How to Transition from Free to Paid Community: Complete Guide

A free community is one you run yourself without LaunchPass help. This includes:

With free communities, you handle all member management yourself.

A paid community uses LaunchPass to charge for access. This includes:

LaunchPass only manages members who sign up and pay through your paid page.

Free: You manage everything manually. Members join for free.

Paid: LaunchPass automates it. Members pay to join.

You have three options. Choose based on your goals.

Everyone must pay to stay. No free members remain.

Best for:

Process:

Pros: Clear, simple, fully automated management

Cons: Some free members won't convert

Keep free members. Add paid tier with extra perks.

Best for:

Process:

Pros: Keep all members, test paid model, gradual transition

Cons: Manage two groups, create separate content

Existing members stay free. New members pay.

Best for:

Process:

Pros: No one loses access, reward loyalty

Cons: Manage two groups indefinitely, complexity

Complete these steps BEFORE starting your transition.

Pick Option 1, 2, or 3 above. Write it down.

Decide what to charge. Consider:

Common pricing:

You need Stripe to receive payments. Set it up at stripe.com.

Have ready:

Setup takes 10 minutes. Stripe holds first payout for 7 days.

What do paid members get that free members don't?

Discord examples:

Slack examples:

Telegram examples:

Write down 5-10 premium benefits.

Write the message you'll send. Include:

More on this below.

Free LaunchPass tier can't charge money. You need Premium.

Cost: $29/month + 3.5% per transaction

Trial: 14 days free (no credit card upfront)

Upgrade in your dashboard under Billing.

Follow these steps in order.

For Discord:

For Slack:

For Telegram:

You now have a paid signup page with a unique URL.

Before anyone can pay, link Stripe.

Rocket emoji appears when setup is complete.

Create the premium-only areas.

Discord Setup:

Keep your original welcome channel unlocked. That's where new paid members land.

Slack Setup:

The welcome channel from your LaunchPass page is where paid members arrive first.

Telegram Setup:

Telegram requires you to manually connect the group when creating the LaunchPass page.

Before announcing, test everything.

If using real money, refund yourself through Stripe dashboard.

Now tell your community. Use this template:

Message Template: Full Paid Transition

Subject: Important Update: [Community Name] Going Premium

Hi everyone,

Big news! After [time period] of running [Community Name], we're transitioning to a paid membership model.

What's changing:

Starting [date], [Community Name] becomes a paid community. This lets us:

Your options:

Option 1: Join as a paid member at $[price]/month Click here to sign up: [Your LaunchPass URL]

Option 2: Leave the community by [deadline date] No hard feelings! You're welcome back anytime.

What you get as a paid member:

Important deadline: [Date, 2-4 weeks from now]

After [deadline], free access ends. Only paid members remain.

Questions? Reply here or email [email protected]

Thanks for being part of this community. Excited to take things to the next level!

[Your name]

P.S. Early birds who sign up by [early date] get [bonus or discount]

Message Template: Hybrid Model

Subject: New Premium Tier Now Available!

Hi everyone,

Exciting news! We're launching a premium tier for [Community Name].

Nothing changes for you. You keep full access to everything you have now.

New premium tier includes:

Price: $[amount]/month

Want to upgrade? Click here: [Your LaunchPass URL]

Staying free? No problem! Keep enjoying:

No pressure. Premium is optional for those who want extra perks.

Questions? Ask here or email [email protected]

Cheers, [Your name]

Post the link everywhere:

Your signup URL looks like: launchpass.com/your-custom-name

Track who signs up:

Expect 10-30% conversion rate for full paid transition.

Expect 5-15% conversion rate for hybrid model.

After your deadline passes:

Discord:

Slack:

Telegram:

LaunchPass doesn't auto-remove free members. You must do this manually.

Each platform handles transitions differently.

Best approach: Use roles

Your old free members have no special role. Your new paid members get a "Premium" role. Use role permissions to control channel access.

Steps:

Advantage: No one gets kicked. Easy to manage.

Best approach: Use channels

Your old workspace stays as-is. Create new private channels for paid content.

Steps:

Limitation: Can add up to 50 private channels per page.

Best approach: Two separate groups

Telegram works differently. Easiest to run two groups.

Steps:

Alternative: Convert single group to paid

How much should you charge?

Your experience:

Market comparison:

Value provided:

Member budget:

Start low, raise later:

Offer founding member discount:

Annual discount:

Charging $5-7/month signals low value. Members take it less seriously.

Minimum recommended: $10/month

Sweet spot for most: $20-40/month

This confuses people most. Here's exactly what happens:

Free members in your community don't disappear automatically. They remain in:

This is the key point. LaunchPass ONLY manages members who:

Free members who were there before? LaunchPass ignores them. You manage them yourself.

You have three choices:

Choice 1: Let them stay

Choice 2: Remove them manually

Choice 3: Convert them gradually

Even if they're already in your community, they must:

This seems redundant but it's how LaunchPass knows they're paid members.

Solution: Show the value clearly

Before announcing, create premium content. Show examples:

Make it obvious why it's worth paying.

Solution: Extend deadline and add urgency

If only 10% convert after 1 week:

Typical conversion: 15-30% for full transition.

Solution: Use hybrid model temporarily

Solution: Crystal clear instructions

Pin this message:

"Want premium access? Here's exactly what to do:

Takes 2 minutes. Questions? Ask here or email [email protected]"

Solution: Set up auto-responses

When payments fail, LaunchPass sends notifications. Create auto-response:

"Your payment failed. Update your card here: launchpass.com/portal

You have 48 hours before access is removed. Need help? Email [email protected]"

Most update cards and keep membership.

Solution: Grandfather them with discount

"You've been here since the start. Instead of $30/month, you pay $20/month forever. Sign up by [date] to lock in this rate: [URL]"

Rewards loyalty. Higher conversion. Less resentment.

Solution: Book setup call

LaunchPass offers free setup calls. Book at launchpass.com or contact [email protected].

They'll help:

If you choose hybrid model, here's how to structure it.

Public (Free) channels:

Private (Paid) channels:

Use categories to organize. Put lock icons on paid channels.

Public channels: (Free members see these)

Private channels: (Paid members only)

LaunchPass auto-adds paid members to private channels you specify.

Free group: Everyone sees this

Paid group: VIP access only

Run as separate groups with separate links.

Free tier should include:

Paid tier should include:

Make free tier good enough to build trust. Make paid tier so good they can't resist.

How you announce matters. A lot.

✅ Give advance notice: 2-4 weeks minimum

✅ Explain the why: Be honest about reasons (time, costs, value)

✅ Focus on benefits: What they GET, not what they lose

✅ Offer early bird discount: First 50 people save 20%

✅ Provide clear deadline: Exact date and time

✅ Answer questions publicly: Build FAQ as they ask

✅ Show appreciation: Thank them for being part of community

✅ Make signup easy: Step-by-step instructions with link

❌ Don't apologize excessively: You're providing value, charge for it

❌ Don't surprise them: No sudden announcements

❌ Don't be vague: Clear pricing, benefits, and timeline

❌ Don't ignore questions: Respond to concerns quickly

❌ Don't guilt trip: No "I've been doing this free for years" sob story

❌ Don't compare to others: Focus on YOUR value, not competitors

❌ Don't change terms: Once announced, stick to timeline and pricing

Week 1: Initial announcement

Week 2: Reminder + Q&A

Week 3: Final push

Week 4: Deadline day

✅ Your content is clearly worth paying for
✅ Community is smaller (under 500 people)
✅ Members are engaged and active
✅ You're confident 20%+ will convert
✅ You want simple, automated management
✅ You're ready to commit to paid model

✅ You have large community (500+ people)
✅ You're testing paid model first
✅ You want to keep growing free audience
✅ You have clear free vs premium content split
✅ You can manage two tiers
✅ You're building trust before full monetization

✅ Current members are very loyal
✅ Community is small (under 200 people)
✅ You want to reward early supporters
✅ You're okay managing two groups long-term
✅ New member growth is your priority

Still unsure? Email [email protected]. Describe your community. We'll help you decide.

First impressions matter. Overdeliver in Week 1.

Consistency builds trust and retention.

Keep improving. Raise prices as value increases.

Monitor these monthly:

Track in Stripe dashboard and LaunchPass analytics.

Yes! Set up 7-day free trial in LaunchPass. Members try premium before paying. Increases conversions by 20-40%.

Enable in page settings under "Free Trial."

They're not managed by LaunchPass. Direct them to paid signup page. Don't manually invite anyone during transition.

Yes in Discord. Create new paid role. Let them keep old roles too. Stack roles for access control.

Go to Stripe dashboard. Find the payment. Click Refund. Full or partial refund available. Takes 5-10 days to process.

Can't accept payments until approved. Stripe reviews new accounts in 1-2 days. Apply at stripe.com before announcing transition.

Yes! Great strategy. Create coupon in LaunchPass for 30-50% off forever. Share special link with existing members only.

Yes. Each platform needs its own LaunchPass page. Can't mix Discord + Slack on one page.

Discord: Auto-kicked after grace period (you set this)
​ Telegram: Auto-removed after payment fails
​ Slack: Must manually remove (no auto-kick)

They get email notifications to update payment first.

Yes! Create separate pages for each tier. Example:

See Multi-Tier Subscriptions guide for details.

Go to Settings > Email & Social Marketing > Download. Gets all member emails in CSV file. Do this before making changes.

You can. Stop accepting new paid signups. Let subscriptions expire naturally. Members stay until they cancel. Don't refund unless you want to.

Or delete paid page. Existing subs continue. See "How to Delete Your Invite Page" guide.

Yes. Just don't enforce the deadline. Extend it. Or switch to hybrid model. Or cancel the transition and stay free.

No commitment until you remove free members.

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Gaming, tech, crypto, online courses

Cons:

Pros:

Best for: Professional networks, SaaS communities, business coaching

Pros:

Cons:

Best for: Trading signals, crypto, international communities, mobile-first users

Beginner signals: $30-75/month
​ Experienced trader group: $100-300/month
​ Expert analysis + signals: $300-1,000/month

High value = higher prices. Trading communities can charge premium rates.

Group coaching: $50-150/month
​ Course + community: $30-100/month
​ Accountability group: $20-50/month

Price based on access to expert and content depth.

Industry networking: $25-75/month
​ Job board access: $15-40/month
​ Mastermind group: $100-500/month

Professional communities pay for connections and opportunities.

Behind-the-scenes access: $10-30/month
​ Early access to content: $15-40/month
​ Direct creator interaction: $50-150/month

Price based on creator's following and engagement level.

Casual hobby group: $10-25/month
​ Serious enthusiast community: $25-60/month
​ Expert-led specialty group: $60-150/month

Niche = can charge more. Passionate hobbyists pay premium.

Disclaimer: Not legal or tax advice. Consult professionals.

May need to collect sales tax depending on:

Stripe can help with tax calculation. Enable in Stripe settings.

Consider forming LLC or corporation before accepting payments. Protects personal assets.

Talk to accountant about:

Include clear terms:

LaunchPass provides template terms you can customize.

Required by law in most places. Include:

Use online generators or hire lawyer to create one.

Discord: Follow Discord Community Guidelines and ToS
​ Slack: Follow Slack Acceptable Use Policy
​ Telegram: Follow Telegram Terms of Service

Violating platform terms can get your community banned.

Stripe Resources:

Platform Help Centers:

Community Building:

LaunchPass Support:

What we help with:

No question is too small. We want your transition to succeed.

Starting point: 800 free Discord members
​ Strategy: Full paid transition
​ Price: $75/month
​ Conversion: 22% (176 paid members)
​ Result: $13,200 monthly recurring revenue

Key to success:

Starting point: 1,200 free Slack members
​ Strategy: Hybrid model
​ Price: $40/month premium tier
​ Conversion: 12% (144 paid members)
​ Result: $5,760 monthly recurring revenue

Key to success:

Starting point: 350 free Discord members
​ Strategy: Grandfather existing, charge new
​ Price: $0 for existing, $50/month for new
​ Growth: 200 new paid members in 6 months
​ Result: $10,000 monthly recurring revenue

Key to success:

Use this checklist to ensure you're ready.

All checked? You're ready to transition!

Ready to transition? Follow these exact steps today:

Need help with any step? Email [email protected] or book a free setup call.

Your community has value. Time to get paid for it.