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Trial Period (Free or Discounted)

Sometimes when offering a new paid membership or subscription, you want to let people sign up now, but not charge them until some fixed date in the future, because all the content isn't going to be available until then. Or just as a promo.

The trial period option allows you to accomplish this. By telling this system how many days after you purchase before you want to begin charging the customer. 

 

What Happens When a Trial Period Ends?

When the trial period ends, your customer will be charged for the continued subscription if they haven't already canceled. If you have a minimum commitment period that period will begin now preventing them from canceling on their own. 

You may also want to set up a notification email letting them know their subscription is going to end. Below is the step by step instructions for creating such a notification. 

 

Free Trial on a Subscription Price

  1. Select Products from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. In the Products tab, locate and select the product you want to offer the price on
  3. Select the Prices tab
  4. Add a new list price by clicking the white "Add a list price" button on the left-hand side under the List Prices or the blue + Add a price button in the upper right corner

    Add_a_price_button
  5. Complete all relevant fields for the base price as if there is one participant/license being purchased and any other relevant fields such as campaign availability, number of subscriptions available, or restrictions such as having to be on a list or another product first. 

    Price_creation_screen
  6. In the Type of price section, select the Subscription option

    Subscription_type_of_price
  7. In the Amounts section, input the number of days/weeks/months/years you want them to have free access under the Optional free trial before the recurring payments begin. At the end of those days, their payments will begin based on what you put in the "Amount for each recurring period" field. 

    Subscription_type_price_settings
  8. Complete any other relevant fields such as campaign availability, number of subscriptions available, or restrictions such as having to be on a list or another product first. 
  9. Click the Create price button

 

Discounted Trial on a Subscription

  1. Select Products from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. From the Products tab, select the product you want to offer the subscription price 
  3. Select the Prices tab
  4. Add a secret price by clicking the white "Add a list price" button on the left-hand side under the List Prices or the blue + Add a price button in the upper right corner

    Add_a_price_button
  5. Complete all relevant fields for the subscription price such as Name, Type of price, Amounts, etc.

    Price_creation_screen
  6. In the Type of price section, select the Subscription option

    Subscription_type_of_price
  7. In the Amounts section, enter the amount of the trial period and time your participant will have access for after paying this amount in the field titled "How long does this give access for"

    Subscription_type_price_settings
  8. Click the Create price button
  9. Go back to the List Prices screen, select and edit the price you've just added
  10. Scroll down to the Subscription periods section and click the Pencil icon to edit the price

    Pencil_icon_to_edit_subscription_price
  11. In the Edit subscription period pop-up screen, enter 1 in the box titled Repeat how many times before the price or duration changes
  12. Click the Save changes button
  13. Going back to the Subscription periods section, click the + Add an installment for this period button just below that price

    Add_an_installment_for_this_period_button_for_subscription_periods
  14. Complete the fields in the Installment pop-up screen and click the Save changes button

    Installment_pop-up_screen
  15. Scroll down to the bottom and click the Save changes button

 

Free Trial on a Purchase

  1. Select Products from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. From the Products tab, select a product you want to offer campaign pricing
  3. Select the Prices tab
  4. Click the + Add a price button in the top right corner or the + Add a list price button on the bottom of the List Prices section

    Add_a_price_button
  5. You will be directed to the price creations screen. Set up all your price settings such as Name, Type of price, Amounts, etc.

    Price_creation_screen
  6. In the Type of price section, choose the Purchase as the type of price

    Purchase_type_price
  7. In the Amounts section, enter the amount $0, the number of installment (min. 1), the amount for each of the following installments, and enter in How long between each installment. This time amount should be the time you want to offer a free trial for. (If your free trial is less time than what is between the installment payments then only put in 1 and continue to follow the steps)

    Amounts_section_for_free_subscription
  8. Finish filling in any other relevant fields to your list price and click the Create price button
  9. If they get a free trial and have 1 installment to purchase or if the free trial period matches their installment periods then you are done and can activate your price. If the installment period is more time than you are giving in the free trial then continue on. 
  10. Go back to the List Prices screen, select and edit the price you've just added
  11. Scroll down to the Subscription periods section and click the Pencil icon to edit the price

    Pencil_icon_to_edit_subscription_price
  12. In the Edit subscription period pop-up screen, enter 1 in the box titled Repeat how many times before the price or duration changes
  13. Click the Save changes button
  14. Going back to the Subscription periods section, click the + Add an installment for this period button just below that price

    Add_an_installment_for_this_period_button_for_subscription_periods
  15. Complete the fields in the Installment pop-up screen and click the Save changes button

    Installment_pop-up_screen
  16. Scroll down to the bottom and click the Save changes button

 

Discounted trial on a purchase

  1. Select Products from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. From the Products tab, select a product you want to offer campaign pricing
  3. Select the Prices tab
  4. Click the + Add a price button in the top right corner or the + Add a list price button on the bottom of the List Prices section

    Add_a_price_button
  5. You will be directed to the price creations screen. Set up all your price settings such as Name, Type of price, Amounts, etc.

    Price_creation_screen
  6. In the Type of price section, choose the Purchase as the type of price

    Purchase_type_price
  7. In the Amounts section, enter the amount $, the number of installment (min. 1), the amount for each of the following installments, and enter in How long between each installment. This time amount should be the time you want to offer a discount for. 

    Amounts_section_for_free_subscription
  8. Finish filling in any other relevant fields to your list price and click the Create price button
  9. If they get a discounted trial and have 1 installment to purchase or if the trial period matches their installment periods then you are done and can activate your price. If the installment period is more time then you are giving for the trial then continue on. 
  10. Go back to the List Prices screen, select and edit the price you've just added
  11. Scroll down to the Subscription periods section and click the Pencil icon to edit the price

    Pencil_icon_to_edit_subscription_price
  12. In the Edit subscription period pop-up screen, enter 1 in the box titled Repeat how many times before the price or duration changes
  13. Click the Save changes button
  14. Going back to the Subscription periods section, click the + Add an installment for this period button just below that price

    Add_an_installment_for_this_period_button_for_subscription_periods
  15. Complete the fields in the Installment pop-up screen and click the Save changes button

    Installment_pop-up_screen
  16. Scroll down to the bottom and click the Save changes button

Please note your payment processor may have a minimum charge. For example, Stripe requires a minimum $0.50 payment. 

 

Cancelations

Note that if your customer chooses to Cancel after experiencing their trial they will only be able to cancel themselves if you have set it up as a subscription price. If you choose the "purchase" price type then they will need to contact you and you will need to go in and manually cancel them. 

To cancel:

  1. Select the Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. Select the Contacts tab
  3. Locate and select the customer name
  4. Go to the Purchases section, find the product purchase in their customer screen and then click on it to open up the details screen
  5. In the Purchase summary screen, select the Cancel button and confirm your selection to cancel

    Purchase_summary_Cancel_purchase

 

Notification of Free Trial Ending

  1. Create the notification email in your Email Library that lets them know their Trial ends in X # of Days and they will begin to be charged. 
  2. Create an Automation with 2 steps:
    • Step 1 -  Wait X number of days (the number of days will be how long to wait from purchase before sending the free trial ending email. For example, the free trial is 30 days, you want to send the notification email 5 days before they are charged then this step would be to wait 25 days)
    • Step 2 - Will send the Templated email and select the email from the email library 
  3. Go to your free trial price and add a trigger to the price
    • The trigger should read: "Billing Contacted Activated" "Start automation" Select the automation you created in step 2
  4. Make sure to click the Save changes button when done.

 

Give Them the Option to Cancel

If you want to give them the option to cancel their purchase right in the notification email you will need to follow these additional steps...

  1. Create an automation with a single action step to "Cancel a Purchase"
  2. Copy the URL for the one-click start automation
  3. Create the notification email in your Email Library and paste in the URL wherein the copy you mention Canceling the purchase. 
  4. Make sure to click the Save changes button when done.
Last updated 3 Apr 2019.
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