# Hard paywall with no close button: refunds wiped out trial gains

- Outcome: Lost
- Page type: Paywall (App)
- Elements: Paywall design, Freemium limits
- Date shared: 2026-09
- Test run by: [BoldVoice](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/boldvoice/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/growth/anada-lakra-boldvoice-sub-club-podcast-2026/
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/boldvoice-hard-paywall-no-dismiss/

BoldVoice removed the close button from its onboarding paywall, and trial starts went up, but refunds rose by more than the gain, so the test lost on net revenue. CEO Anada Lakra described it in a Sub Club podcast write-up on the RevenueCat blog. No figures were shared.

## Result

**More trial starts, but refunds rose by more than the gain**

- Trial starts: up. On trial numbers alone the test looked like a win.
- Refunds: rose by more than the gain in trial starts. People who felt forced in asked for money back once charged.
- Net revenue after refunds: lower than control, so the change lost. No figures were shared.

## Control

The onboarding paywall had a close (X) button. Users who dismissed it got a small free taste: a speech assessment, a first daily plan and a coach video, then a 7-day trial offer on day two.

## Variant

A hard paywall with the close button removed, so nobody could go on without starting a trial.

## Why it likely lost (our reading)

- Users had already invested time in onboarding, so many started the trial rather than leave.
- People pushed into a trial without wanting it tend to refund as soon as the charge shows up.
- The free taste in the control let people who weren't ready keep exploring instead of paying and refunding.

## Caveats

No figures, sample size or duration were shared. BoldVoice now judges paywall tests on net revenue after refunds per exposed user on matured cohorts.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we remove the close button from the onboarding paywall, then trial starts will rise because users who finished onboarding can't skip it, but refunds may rise because some users feel forced.
- Primary metric: Net revenue after refunds per exposed user, on a matured cohort
- Guardrail: Refund rate
- Guardrail: Trial-to-paid conversion
- Guardrail: App Store rating and complaints
- Who should test it: Apps with high-intent users after a long onboarding may still try it, but only if they can wait for refunds to settle. BoldVoice waited at least an extra week for trials to convert, then two more weeks for refunds. Skip it if you can only read trial start rate.

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Credit: BoldVoice ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/boldvoice-hard-paywall-no-dismiss/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.