What is a free trial offer? The term free trial has been used widely; by either an employee on probation for the first few weeks in a new Job or companies giving out premium services to potential customers for a specified period.
But if we are concluding on a general definition of a free trial, we would say a free trial is a situation whereby a company or an individual offers you a product or service without charges for a specific time.
This period or length of the free trial offers can be either 3 days, 7 days, 2 weeks, or a month, etc.
Therefore, it simply means you are trying out a product or service you are supposed to pay for at a specified duration.
But most times, some companies trap customers with free trials using negative options, get your payment details and charge you for services if you fail to cancel it after the specified trial length ends; they term it a risk-free trial.
For a company, giving out free trials is a way of acquiring customers; if customers use the product for free, they will likely pay for more services or products.
Free trial offers are good if you know how to manage them; it gives you a taste of the paid service or product and helps you decide if you can continue with them.
The below post contents will help you understand free trials in context…
What is a Free Trial?
Just as discussed above, A free trial helps you test out products and services for free during a specified period of time as stipulated by the companies.
Free trials can also be an employee willing to work free for a company without collecting any salary.
In general definition, a free trial is a situation whereby a company or an individual offers you a product or service without charges for a specific time.
Don’t forget that you will still get charged the tagged price of the product or services after a free trial.
Make sure you are aware of the company’s stipulate time and duration of the free trial.
Free Trial vs. Money-back Guarantee
Free trials shouldn’t be confused with a money-back guarantee; they are two different terms.
You won’t be charged during a free trial length, while during a money-back guarantee agreement, you will be charged. Though, you will have the option to apply for a refund within a specified duration.
If you think you won’t be charged because you took a free trial, you are mistaken; you will only be charged after the free trial, so always make a reminder to cancel.
For example, if a company is giving out 1 Bottle of Milk for $40 with a 14 days money-back guarantee offer, it simply means buy the Milk and try it out; if you don’t like it, come and collect your money back within the 14 days duration.
A company can use the free trial and money-back guarantee offer to acquire customers effectively.
A perfect example is Relaxium Sleep aid; they offer potential customers 1 free bottle for 14 days and then charge you after 14 days, but if you don’t like the product, you still have 30 days to return it and claim a refund.
So, this sleep aid company uses these two methods to acquire potential customers.
But are free trials really free?
Many of us have been pondering this, but free trials are considered free when you don’t have to pay any money to get that product or service.
Let’s say; if a company charges a $10 shipping fee to give you a product for free, then that free trial is not entirely free because you paid money to get it.
Because you are paying money to get it, take for example; Shein free trial program, Shein will offer you a product to test for free without you having to pay anything.
Many companies give out free trials for free, especially if you are subscribing to a premium service, e.g., Spotify, Hulu, etc.
But take note of the duration this free trial will last and make a reminder to cancel because most companies will still charge you immediately after a free trial.
To conclude whether a free trial is free, I will say, if you have to pay money before accessing the product or service, you are not on a free trial.
How does the free trial work?
Free trials aren’t a mystery that is hard to understand; the term alone explains it. Free trials help you try out premium products or services for free.
A free trial length can be up to 30 days (1 month), 14 days (2 weeks) or 7 days (1 week), and even 3 days.
A free trial only lasts according to the length the company specifies, so every company has its trial length.
No law states that a free trial must last for 7 days or 1 month.
You can get free trial offers at the specified company length and then decide if you will continue by applying for auto-renewal or not.
How to cancel free trials?
Canceling free trials defer, depending on the company or where you got it from (either in the app or an app store).
Most apps that offer free trials make it possible to cancel on their website or by clicking on your account profile in the app.
Alternatively, you can use either Google Play Store or Apple Store to cancel apps’ free trial offers on Android or iOS devices respectively.
But some companies will not allow you to cancel it by yourself, which might be risky if you submit your credit card details to them.
To solve this, you need to call or mail their customer care service to cancel it for you, but make sure you have a record of the interaction to file for a dispute.
We have explained 8 different ways to cancel any free trial if you have submitted your card details.
Why do companies that offer free trials require a card?
Companies require a payment method; therefore, the best option is to opt for a card since almost all bank account owners have one.
The purpose of a free trial is to give you a taste of what the paid service feels like, and the most convenient way to charge you after the trial period is using a card.
Although other payment methods like PayPal, etc., can be employed, the most commonly used payment method is credit card details.
To avoid getting charged from your card, canceling your subscription 24 hours before your free trial ends is always advisable.
Pros and cons of Free trials
As the famous saying goes, anything with advantages also has disadvantages.
Therefore, if you want to consider opting for a free trial, you should try to see the negative part of it.
So here are some Pros and cons of signup for a free trial offer you should consider.
| Serial Number | Pros of Free Trial offer | Cons of Free Trial offer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free trial offers allow you to test paid or premium services for a particular time. | Some companies charge you immediately after your free trial offer elapses without prior notice. |
| 2 | It helps you decide by testing different products and settling for the best. | When you sign up for too many free trials, you can forget about some, and you might be charged immediately after the offer expires. |
| 3. | Free trial offers are easy to sign up for. | Signing out of a free trial in some companies might be very difficult. |
| 4. | If you like a product, paying for it after a free trial is always easy. | Some free trial offers require your credit card, which might be a sneaky way of charging you too many bills. |
| 5. | Companies pay you to use their products or services during a specific time for free. | Some free trial offers you a huge deal that might cover the free trial offer you thought you got for free. |
What companies offer free trials?
Companies that want to acquire fresh customers should consider offering free trial offers.
They are a lot of companies that offer free trials, but some of the most popular examples are
Drawing the curtains
Free trials are good, but before you sign up for a free trial offer, make sure you can cancel it at your convenience and stop further charges after the free trial offer.
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