Free trial ending emails: the two that convert

You offer seven days free. Someone signs up, uses it a little, forgets. On day eight, either they get charged without remembering (and ask for an angry refund), or the trial ends silently and they never come back. Either way, you lost a customer who was one email away from staying.

In a free trial, two moments decide almost everything: before the trial starts (when the person has to finish entering a card) and shortly before it ends. This article covers both emails, with the real example of Renderster, a Wunka video product that sends through Couryo.

Moment 1: "one step left to your trial"#

Many products ask for a card to unlock the trial. Some people reach the card screen and stop. It is an abandoned checkout under another name, and it deserves its own email.

Renderster sends an email with the subject "one step left to your 7-day free trial". What it gets right:

• it says exactly what is missing: one step;
• it reminds that the trial is free and has a fixed length;
• it promises nothing beyond what exists.

Template to adapt

• Subject: "{{name}}, one step left to your 7-day free trial"
• Body:
  • "You started and stopped at the card screen. It is only used to continue after the trial: nothing is charged in the next 7 days."
  • "You get a reminder before the trial ends and can cancel in one click if you don't want to continue."
• Button: "Start my trial" (straight to the card screen).
• When: 1 to 3 hours after they stopped.

The line about the reminder matters: it answers the fear of a surprise charge, the number one reason people do not enter a card.

Moment 2: "your trial ends in 2 days"#

The second email goes out before the trial ends. Renderster uses the subject "your free trial ends in 2 days". Two days is enough to try what they missed and decide calmly, and not so early that they forget.

This email has three jobs:

1. State the date and the amount. No fine print: day, amount and how it is charged.
2. Show what they did during the trial. "You created 4 videos and dubbed 2" convinces more than any feature list. Use the account's real numbers.
3. Make both exits easy. One button to continue, one clear link to cancel.

Template to adapt

• Subject: "{{name}}, your free trial ends in 2 days"
• Body:
  • "On {{date}}, the {{plan}} plan starts and we charge {{amount}} to the card you added."
  • "During your trial you {{usage summary}}." (only what is true)
  • "If you haven't tried {{main feature}} yet, give it a go before the end: {{link}}."
  • "Don't want to continue? Cancel in one click at {{cancel link}}. You won't be charged."
• Button: "Continue with {{plan}}".

Putting the cancel link in the email may feel wrong. In practice, people who cancel now are people who would ask for a refund later, and the honest email reduces chargebacks and complaints. People who stay know they can leave, and trust you more.

A third email that usually pays off: "did you like the result?"#

Before the two decision emails, Renderster sends a check-in after the first use: "did you like the result?". It is a simple question that invites a reply. Those who liked it remember the value before being charged, and those who did not tell you why while there is still time to help.

The full timeline#

And people who didn't convert?#

Not every trial becomes a subscription, and that is fine. People who cancelled or let the trial end are still valuable contacts: they know the product and may come back when their situation changes. Three things to keep in mind:

• Ask why, once. A short email after the trial ends ("What was missing for {{product}} to work for you?") brings answers worth more than any survey. Do not insist if nobody replies.
• Respect the choice. Someone who cancelled should not get the same trial offer the next week. Move them to your newsletter, if they agreed to it, and save win-back for when there is real news.
• Keep what they made. If your product keeps data for a while, say so: "Your 4 videos are saved for 30 days". It is an honest reason to come back.

More on bringing people back in Win-back emails.

What not to do#

• Do not hide the charge date. Surprise charges turn into refunds, chargebacks and complaints.
• Do not send the ending notice on the last day. There is no time left to try what they missed.
• Do not mix the billing notice with a promotion. The notice is information the person needs; a promotion is marketing. Mixing them makes the notice look like an ad and land in spam.

Which metric to watch#

• Trial conversion: of those who started the trial, how many paid the first month.
• Cancellations before the charge versus refunds after it: if the first goes up and the second goes down, the email is doing honest work.
• Replies to "did you like the result?": the best source of real product problems.

How to build it with Couryo#

1. Your app sends events: trial.checkout_started, trial.started, first_result and subscription.paid (see Contacts and events).
2. Sequence 1: trigger trial.checkout_started, conversion trial.started. Wait 2 hours, send "one step left".
3. Sequence 2: trigger trial.started, conversion subscription.paid. Wait until 2 days before the end (with until to send at a good time, like 9 am in the person's time zone) and send the notice with {{event.end_date}} and {{event.amount}} (Sequences).
4. The billing notice can use the transactional stream because it is information about a service they signed up for. The check-in and any offer go in the marketing stream.

FAQ#

How many days before the end should I send the notice?#

Two days work well for 7-day trials: time to try what was missed and decide without rushing. For 14 or 30-day trials, three days before also works.

Should I include the cancel link?#

Yes. People who cancel before the charge are people who would ask for a refund later. A clear email reduces chargebacks and complaints, and people who stay trust the product more.

Is the trial ending email transactional or marketing?#

The billing notice (date, amount, how to cancel) is information about a service they signed up for and can be transactional. If the email carries an offer or promotion, it becomes marketing and needs unsubscribe.

Is it worth emailing people who didn't add a card?#

One email, a few hours later, saying exactly what is missing and that nothing is charged during the trial. More than that becomes nagging; after that, treat it as win-back.