How to Create and Use Coupons for Your LaunchPass Community

Use a Free Trial when:

Use a Coupon when:

Key difference: Free trials are automatic. Everyone gets them. Coupons require a code. Only people with the code get the discount.

Our recommendation: For first-month-free offers, use free trials instead. They're easier for members. You still capture email addresses. Signup conversion is higher.

This guide covers coupons. For free trials, see your page settings under "Free Trial Options."

Don't have Premium? You need it to accept payments and use coupons. Start your 14-day free trial in the Billing section of your dashboard.

Stripe not connected? Go to Settings in LaunchPass. Click "Connect with Stripe." Follow the steps. Takes 5 minutes.

Multiple Stripe accounts? Make sure you're in the account connected to LaunchPass. Check the account name in the top left corner.

You'll see a list of any coupons you've created before. If this is your first coupon, the list is empty.

This form has several fields. Let's fill them in.

Coupon ID:

Important: The ID is what members actually enter. Don't leave this blank or Stripe creates a random code like "xJ9kL2pQ" which is hard to remember.

Name:

Amount Off - Choose One:

Option A: Percentage Discount

Option B: Fixed Amount

Duration - Choose One:

Option A: Forever

Option B: Once

Option C: Repeating

Advanced Options (Optional):

Max redemptions:

Redemption start date:

Redemption end date:

Your coupon now exists in Stripe!

Copy the code exactly. You'll need it to:

Store it somewhere safe like:

Creating the coupon in Stripe is only half the work. Now you must enable coupons on your LaunchPass page.

Log in at launchpass.com or open your dashboard.

Look at your list of pages. Find the one where you want coupons to work.

Click the Edit button next to that page name.

Scroll down on the edit page. Look for a section called Premium Features or similar.

You'll see an option: Coupons Enabled

Your page now accepts coupon codes at checkout!

Important: You must republish. Just enabling coupons isn't enough. The page must go live with the new setting.

If the discount shows correctly, you're done! If not, see Troubleshooting section below.

Your members will:

The discount applies automatically based on your duration setting.

Can current members use coupons?

Yes, but you must apply them manually through Stripe.

Steps:

This takes 2-3 minutes per member. For many members, consider sending them a new signup link with a discounted tier instead.

Your coupon code affects how many people use it. Good names are:

[TRIGGER][DISCOUNT][TIME]

Examples:

Launch codes:

Seasonal codes:

Loyalty codes:

Referral codes:

Urgency codes:

❌ Random letters: JK8LP2Q
❌ Too long: WELCOMETOOURFIRSTCOMMUNITY
❌ Confusing: SAVE$$MONEY
❌ Hard to type: Welcome-2024!
❌ No clear meaning: CODE1

When and why should you create coupons?

Goal: Get first 100 members quickly

Strategy:

Why it works: Creates urgency. Rewards early supporters. Gets critical mass fast.

Example: "Join in the next 48 hours. First 100 members get 50% off forever. After that, full price. Use code LAUNCH50."

Goal: Boost signups during slow period

Strategy:

Why it works: Gives people a reason to join now instead of later.

Example: "Summer special: 30% off your first 3 months. Use code SUMMER30. Ends August 31."

Goal: Keep free members when transitioning to paid

Strategy:

Why it works: Rewards loyalty. Reduces churn. Easier transition.

Example: "You've been here since the beginning. Use code FOUNDING for 50% off forever. Only available to existing members."

Goal: Grow through word of mouth

Strategy:

Why it works: Makes it easy for members to invite friends with a gift.

Example: "Share code FRIEND20 with friends. They get 20% off their first month. You help grow the community."

Goal: Cross-promote with another creator

Strategy:

Why it works: Taps into another audience. Partners promote you.

Example: Partner tweets: "Check out [Community]. My followers get 25% off forever with code PARTNERNAME."

Goal: Re-engage canceled members

Strategy:

Why it works: Lowers barrier to return. Shows you value them.

Example: Email canceled members: "We miss you! Come back for 50% off your next 2 months. Code: COMEBACK50."

Goal: Pay affiliates through discounts

Strategy:

Why it works: Affiliates have skin in the game. Easy to track.

Example: "You'll get a unique code. For every member who joins with your code, you earn $X."

Sometimes you don't need a coupon. You need a different price tier.

✅ Limited-time offers
✅ Special promotions
✅ Rewarding specific groups
✅ Referral programs
✅ Testing price sensitivity
✅ One-time discounts

✅ Permanent lower price option
✅ Different feature sets
✅ Student or nonprofit pricing
✅ Annual vs monthly pricing
✅ Multiple membership levels
✅ Long-term structure

Example of tier vs coupon:

Bad: Create STUDENT30 coupon for permanent student rate
​Good: Create separate "Student Tier" page at lower price

Why? Tiers are cleaner. No code needed. Easier to manage long-term.

You need to know if your coupons work.

Stripe shows:

Create a simple tracking sheet:

Update monthly. Calculate:

Redemption rate: How many people use the code vs how many see it?

Example: 1,000 people see offer. 150 use code. Redemption rate = 15%.

Cost per acquisition: Revenue lost divided by new members gained.

Example: Lost $500 in discounts. Gained 25 members. Cost = $20 per member.

Lifetime value impact: Do discounted members stay as long as full-price members?

Track churn rate for each group. If discount members churn faster, adjust strategy.

Stripe creates random code like "xK9pL2" if you don't set ID. Members can't remember or type it.

Fix: Always set a custom ID.

You publish the code without testing. It doesn't work. Members complain.

Fix: Always test yourself before sharing.

You enable coupons in page settings but don't republish. Code doesn't work.

Fix: Always click Save/Republish after enabling.

Name: "Welcome Discount"
ID: "SAVE20"

Members try to use "Welcome Discount" and it fails.

Fix: Make name and ID match.

You offer 75% off forever. Can't sustain business at that price.

Fix: Do the math first. Make sure you can afford it.

You run "48-hour flash sale" but don't set end date in Stripe. People use it weeks later.

Fix: Always set expiration date for limited offers.

You create 10 different codes. Don't track which ones work. Can't optimize.

Fix: Track every code in spreadsheet.

Member sees: "Coupon code is invalid" or "This code doesn't exist"

Possible causes:

1. Typo in the code

Fix: Tell member to:

2. Coupon expired

Fix: Check expiration in Stripe. Create new code if needed.

3. Max redemptions reached

Fix: Check "Times redeemed" in Stripe. Increase limit or create new code.

4. Coupons not enabled on page

Fix: Edit page. Enable coupons. Republish.

5. Wrong Stripe account

Fix: Log in to correct Stripe account. Create coupon there.

Member sees: Coupon applies but discount doesn't calculate correctly

Possible causes:

1. Percentage vs fixed amount confusion

Fix: Edit coupon in Stripe. Change type to percentage.

2. Currency mismatch

Fix: Create new coupon in correct currency.

3. Duration setting wrong

Fix: Create new coupon with correct duration. Can't edit existing.

Member sees: Payment page but no place to enter code

Possible causes:

1. Coupons not enabled

Fix: Edit page. Enable coupons. Republish.

2. Mobile display issue

Fix: Tell member: "Look for very small text that says 'Have a coupon code?' below the price. Click that."

3. Browser cache

Fix: Tell member to refresh page (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R).

Want to create many unique codes? Use Stripe API or CSV upload.

If you're technical, use Stripe's API to generate codes programmatically.

Documentation: stripe.com/docs/api/coupons/create

You can loop through and create codes like:

Each tracks separately.

Some Stripe integrations allow CSV upload. Check Stripe marketplace for tools.

For small affiliate programs (under 20 people), create manually:

Takes 30 seconds per code.

1. Reciprocity You give discount. Member feels obligated to join.

2. Urgency "Limited time" or "First 100" creates FOMO (fear of missing out).

3. Exclusivity Special code makes member feel special. Not everyone has access.

4. Loss aversion "Don't miss out on $50 savings" feels worse than "Gain $50." People hate losing deals.

5. Social proof "50 people already used LAUNCH50" shows others are joining.

Research shows:

For most communities:

Forever discounts:

Once discounts:

Repeating discounts (3-6 months):

Our recommendation: Start with 3-month repeating discounts. Test. Then decide on forever discounts for special cases only.

Coupons work the same across all platforms. But Discord-specific tips:

Use coupons for:

Discord member behavior:

Use coupons for:

Slack member behavior:

Use coupons for:

Telegram member behavior:

No. Stripe doesn't allow editing. You must create a new coupon.

Workaround: Create the new code. Tell members to use the new one. Archive the old one.

Yes. Go to Stripe Coupons. Click the coupon. Click Delete.

Warning: This breaks it for anyone trying to use it. Only delete expired or unused codes.

Yes. The discount applies based on your settings.

Example: 20% off annual plan = $500/year becomes $400/year.

No. Stripe only allows one coupon per subscription. Members must choose.

Workaround: Create a single better code combining both offers.

Example: Instead of SAVE10 + EXTRA5, create SAVE15.

The discount ends. If they rejoin later, they pay full price.

Exception: You manually apply the old discount in Stripe.

Yes. In Stripe:

For bulk tracking, export customer data from Stripe.

Yes. LaunchPass charges 3.5% of what you actually receive.

Example:

You pay fees on discounted amount, not full price.

Yes. Coupons work globally.

Note: Fixed-amount coupons use your currency setting. A $10 coupon is always $10 USD (or whatever currency you chose), not adjusted for local currency.

Go to your LaunchPass page settings. Find "Free Trial" section. Choose duration:

No Stripe coupon needed. Members get automatic trial.

Not automatically. Stripe doesn't distinguish new vs existing.

Workaround: Use max redemptions. Share code only with new members. Don't post publicly.

Create separate coupons:

Share each code with the respective group. Track performance separately.

Create a forever discount coupon:

See "Transitioning to a Paid Group" guide for full strategy.

No. One coupon per subscription.

If they cancel and rejoin, they could use a different code. But the same code can't be applied twice to one subscription.

Don't create coupons if:

❌ You're already pricing too low If your community is $10/month, a 50% coupon makes it $5/month. Too cheap to sustain.

Solution: Raise your base price first. Then offer discounts.

❌ You have no plan to end the discount Forever coupons used by everyone = your real price.

Solution: Make that your actual price. Delete the coupon.

❌ You can't track effectiveness Creating codes without measuring ROI wastes money.

Solution: Set up tracking first. Then launch coupons.

❌ Your community has no proven value yet Discounting before proving value trains members to expect discounts.

Solution: Build value first. Get testimonials. Then add strategic discounts.

❌ You're using coupons to fix a broken community Discounts don't fix poor content, inactive community, or bad experience.

Solution: Fix the community first. Then grow with coupons if needed.

✅ Short, clear codes (WELCOME20, not W3LC0M320)
✅ Include discount in name (SAVE30, not PROMO1)
✅ ALL CAPS for readability
✅ No spaces or special characters
✅ Memorable and easy to type

✅ Start with limited-time offers (test first)
✅ Use urgency (first 100, ends Friday)
✅ Track every code in spreadsheet
✅ Calculate revenue impact before launching
✅ Reserve forever discounts for special cases

✅ Tell members exactly what they get
✅ State the expiration clearly
✅ Show how to use it (step-by-step)
✅ Answer questions quickly
✅ Remind them before expiration

✅ Test every code yourself first
✅ Check on mobile and desktop
✅ Verify discount calculates correctly
✅ Confirm duration setting works
✅ Make sure redemption limits work

✅ Monitor redemptions weekly
✅ Compare to goals
✅ Calculate cost per new member
✅ Check if discounted members stay or churn
✅ Optimize based on data

Use this before sharing any coupon code:

All checked? Launch your coupon!

Situation: New community for software founders

Strategy:

Results:

Why it worked: Clear value prop. Urgency. Rewards early risk-takers.

Situation: Crypto trading group, seasonal slowdown

Strategy:

Results:

Why it worked: High discount for high-risk niche. 3-month duration built habit.

Situation: Free community transitioning to paid

Strategy:

Results:

Why it worked: Grandfathered existing community. Reasonable discount. Created two-tier system naturally.

Stripe Dashboard: dashboard.stripe.com

Stripe Coupons Documentation: stripe.com/docs/billing/subscriptions/discounts

Stripe Support: Contact through dashboard if coupon issues

LaunchPass Dashboard: launchpass.com/dashboard

Help Center: help.launchpass.com

Email Support: [email protected]

Google Sheets: Free spreadsheet for tracking redemptions

Notion: Track coupons alongside community docs

Airtable: Database view of all coupons and performance

Check Stripe App Marketplace for:

Check daily:

Make adjustments if needed.

Calculate:

Decide: Keep, modify, or retire the coupon?

Based on data:

Once you find winning coupon strategies:

Visit help.launchpass.com for all guides.

Ready to create your first coupon? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Define your goal (3 min)

Write it down.

Step 2: Decide discount details (5 min)

Step 3: Create in Stripe (5 min)

Step 4: Enable in LaunchPass (2 min)

Test your code:

If it works, you're ready!

Share your code:

Monitor results:

Analyze performance:

Optimize:

Email: [email protected]

We help with:

Response time: Within 24 hours

Dashboard: dashboard.stripe.com (click Support)

They help with:

Your community has value. Strategic coupons help you grow. But never discount your worth. Use coupons wisely. Track everything. Optimize constantly.

Ready to create your first coupon?

Start with Step 1 above. You've got this! 🚀