Subscribing and paying

How does a free trial work?

For fans — why a free trial asks for your card, what happens when it ends, and why you only get one per creator

If a creator’s plan includes a trial, the subscribe button reads Start 14-day free trial — the length is the creator’s, so yours may say a different number of days. Inside the sheet you can switch between the two doors with Use the 14-day free trial instead and Subscribe now instead.

Nothing is charged when the trial starts.

Why it asks for your card

A trial needs your card on file before it begins, because the first real charge happens when the trial ends and you are not there to approve it. So the trial collects both the saved card and the standing permission to charge it later — see Saved cards and standing authorisation.

This is also why a trial never offers a card already on file as a single press. The trial path is the one that collects the permission.

What the sheet tells you before you start

“Nothing is charged today. Your card is saved now and charged when the free trial ends, then each period until you cancel. A free trial can only be used once per creator — cancelling does not give it back.”

What happens when you press start

You get a final confirmation, not a pending payment: “Your free trial has started — 14 days free. Your card is charged when it ends, and you can cancel before then.”

Unlike a paid purchase, no order is opened and no money is instructed, so there is nothing to wait for. Your subscription is live immediately, in trial.

One trial per creator, ever

A free trial can only be used once per creator. Cancelling the subscription does not give it back, and neither does subscribing again later. If you have already used a creator’s trial, you see “You have already used the free trial for this creator. You can still subscribe at the usual price.” and the sheet switches itself to the paid option.

Cancelling and subscribing again is supported — it is only the trial that cannot be repeated.

Cancelling before the trial ends

Cancel the same way as any subscription, from the Subscriptions tab of your Following screen. Cancellation always takes effect at the end of the period you are in, so cancelling during a trial means the trial runs out and no charge follows. See Cancelling a subscription.

When a trial cannot start

  • The plan has no trial. “This creator does not offer a free trial. You can subscribe at the usual price.”
  • You have already used it. See above.
  • The card has no standing authorisation. “That card is not authorised for automatic payments. Nothing was charged — add it again to continue.” Enter the card details again to record the permission.