Setting up trials and trial subscriptions

Overview

Free trials lower the barrier to entry: the customer books with a binding commitment but only pays once the trial period has elapsed. This article shows the setup and explains what happens during and after the trial.

Setting up a trial

In the product form (the "Trial" section), set "Trial period (days)" to the desired duration – 14 or 30 days, for example. The note in the form summarizes the behavior: a payment method is always requested in the checkout but is not charged during the trial – the first invoice is created once the trial period has elapsed.

What happens during the trial

• The subscription starts immediately with the status "Trial" – the customer can use the service from day 1.
• No invoice is created at booking; a stored payment method is not charged either.
• In the customer portal, the customer sees the "Trial" status and the end date ("Trial ends …").
• Kyvento reminds the customer automatically by email – 3 days and 1 day before the trial ends – so that the first charge doesn't come as a surprise.
• Your team can additionally be notified account-internally ("Trial ending soon" under Settings → Notifications).

After the trial

At the end of the trial, Kyvento automatically converts the subscription into a regular, paid subscription: the first invoice is created and charged via the stored payment method or delivered to the customer. From now on, the product's normal billing cycle applies.

Extending a trial

If a customer needs more time, you can extend the running trial directly: on the subscription detail page, the "Extend trial" action opens a dialog with the "New end of trial" field. The new date must be after the current trial end – shortening is not possible.

With the extension, everything else shifts automatically: the first invoice is only created on the new date, and the customer receives the reminders (3 days and 1 day beforehand) for the new date – even if they had already been sent for the original date. For automation, the extension is also available via the API (POST /api/v1/subscriptions/{id}/extend-trial).

Cancellation during the trial

If the customer (or your team) cancels before the trial ends, the subscription ends without an invoice ever being created – no costs are incurred. It is precisely this risk-free trial that makes trials such a strong sales argument.

Good to know

• The trial applies per product – if you offer the same plan with and without a trial, keep two products.
• Don't combine trials with setup fees – details in the article "Adding setup fees".

Next steps

• Renewal and billing logic – see "Configuring automatic renewal"
• Keep an eye on the reminder emails – see "Using the email log"