Free Trial Period
Link: https://support.brilliantdirectories.com/support/solutions/articles/12000046572
Overview
Free trial periods are an excellent way to build trust with new potential customers and boost conversion rates.
The Free Trial Period add-on allows the admin to define a number of free trial days for each paid membership plan. Credit card info is collected upon signup and if the user does not cancel then they will automatically be charged after the free trial period ends.
How To Get This Add-On
- Websites with the VIP Add-Ons Club automatically have this add-on available: Join The VIP Add-Ons Club
- Purchase Individually: Free Trial Period Add-On
Features and Benefits:
- Increase paid membership signups
- Add a free trial period to individual membership packages.
- Choose how many days the trial period lasts
- Trial info is automatically displayed on checkout pages
- Customers are still required to provide credit card info
- Customers are automatically charged once their trial ends
- Customers are not charged if they cancel before their trial ends
Enabling the Add-On
To enable the Free Trial Period in the Membership Plan go to the admin and navigate to Finance >> Membership Plans >> Choose the Membership level and click on "Edit".
Go to the Sign Ups & Upgrades tab.
4. In the Set Pricing Options for This Plan section, find the "Enable Free Trial Period" and click on "Yes".
Specify Number of Trial Days
Enter the number of days the trial should last.
Example: To offer a 7-day trial, enter "7" in the Number of Free Trial Days field.
Set Credit Card Authorization Type
In Free Trial Additional Options, choose how credit cards will be handled depending on the payment gateway:
More Info: Supported Payment Gateways: On-Site and Off-Site Payment Gateways
Off-Site Payment Gateways
No credit card required for free trial
On-Site Payment Gateways
No credit card required for free trial
Add credit card on file without authorization
Authorize $1.00 charge when card is required
Authorize full subscription amount when card is required
No Credit Card Required
Card fields will be hidden during checkout. The member must manually add a card after the trial ends, or the listing will become Past Due.
Authorization Required
When an authorization option is selected, the system automatically displays an authorization message on the checkout form.
Customize Authorization Message
To edit the message and title shown at checkout:
Go to Settings → Text Labels and modify:
Credit Card Authorization Title
Credit Card Authorization Message
Verifying Setup
To confirm the Free Trial is properly configured:
Go to Finance → Membership Plans
Click Edit on the plan
Click the Sign Up Page button at the top
If everything was set up correctly, the Free Trial information will appear in the "Select a Payment Option" section:
How to Edit Free Trial Display Text
When teh FreeTrial is enabled, the following text will display at checkout:
To edit this text go to:
Settings → Text Labels
Search for "Free Trial"
The following five labels are available for editing:
| Label Description | Variable Name | Default Text |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 Before Days | free_trial_period_line1_before | This plan includes a. |
| Line 1 After Days | free_trial_period_line1_after | DAY FREE TRIAL. |
| Line 2 Before Start Date | free_trial_period_line2_before | Your payment will start on. |
| Line 2 After Start Date | free_trial_period_line2_after | Type additional text if needed. |
| Line 3 (Additional Info) | free_trial_period_line3 | Additional text displayed under date. |
Free Trial Terms and Billing Conditions
The following conditions apply when using the Free Trial Period Add-On:
Users must cancel before the end of the trial to avoid charges.
Free trials apply only to new signups, not to upgrades from other plans.
If the credit card fails at the end of the trial, the member is marked as Past Due.
Check this in Finance→ Transaction History → Past Due.
