Setting Up a Free Trial

A free trial gives new fans a window of free access to your subscription before being charged. It's the highest-converting acquisition tool available to creators.

How it works

1. You enable a free trial on your subscription.
2. Fans see a "Try free for 7 days" button on your profile.
3. The fan starts the trial — no payment up front.
4. The trial runs for the period you set (3, 7, 14, or 30 days).
5. At the end of the trial, the fan is automatically charged for the first paid period.
6. Fans can cancel any time during the trial to avoid the charge.

Trial lengths

You can offer 3, 7, 14, or 30-day trials. The right length depends on your content cadence.

• 3 days — best for high-frequency creators (multiple posts per day). Enough to prove value, short enough to feel committal.
• 7 days — most common. Standard length, good for most creators.
• 14 days — works for creators who post 2–3x per week or whose content has a longer "discovery" arc.
• 30 days — very generous. Good for high-end premium creators who want fans to deeply experience the offering.

How to set up

1. Settings → Subscriptions → Free Trial.
2. Toggle Enable free trial on.
3. Pick the trial length.
4. Set whether the trial applies to monthly only or also to annual plans.
5. Save.

Trials are live immediately on your profile.

Eligibility

By default:

• One trial per fan, per creator. Once a fan has used a trial with you, they can't get another one.
• Fans must have a payment method on file to start a trial. This is what enables auto-conversion at the end.
• Fans cannot start a trial if they're already subscribed to you. Cancel first, then trial.

Conversion rates to expect

Across creators, free trial conversion to paid subscription typically lands between 30% and 60%. The variance depends on:

• Posting frequency during the trial — fans who see active posting are more likely to convert.
• DM engagement — sending a welcome DM (and maybe a free preview) inside the trial window dramatically lifts conversion.
• Trial length — shorter trials tend to convert at higher rates because fans haven't lost the urgency.

When to disable trials

• During a paid promo — running both a discount and a trial simultaneously can confuse fans.
• After a content cadence dip — if you're not posting actively, trials will burn fans rather than win them.
• For special drop windows — if you're releasing premium PPV content, you may want to require a paid sub during that window.

Stacking trials with promos

You can offer a trial AND a promo discount that applies after the trial ends. Example:

• 7-day free trial.
• After trial: 50% off first paid month.
• Then full price.

This stack converts well but can confuse fans on the bill amount. Use sparingly.

Refunds during a trial

Trials are free, so there's nothing to refund. If a fan was charged at the end of the trial and disputes, the standard refund flow applies.

A common dispute: "I didn't realize I'd be charged when the trial ended." We're lenient on these — usually approve a one-time courtesy refund as FanBucks credit. The fan loses the trial-eligibility for future trials with you.