> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.macropay.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Trials
> Let customers try a subscription before they pay — Macropay collects the card, defers the charge, and remits tax when billing begins.
A trial removes the friction between "interested" and "subscribed." The customer gets hands-on access now; the first charge — and the sales tax or VAT we remit as merchant of record — only lands when the trial converts. Macropay collects payment details up front, so conversion is automatic and you never chase a card.
## Where to configure a trial
A trial period is defined by two values:
| Field | Accepts | Example |
| ------------ | ------------------------------ | ------- |
| **Unit** | `day`, `week`, `month`, `year` | `day` |
| **Duration** | a positive integer | `14` |
You can attach that period in three places, listed from most general to most specific:
1. On the [product](/features/products) itself — the default for every checkout.
2. On a [checkout link](/features/checkout/links) — for a campaign or partner-specific offer.
3. On a Checkout Session via the [API](/api-reference/checkouts/create-session) — for fully programmatic flows.
A trial set on a checkout link or session **overrides** the one on the product. Use this to run a 30-day partner promo without touching your default 14-day offer.
## How a trial behaves at checkout
When someone subscribes to a trial-enabled product, nothing is charged at checkout — but their payment method is still collected and stored in our PCI DSS Level 1 compliant vault. That single design choice does the heavy lifting:
* **During the trial**, the customer has full access. No invoice, no charge.
* **If they cancel before it ends**, they pay nothing.
* **When the trial ends**, we automatically charge the first cycle and start the billing clock — with tax and VAT calculated and remitted on your behalf.
## Adjusting a trial on a live subscription
Plans change after checkout. From a subscription's detail page, open **Update Subscription** and switch to the **Trial** tab to add, extend, or end a trial at any time.
Set a trial end date in the future. If the subscription was already active, its status flips to **trialing** and the next charge is deferred until that date. Handy for comping an extra two weeks to a customer who hit a support snag.
Click **End trial**. The subscription becomes **active** immediately and the customer is charged for a fresh billing cycle right away.
## Stop serial trial sign-ups
Free access is an invitation to abuse it. Enable **Prevent trial abuse** in your organization's **Subscription** settings to stop the same person from claiming trial after trial.
### What gets matched
When the setting is on, Macropay records each trial redemption against two signals:
* **Normalized email** — sub-addressed aliases collapse to their root, so `dana+trial2@studio.dev` and `dana+round3@studio.dev` are both recognized as `dana@studio.dev`.
* **Payment method fingerprint** — the card's unique fingerprint is tracked even when a returning customer swaps to a brand-new email.
A new trial is blocked when a customer has already redeemed one for any of your products **and** matches either the unaliased email **or** the card fingerprint.
### Turn it on
Go to your organization's **Settings**.
Navigate to the **Subscription** section.
Switch on **Prevent trial abuse**. It applies to every future trial checkout across all products — no per-product setup.
### What a blocked customer sees
The experience stays graceful — they can still buy, just not for free again:
1. An inline message appears: *"You have already used a trial for this product. Trials can only be used once per customer."*
2. Checkout refreshes automatically with the trial removed.
3. The customer can complete the purchase at the standard price.
Pair trials with Macropay's [customer portal](/features/customer-portal) so subscribers can manage or cancel before the first charge — fewer surprise charges means fewer of the \$30 disputes that follow them.