how things are going. In between, your customer has time to live her daily routine without a new bill arriving all the time.

For your planning, this means: think in quarters, not months. Your compensation plan, your revenue planning and your distributors’ communication should all match the 90-day rhythm. Promising your network monthly reorders creates expectations the product does not meet.

Billing and shipping: who does what?

You have two options for handling the subscription:

Task	Billing through Novogenia	Billing through your own system
Order and reorder	90-day subscription with automatic reorder	in your shop or system; the orders are passed on to Novogenia
Billing the customer	Novogenia	your company
Production	Novogenia, individually for each person	Novogenia, individually for each person
Shipping to end customers	directly by Novogenia	directly by Novogenia as your fulfillment partner

With personalized products, direct shipping is almost a must: every box is produced for one specific person, so an intermediate stockroom has no advantage. For your distributors, this means no cartons, no parcels and no inventory of their own. They can focus on advice and customer care.

Your pricing must leave room for distributor commissions – including on follow-up deliveries. How commissions work in your model is set out in your agreement with Novogenia; Novogenia does not publish fixed rates. More on the shop and shipping in Partner shop and logistics.

The formula grows with your customer

A subscription for personalized supplements is more than a repeat delivery. At Novogenia, the formula is recalculated for every new production run. These factors can change the composition:

age, which is recalculated for every production run,
an updated questionnaire on diet and lifestyle,
new analysis results, genetic or from blood,
changes in health status reported by the customer,
new scientific findings.

The genes themselves do not change – but the life around them does. For your network, this is a strong argument: every delivery is up to date. It is also a responsibility: tell your customers from the start that the composition may change. Otherwise, a different-looking box will lead to questions.

Follow-up analyses: new data instead of a new genetic test

Does the genetic analysis have to be repeated for the subscription? No – running the same analysis again does not reveal anything new about the same genes. New data come from other sources:

An updated questionnaire: Goals, diet and daily life change. A new questionnaire feeds into the next formula.
Blood values: They can be included, and they take precedence over the genes when the formula is calculated.
Another analysis on a different topic: It opens the door to another product, such as a beauty analysis leading to BeautyMe personalized skincare.

Each of these steps gives your distributor a genuine reason to get in touch – not to sell something, but because there is something new to discuss. That turns the subscription into ongoing support rather than a mere repeat delivery.

Customer care between deliveries

A subscription is only as valuable as it is long-lasting. In direct selling, you have an advantage no online shop has: your customer knows her distributor personally. These moments matter most:

The first delivery: explain how to take the product and what is in it – factually and without promises of healing.
The first few weeks: check whether the daily routine is working.
Before the next delivery: let the customer know the next box is coming and that the formula may have changed.
When there are new data: update the questionnaire or include new blood values.
When someone cancels: ask kindly about the reason – and respect the decision.

More levers against cancellations and the key metrics of a subscription are covered in Subscription models: recurring revenue in our contract manufacturing guide.

Fair, not a trap: loyalty through satisfaction

A subscription that feels like a trap costs more than it brings in. In direct selling, this applies twice over, because a distributor’s good name in her own community is at stake. Three principles help:

Clearly recognizable as a subscription: One-time purchase and subscription are clearly separated; price and rhythm are fixed before the order.
Canceling is as easy as ordering: People who know the exit is easy find it easier to sign up.
No lock-in to the distributor: Under Novogenia’s terms and conditions, end customers can switch distributors at any time and without restriction. Recurring revenue therefore comes only from good customer care.

The same applies to your company: partner agreements with Novogenia are open-ended and can be terminated with notice; when the agreement ends, commission claims end too. So plan your customer relationships for the long term – with an eye on the quality of care, not on contract clauses.

Selling in the customer’s home: withdrawal and personalized products

In direct selling, sales often happen where the customer lives: at the kitchen table, at a product party or in the office. Legally, this is a special case:

EU: A contract concluded in the simultaneous physical presence of the trader and the consumer, in a place that is not the trader’s business premises, counts as an “off-premises contract” (Art. 2(8) of Directive 2011/83/EU). For such contracts and for distance contracts, consumers have a 14-day right of withdrawal (Art. 9). Exceptions include goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalized (Art. 16(c)).
Novogenia’s terms and conditions: Consumers can withdraw from a distance contract or an off-premises contract within 14 days. This excludes in particular supplements and cosmetics made on the basis of the customer’s individual analysis results, and, for example, a sampling kit whose tube has been opened or filled.
Switzerland: The Code of Obligations ties the right of revocation to the situation in which the offer was made – for example at the customer’s place of work, on residential premises or in their immediate vicinity, on public transport or a public thoroughfare, or by telephone (Art. 40b CO). It applies to goods and services for personal or family use when the customer’s payment exceeds 100 francs (Art. 40a CO), but not if the customer expressly requested the contract negotiations or made the declaration at a market or trade fair stand (Art. 40c CO). The period is 14 days and only starts once the customer has applied for or accepted the contract and has been informed of the right of revocation in writing or in another form that can be evidenced by text (Art. 40d and 40e CO). These articles contain no exception for personalized goods like the one in the EU directive.

For your network, this means: give your distributors a clear procedure for informing customers about the right of withdrawal when selling at home, and have your subscription terms reviewed by an expert for each market. The general rules for subscriptions in distance selling are described in Subscription models; the legal questions of direct selling are covered in more depth in Law in direct selling: claims and genetic tests.

Checklist: is your subscription model network-ready?

Your compensation plan and your planning work in a 90-day rhythm, not in months.
Billing is settled: through Novogenia or through your own system, with Novogenia as your fulfillment partner.
Products ship directly to end customers; your distributors need no inventory.
Your customers know from the start that the formula can change with every production run.
Your distributors have a plan for customer care between deliveries.
Subscription and one-time purchase are clearly separated, and canceling is as easy as ordering.
Your distributors know how to inform customers about withdrawal when selling at home – in Switzerland, too.
Your subscription terms have been reviewed by an expert for each market.

How we do it at Novogenia

At Novogenia, the subscription is ready to go – you decide how much of it you handle yourself:

90-day subscription: with automatic reorder; one delivery of personalized supplements lasts 90 days.
Billing: through Novogenia or through your own system, with us as your fulfillment partner.
Direct shipping: On request, we ship directly to your customers; your distributors need no inventory.
Formula updates: For every new production run, we recalculate the formula – with the customer’s current age and, where applicable, an updated questionnaire, new blood values or new analysis results.
Commission: In the partner shop, you earn a commission on every order; we discuss specific rates with you personally.
Price calculator: The price calculator in our chatbot gives an instant, non-binding estimate of what a formula costs for 500 to 3,000 boxes; our team calculates smaller quantities.

Frequently asked questions

How often are subscription orders delivered?

With Novogenia’s personalized supplements, one delivery lasts 90 days, and the subscription runs with automatic reorder in that rhythm. So plan compensation, revenue and communication in quarters, not months.

Who bills the subscription, and who ships it?

Billing runs through Novogenia or through your own system. Novogenia produces every box for the individual customer and ships it directly to end customers. Your distributors need neither inventory nor their own shipping.

Does the genetic analysis have to be repeated for a subscription?

No. Running the same analysis again does not reveal anything new about the same genes. The formula is, however, recalculated for every new production run: with the customer’s current age and, where applicable, an updated questionnaire, new blood values or further analysis results.

Do customers belong to a distributor?

No. Under Novogenia’s terms and conditions, end customers can switch distributors at any time and without restriction. Recurring revenue therefore comes from good customer care, not from lock-in.

Do customers have a right of withdrawal when buying at home?

In the EU, consumers generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal for contracts concluded away from business premises (Art. 9 of Directive 2011/83/EU); exceptions include goods that are clearly personalized (Art. 16(c)). In Switzerland, Art. 40a to 40f of the Code of Obligations govern revocation with their own conditions. Have your terms reviewed by an expert for each market.

Personalized products for your network?

Tell us about your sales organisation and markets – we will show you which model fits.

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Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.