---
title: "How do free trials work?"
description: "Add a free trial of up to 90 days to a subscription. The customer saves a card upfront, gets a reminder before it ends, and is charged when the trial finishes — or the subscription auto-cancels."
url: "/docs/accepting-payments/how-do-free-trials-work/"
category: "Accepting payments"
---

You can start a subscription with a **free trial of 0 to 90 days**. The customer **saves a card when they sign up** (so billing can begin automatically), uses the product free during the trial, gets a reminder before it ends, and is charged when the trial finishes.

## How a trial runs

1. **Sign-up** — the customer subscribes and saves a payment method. A saved card is required to start a trial, so the first charge can go through without asking again.
2. **During the trial** — no charge. The trial can be anywhere from 0 to 90 days.
3. **Before it ends** — the customer gets a reminder that the trial is ending.
4. **Trial ends** — the first real charge is taken and the subscription becomes active. If billing can't proceed, the subscription **auto-cancels** rather than charging unexpectedly.

## Related

- [How do subscriptions and recurring billing work?](/docs/accepting-payments/how-do-subscriptions-and-recurring-billing-work/)