Trial timeline paywall: higher trial opt-in, 4% fewer cancellations
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsBlinkist, a book summary app, tested a paywall that shows a timeline of the free trial and when the user will be charged, and saw a significant rise in trial opt-in plus 4% fewer trial cancellations.
Marcus Burke, then at Blinkist, ran the test and wrote about it on the RevenueCat blog. The design was by Jaycee Day.
- Trial opt-in rate: a significant rise. The exact lift was not given in this write-up.
- Trial cancellations: down 4%, so more trials stayed active toward the first charge.
- Both metrics moved the right way, which is rare. Most paywall changes trade one for the other.
The change
The variant adds a timeline of the trial and when billing starts.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Blinkist's previous trial paywall, without a timeline of the trial.
Variant
An 'ethical' paywall with a timeline of the trial that shows what happens on each step and when the user gets charged.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Showing the charge date up front removes the fear of a surprise bill, so more people feel safe starting a trial.
- Users who start knowing the terms are less likely to cancel in a rush to avoid being charged.
- Being open about billing builds trust at the moment users decide.
Caveats: Sample size, duration and the size of the opt-in lift were not shared in this write-up. Published on the RevenueCat blog, a vendor that sells paywall tools.
Who ran it
Marcus Burke ran this test for Blinkist. Source: RevenueCat blog. The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
How to run this test on your app
- Hypothesis
- If we show a clear timeline of the trial and the charge date on the paywall, then more users will start a trial and fewer will cancel because they trust there is no surprise charge.
- Primary metric
- Trial start rate
- Guardrails
- Trial cancellation rate
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Refund requests and billing complaints
- Who should test it
- Any app with a free trial, especially if users complain about surprise charges. It won't apply to apps without a trial.
Questions
Does showing the charge date scare users off?
Not at Blinkist. Trial opt-in rose significantly when the paywall spelled out when the charge happens.
What goes in a trial timeline?
Usually today (full access), a reminder before the trial ends, and the day billing starts.
The exact steps on Blinkist's version were not listed in this write-up.
Will it reduce cancellations?
Blinkist saw trial cancellations fall 4%. Track trial-to-paid too, since that is where the revenue lands.
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