Setting up paid trials for paid subscriptions

Paid trials give you more flexibility in how you structure and present pricing to potential subscribers. Rather than only offering a flat recurring rate or a percent-off discount, you can define an introductory period with its own price, length, and billing cadence then automatically roll subscribers onto standard tier pricing when it ends.

For example, you could offer $5 per month for the first 6 months, then $200 per year. Or $1 for the first week, then $10 a month.

In this article, you'll learn what paid trials are, how they compare to the other offer types, and how to create and manage them.

A paid trial charges subscribers a custom introductory price for a defined period before automatically converting them to the tier's standard pricing. Unlike free trials (no cost up front) or percent discounts (a percentage off the tier's regular price), paid trials let you set the exact dollar amount, how long the intro period lasts, and how often the trial price is charged — all independently of the tier's underlying plan.

Understanding why paid trials exist alongside other discounts can help you choose the right one for your goals:

• Exact pricing control: Percent discounts only let you set a percentage off the tier price. With a paid trial, you set a specific dollar amount regardless of what the tier normally costs.
• Flexible billing cadence: Percent discounts use the same billing cadence as the underlying plan. Paid trials let you offer a monthly intro price that converts to annual billing, or any other combination.
• Purpose-built offer type: Paid trials are a dedicated offer type in the app, so there's no workaround or guesswork involved in setting them up.

Paid subscriptions support three offer types under the Paid Subscription Offers block. The table below outlines when to use each one.

Before creating a paid trial offer, make sure you have at least one paid subscription tier set up. If you haven't done that yet, see How to set up and use paid subscription tiers.

1. From the left panel, go to Subscriptions.
2. Your Paid Subscriptions dashboard will open. Navigate to the Paid Tiers tab.
   
   
   
3. Scroll down to the Paid Subscription Offers section and click Add New Offer.
   
   
   
4. A new offer form will appear on the right. 
   
   Fill in the fields on the form:

• Name (required): Internal-facing label, not shown to subscribers.
• Description (optional): Shown to subscribers at checkout.
• Private Description (optional): Internal notes only, not visible to subscribers.
• Tier (required): Select a specific tier, or leave set to All Tiers.
• Terms (required): Select Paid Trial from the dropdown.
• Custom terms (optional): Add any custom offer terms to display on the pricing cards. 

5. Configure the paid trial fields as described in the next section.
6. Under the Advanced Options you can configure any of the following (all optional): 

• Set when subscribers must redeem this offer by: Limits the offer to a specific redemption window.
• Limit this offer to specific plans: Restricts the offer to certain billing plans.
• Show discount on downgrade: Surfaces this offer to subscribers who attempt to cancel or downgrade.

7. Decide if you’d like to set the offer as the default offer on the upgrade page, or a variation.  
8. Click Create in the bottom corner of the form to confirm, and then the offer will be listed under your Paid Subscription Offers.

A paid trial has four required fields and an optional field. Work through them in order, as the options available in later fields depend on your earlier selections.

Enter a number representing how long the trial period lasts. This works in combination with the trial unit below.

Select the unit of time that pairs with your trial length: Days, Weeks, Months, or Years. For example, a trial length of 6 with a trial unit of Months creates a 6-month trial period.

Enter the price the subscriber pays during the trial, in the currency of the selected tier. For example, entering 5.00 in a USD tier sets a $5 intro price.

Select how frequently the trial price is charged during the trial period: One time, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Annual. For example, with a 5-month trial, selecting One time means the subscriber pays a single charge that covers the entire trial period. Selecting Monthly means they are charged once per month for each month of the trial.

Add your own unique terms to show on the pricing cards. 

Here are a few examples of how the fields work together:

After creating an offer, preview what subscribers will see before sharing it. 

From the Paid Subscription Offers list, click the three dots menu next to the offer and select Copy Link. Paste the link into a new browsing window to view it as a subscriber would. 

On the upgrade page, the intro pricing will be reflected on the pricing card — for example, $5 for 6 months, then $10 a month.

Once created, a paid trial offer is visible in a few places across your account.

The offer appears alongside your other offers under Subscriptions > Paid Tiers > Paid Subscription Offers.

When set as the default offer on your upgrade page, the intro pricing structure is displayed prominently on your pricing block alongside the standard tier pricing, so visitors see exactly what they're signing up for.

Paid trials appear as their own offer type in the performance table, separate from free trials and percent discounts, so you can track conversions for each offer type independently.

When a subscriber accepts a paid trial offer:

1. They enter payment details at checkout.
2. They are charged the trial price according to the billing cadence you configured — either once up front, or on a recurring basis for the duration of the trial.
3. They receive full access to the tier's paid content for the duration of the trial.
4. At the end of the trial, their subscription automatically converts to the tier's standard recurring price. No action is required on their part. 

In the subscriber's account, the current payment will reflect the trial price and length. The next payment due section will show the date and amount of their first standard billing charge, so there are no surprises at renewal.

The Offer Performance table gives you a breakdown of how each offer type is converting, including paid trials, broken out separately from free trials and discounts. Paid trials are listed as their own plan type alongside Full Price, Discount, Free Trial, and Complimentary Access, so you can evaluate performance across each independently.

To access it:

1. From the left panel, go to Subscriptions.
2. Click the Breakdown tab to view the Offer Performance table.
3. Use the arrow next to All time on the right to filter by: Last 3 months, Last 12 months, Month to date, Quarter to date, or Yearly to date. 

How is a paid trial different from a free trial?
Both a free trial and a paid trial convert to the tier's standard pricing when the trial period ends. The difference is what happens during the trial. A free trial gives readers full access at no cost for a set period. A paid trial charges a custom intro price for a custom length, and lets you use a billing cadence that's independent of the underlying tier. For instructions on setting up a free trial, see How to customize paid subscriptions.
How is a paid trial different from a percent discount?
A percent discount applies a percentage off the standard tier price and uses the tier's existing billing cadence. A paid trial lets you set a specific dollar amount and an independent billing cadence.
A good rule is to use a percent discount for percentage-off promotions and a paid trial when you want to offer a distinct intro price and billing structure.
What happens if the trial length and billing cadence don't line up — for example, a 45-day trial with monthly billing?
If your trial unit is set to Days, the only available billing cadence is One time, so at the end of the trial (in this example, day 46), they will be charged their first monthly payment.
Can I combine a free trial and a paid trial on the same tier?
At this time, it's not possible to combine a free trial and a paid trial on the same tier.
Will subscribers be notified before the trial price converts to the standard rate?
If you've set up an upsell email, subscribers will receive a reminder before their trial ends and their plan renews at the standard rate.
Does the paid trial charge appear in Stripe?
Yes. Trial charges are processed through your connected Stripe account, the same as any other paid subscription payment.
What happens if a subscriber's card fails when the trial converts?
Stripe retries the charge based on your Stripe retry settings. If the charge ultimately fails, the subscription moves to an unpaid state, and the subscriber loses paid access.
Will my existing 'Trial' offers still work after the rename to 'Free trial'?
Yes. Only the label changes, your existing offers will continue to function exactly as before. No action is needed on your part.