TL;DR: Log into LaunchPass dashboard, edit your signup page, scroll to "Free Trial Period," choose how many days, and publish. Members can now try free before paying.
Why Offer Free Trials?
The Business Case
Free trials remove a major barrier to joining: risk.
Without trial:
Potential member thinks: "I'll lose money if I don't like it"
Result: They don't sign up
You lose customer
With trial:
Potential member thinks: "I can test it free first"
Result: They sign up to try
If they like it, many convert to paying members
Benefits of Free Trials
For your members:
✅ Test before paying (no financial risk)
✅ Get a real feel for community
✅ Try your content
✅ Connect with members
✅ Decide if it's worth the price
For your business:
✅ More signups (lower barrier = more trials)
✅ Higher conversions (people who experience it often pay)
✅ Better retention (satisfied customers stick around)
✅ Less refunds (people tested first)
✅ Valuable feedback (trialists tell you what's missing)
✅ Word of mouth (happy trialists promote to others)
Numbers That Work
Industry averages:
Free trial conversion rate: 20-40% of trialists become paying members
This means: 100 free trial signups = 20-40 paying members
ROI: Easily worth it
Your results may vary based on:
Quality of your content
Trial length (longer often converts more)
How you promote the trial
What you ask before converting
Who Should Offer Trials?
Great for:
New communities (build initial members)
Premium content (people need to experience it)
High-priced communities ($50+/month)
Communities with strong value proposition
Established communities wanting growth
Less ideal for:
Very cheap communities (less risk anyway)
Limited content (not enough to show quality)
Communities with limited capacity
Communities with low conversion potential
Before You Start
Prerequisites
✅ LaunchPass account (you have this)
✅ Admin access to dashboard
✅ Existing or new paid signup page
✅ Stripe account connected (for paid tier after trial)
✅ Community content ready (so trialists see value)
Decide Your Trial Length
Choose how long people can try for free:
Common trial lengths:
7 days - Quick commitment, good for testing
14 days - Standard, gives good feel
30 days - Most generous, highest conversion
3 days - Very short, good if high commitment
Other - Custom lengths available
Which to choose:
Trial Length | Best For | Pros | Cons |
3 days | High-value content, quick decision makers | Low cost, fast conversion | May be too short, lower trial conversions |
7 days | Moderate communities, weekly content | Good balance, reasonably short | Some people need more time |
14 days | Most communities, monthly billing | Good conversions, proven standard | Longer commitment for you |
30 days | Premium content, high price points | Highest conversions, better experience | Longest wait for payment |
Pro tip: Start with 14 days. Test results, then adjust up or down.
What Happens After Trial Ends
When free trial expires:
Member gets notified (email reminder)
Payment card is charged automatically
Or member loses access if they don't add payment method
You decide which in settings. Recommended: Auto-charge if they added a card during trial (less friction).
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Log Into LaunchPass Dashboard
Go to LaunchPass at https://launchpass.com/dashboard
Enter your email and password
Click "Sign In"
You're in your dashboard
If you see multiple communities, make sure you're in the right one.
Step 2: Find Your Signup Page
Option A: Editing existing page
In dashboard, find "Pages" or "Signup Pages"
Look for your existing signup page
Click "Edit" on that page
You'll enter edit mode
Option B: Creating new signup page (for free trial)
In dashboard, click "New Page" or "Create Signup Page"
Select "Paid Access" (important—not free)
Fill in basic details (name, description, price)
Click "Create" or "Next"
You're now in the page editor
Step 3: Locate Free Trial Settings
In your signup page editor:
Scroll down through the page settings
Look for "Free Trial Period" or similar heading
You should see a dropdown or number field
If you can't find it:
Make sure you're editing a "Paid" signup page (not Free)
Scroll further down
Try refreshing the page
Contact [email protected] if stuck
Step 4: Select Trial Length
In the Free Trial Period field:
Click the dropdown (shows options like 3, 7, 14, 30 days)
Select your trial length (e.g., "14 days")
It shows selected once you click
You can change anytime if you want
Options typically include:
No trial (disabled)
3 days
7 days
14 days
30 days
Custom days (if available)
What members see:
They see "Free trial: 14 days" on your signup page
Transparent about trial length
They know when trial ends
Step 5: Configure Payment Settings (Optional)
Before publishing, consider:
After trial ends, should LaunchPass:
✅ Automatically charge card on file (recommended)
✅ Ask member to add card during trial
✅ Send reminder email before charging
Most people leave this on default (auto-charge). This maximizes conversions.
You can also set:
Which tier people trial for (if you have multiple tiers)
Trial discounts (optional, advanced feature)
Email reminders to trialists
Step 6: Publish Your Page
Look for "Publish" button (usually top right or bottom)
Click "Publish" (or "Update" if re-publishing)
You should see confirmation message
Page is now live
Your signup page now shows:
Trial option available
Trial length (e.g., "14-day free trial")
Regular price after trial
Step 7: Test the Trial Signup
Make sure it works:
Go to your signup page (copy the link from dashboard)
Click "Sign Up" or "Try Free"
Fill in email and password
Look for trial option before payment
Try signing up with trial
You should get access immediately (trial activated)
Test that trial access works in your community
If something's wrong:
You might still be in trial period (test different day)
Card might not have been added (ask member to verify)
Contact [email protected] with details
Understanding How Free Trials Work
Member Experience
When someone signs up for trial:
They visit your signup page
They see "Free trial available" clearly displayed
They click "Start Free Trial"
They enter email and create password
They may add card (but not charged yet)
Access granted immediately (trial begins)
They can use community for free during trial
Day 1-13: Full access, all content, all features
Day 14: Last day of access before charge
Day 15: Card charged automatically (if on file)
Or: If no card, they see "Add payment" prompt
After payment: Subscription begins, access continues
What Gets Charged
After trial ends:
Standard auto-charge:
Your regular membership price
Example: $29/month
Same billing cycle each month
Trial-specific pricing (if configured):
Could be discounted first month
Then regular price after
Example: $9 first month, then $29
No hidden charges:
Members see exactly what they'll be charged
Before trial starts
Transparent pricing
Refunds During Trial
If member cancels during trial:
No charge is made
Access ends immediately
No refund needed (they haven't paid)
If member wants refund after paying:
Depends on your refund policy
Typically 14-30 days
You decide and set this
Handle in Stripe dashboard
Managing Your Trials
Tracking Trial Signups
In your LaunchPass dashboard:
Go to Analytics or "Members"
Look for trial vs. paid members breakdown
See how many trialists you have
Track conversion rate (trialists → paying)
What to watch:
Number of trial signups per week
Conversion rate (what % convert to paid)
Average trial length (when do they convert or churn)
Monitoring Trial Conversions
Which members convert:
Some convert before trial ends
Some wait until charged
Some churn and don't convert
Track in dashboard:
Who converted from trial
When they converted (day 1? day 14?)
What tier they chose
Use this data to:
Improve your trial experience
Extend trial if conversion rate is low
Shorten trial if too many churn
Create better onboarding for trialists
Extending or Shortening Trials
If conversion rate is low:
Try extending trial from 14 to 30 days
Give people more time to see value
Publish updated page
If conversion rate is high:
Could shorten trial (reduce cost)
Or keep it same (working great)
Test to find sweet spot
To change trial length:
Go to signup page
Click "Edit"
Find Free Trial Period
Select new length
Publish
New signups get new trial length
Communicating With Trialists
Send them a welcome message:
"Welcome to [Community]! Your 14-day free trial starts now.
Here's what you can do:
Explore all our content
Connect with members
Attend live events
Ask questions
In 14 days, your membership converts to $29/month (if you'd like to stay). You can cancel anytime.
Need help? Reply to this email or contact [email protected]"
Send reminder before trial ends:
"Your 14-day trial ends in 2 days!
What did you think? Want to continue?
After trial, it's $29/month and you can cancel anytime.
Click here to extend or upgrade: [link]"
Offering Trial Discounts (Advanced)
You can offer discounts on first month after trial with a single use coupon:
Example:
14-day free trial
First month after: $9 (instead of $29)
Then regular $29/month
This increases conversions by lowering the first paid charge.
How to set up:
Contact [email protected]
Or look in "Discounts" section of dashboard
Configure trial discount offer
Make sure it displays on signup page
Best Practices for Trial Success
Maximize Trial Conversions
Before trial starts:
Explain what's included
Show testimonials
Highlight key benefits
Be transparent about cost after trial
During trial:
Send welcome message immediately
Offer quick start guide
Highlight best content first
Make onboarding smooth
Engage new members early
Before trial ends:
Send value-focused email
Remind of cost and commitment level
Offer to answer questions
Show what they'll miss if they leave
Make cancellation obvious if they want to
After trial (if they convert):
Thank them for upgrading
Celebrate their decision
Set expectations for ongoing membership
Ask for feedback
Showcase Your Best Content During Trial
Important: Trialists judge your community on first impression.
Best practices:
Pin your best content
Make it easy to find
Show recent activity
Highlight community benefits
Feature engaged members
What NOT to do:
Hide your best content
Show outdated or low-quality posts
Make navigation confusing
Leave community empty-looking
Have high-friction signup
Set Expectations Clearly
Before trial starts, tell them:
What's included in trial (same as paid? less?)
What happens when trial ends
What they'll be charged
That they can cancel anytime
How to contact support
Be transparent. Sneaky practices hurt conversion and retention.
Encourage Trial Signup
Make it prominent:
"Start your 14-day free trial"
Add trial length and benefits
Use contrasting button color
Make it the primary call-to-action
Reduce friction:
Only ask for email/password during trial
Don't require card during trial (optional)
One-click signup
Fast confirmation
Follow Up Consistently
Timeline for email follow-ups:
Day 1: Welcome email
Thank them for joining
Quick start guide
Link to best content
Day 4-5: Engagement email
Show what they're missing
Highlight member wins
Invite to events
Day 10-11: Value email
Showcase community benefits
Member testimonials
Why it's worth the cost
Day 13: Last chance email
Trial ends tomorrow
Upgrade now link
Easy cancellation if interested
After conversion: Celebration email
Welcome to paid tier
What's next
Ongoing support
Handle Trial Churn Gracefully
When someone cancels during trial:
"Sorry to see you go! Would love to know why [Community] wasn't right for you.
Was it:
Not what I expected
Too expensive
Wrong timing
Other
Any feedback helps us improve. Reply anytime."
Learn from churn. It tells you what to fix.
Troubleshooting
"Trial Option Doesn't Show on Signup Page"
Why this happens:
Page isn't saved/published
Wrong page type (must be "Paid Access")
Trial settings not configured
Browser cache issue
What to do:
Check page type - Is it "Paid Access"? (not Free)
Verify Free Trial Period is set (not "No trial")
Click Publish (make sure to save)
Clear browser cache - Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac)
Open signup page in incognito/private window (fresh browser)
Trial option should now appear
If still missing:
Try different browser
Contact [email protected]
"Members Can't Sign Up for Trial"
Why this happens:
Technical glitch
Form not working
Page not published
Member browser issue
What to do:
Test yourself - Open signup page, try signing up
Use different browser - Try Chrome if using Firefox
Check page is published - Should say "Published" status
Refresh the page - F5 or Cmd+R
Ask member to try incognito - Private browsing mode
Check for error messages - What exactly goes wrong?
Contact [email protected] - Include error details
"Trial Access Granted But Content Missing"
Why this happens:
Community content not published
Member not fully synced with Discord/Slack
Permission issue
Trial settings not syncing properly
What to do:
Check community content - Is it actually published?
Have member re-accept invite - Often fixes Discord/Slack issues
Wait 5 minutes - Sometimes sync takes time
Refresh community page - Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R
Check member permissions - Are trialists allowed to see content?
Contact [email protected] - Details about member and issue
"Trial Ended But Member Still Has Access"
Why this happens:
Payment processing is pending
Automatic charging failed
Technical sync issue
Member extended trial somehow
What to do:
Check Stripe dashboard - Did charge go through?
Look for error - Did payment fail for some reason?
Wait 10 minutes - LaunchPass updates every few minutes
Refresh LaunchPass - Sometimes needs refresh
If still has access: They may have paid (check your account)
If shouldn't have access: Contact [email protected]
"Member Charged But Trial Didn't Start"
Why this happens:
Member clicked wrong button
Trial period already elapsed
Signup went to paid tier instead
Technical issue
What to do:
Check member's start date - When did they sign up?
Verify trial was supposed to apply - Was trial enabled on page?
Check Stripe - See what date charge was made
Calculate remaining trial - Did they get full trial days?
Refund if appropriate - If error on your part
Contact [email protected] - Explain situation, may need adjustment
"Don't Know What Conversion Rate Is"
How to calculate:
(# of trial members who became paying) ÷ (# of trial members total) = conversion rate Example: - 100 people took trial - 25 became paying members - 25 ÷ 100 = 0.25 = 25% conversion rate
How to check in LaunchPass:
Go to Members section
Filter by "trial" or "paid"
Count each group
Do the math above
Or contact [email protected] for report
Advanced Trial Options
Trial Discounts After Trial
Pay less on first month:
Example:
14-day free trial
Then $9 first month (normally $29)
Then $29 every month after
Setup:
Configure in dashboard discounts
Or contact [email protected]
Display prominently on signup page
Higher conversion than paying full price immediately
Different Trial Lengths by Tier
If you have multiple tiers:
Premium tier: 7-day trial (higher confidence)
Standard tier: 14-day trial (standard)
Lite tier: 30-day trial (to show value)
Why different lengths:
Higher-priced tiers need less trial (people research before)
Lower-priced tiers need longer trial (lower commitment, different decision)
Setup:
Create separate signup page per tier
Set different trial length per page
Publish each
No Trial for Existing Members
If member was on old plan:
Don't give them trial again
Offer upgrade path instead
Contact [email protected] for specifics
Key Takeaways
✅ Free trials remove barrier to joining (lower risk)
✅ Typical conversion rate 20-40% of trialists pay
✅ 14 days is standard trial length
✅ Setup takes 5 minutes in dashboard
✅ Edit signup page → Set trial length → Publish
✅ Members get full access during trial
✅ Auto-charge works (if card on file)
✅ Track conversions to optimize trial
✅ Communicate with trialists (welcome + reminder emails)
✅ Best content first (makes strong impression)
Need Help?
Have questions about setting up free trials?
Email LaunchPass support: [email protected]
We can help with:
Enabling free trials
Configuring trial length
Troubleshooting trial issues
Trial discount setup (advanced)
Member trial questions
For member trial questions:
Direct them to Customer Portal FAQ
Have them contact [email protected] if stuck
Response time: Usually within 24 hours