Free trials

A creator can let you try a paid course free for 3 or 7 days. You need a card to start, nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then from inside the course. Each person gets one trial per course.

Before you start

• The buy box on the course page shows Start 3-day free trial or Start 7-day free trial when the course offers one.
• You need a card. Trials cannot be paid with PayPal.
• You cannot trial a course you have been enrolled in before, or one you have already trialled.
• You cannot trial a course you made or work on, or while enrolling in courses is restricted on your account.

How to start a free trial

1. 1.

   On the course page, choose the plan you want after the trial, Monthly Access or Lifetime Access, if the course sells both.

2. 2.

   If you have a discount or referral code, choose Add a discount or referral code and type it.

3. 3.

   Choose Start 7-day free trial (or 3-day). Stripe's page asks for your card and billing address, and charges nothing.

4. 4.

   You come back to Welcome to [course]. Choose Start the course.

The box also says what will be charged when the trial ends. The trial starts once Stripe has saved your card, even if you close the tab before coming back.

What happens next

The day you start

Full access to the whole course, and an email with the end date and what will be charged.

2 to 3 days before the end

A reminder with the date and the amount.

When it ends

We charge the card you saved, usually within a day of the end date, and email the receipt. A monthly trial becomes a monthly subscription; a lifetime trial becomes lifetime access.

The charge is the price shown when you started, or less if the creator has lowered it since, at the regional price for your country. A discount code you entered applies if it still works that day, and the reminder tells you if it has expired. An affiliate's discount applies the same way. A code covers the first payment only, so a monthly subscription then renews at the full price.

How to cancel a trial

1. 1.

   Open the course and choose Billing & Subscription.

2. 2.

   Under Manage Subscription, choose Cancel trial, then confirm.

Your access ends at once and nothing is charged. Your progress is kept if you enrol later, but you cannot start another trial of this course.

Rules and limits

• The 14-day refund window starts on the day you are charged, not the day the trial began. See Refunds.
• One trial per person per course, even if you cancel it.
• A code that makes the course free leaves nothing to try. The trial button goes, and you buy the course for free instead.

If something goes wrong

The charge at the end failed

Your access pauses and we email you. Open the course and update your card on the screen it shows. We charge the new card within a day, with the course open until then.

Approve your payment for [course]

Your bank wants you to approve the charge at the end of the trial. Your access pauses until you do. Choose Approve the payment in the email and approve it on Stripe's page, and the course opens again as soon as the payment goes through. For a monthly trial the link works for 23 hours. After that, update your card and we charge it within a day.

"You have already had a free trial of this course."

Each course allows one trial per person. You can still buy it at the regular price.

"You have enrolled in this course before, so a trial is not available."

Trials are for people new to the course. You can buy it at the regular price.

A code was refused

A code that does not work today stops the trial, and the box says why. Correct it, or clear the field, to continue.

"Your code makes this course free, so there is nothing to try first…"

Choose Apply. The buy button then reads Enroll for free with your code, or Start your free month on Monthly Access.

"Your trial could not start"

The page says why, for example the course filled up while you were on Stripe's page. Nothing was charged.

"Enrolling in courses is restricted on your account…"

An enforcement step stops new trials and purchases for now. See Account standing and appeals.