Overview
A free trial gives consumers access to a product at no cost for a defined period before automatically transitioning them to a paid plan. In the DVM™, free trials are configured directly on the Offer using a multi-phase plan. You define the trial as the first phase of the plan, and the paid subscription as the second. The DVM™ manages the transition between phases automatically — no manual intervention required.How a free trial works
When a consumer is provisioned with a free trial Offer, the DVM™ starts the plan lifecycle and places the consumer in the first phase — the free trial. At the end of the trial period, the plan automatically advances to the next phase and the consumer begins to be charged at the full subscription price.1
Consumer is provisioned with the Offer
The plan lifecycle starts based on the configured
lifecycleStartTrigger. For most free trial Offers this is set to CONSUMER_OFFER_FULLY_CREATED — meaning the trial begins as soon as the consumer Offer is created and their entitlements are ready for activation.2
Free trial phase begins
The consumer enters Phase 0 — the free trial. During this phase,
priceType is FREE and amount is 0. If you have licensed Billing & Charging, the DVM™ will not issue any charge requests during this phase.The trial runs for the configured duration — for example P6M for a six-month free trial.3
Trial period ends — transition to paid
When the trial duration expires, the plan automatically advances to Phase 1 — the full-price subscription. From this point the consumer is charged at the configured renewal price on the defined
renewalFrequency.If you have licensed Billing & Charging, the DVM™ will issue a charge request to your billing system at the start of the first paid renewal.4
Subscription continues
The consumer’s subscription renews on the configured schedule until the Offer is canceled or modified. The transition from trial to paid does not interrupt the consumer’s entitlement or access.
Configuring a free trial Offer
A free trial Offer is created using the standardPOST /offers endpoint. The key is the phases array in the plan — a free trial requires at least two phases: one FREE phase and one FULL_PRICE phase.
Example — 6-month free trial, then monthly at $12.99
Key fields for a free trial
string
required
Set to
FREE for the trial phase. The DVM™ will not issue any charge requests while the consumer is in this phase.string
required
The length of the free trial, in ISO 8601 duration format. For example,
P1M = 1 month, P3M = 3 months, P6M = 6 months. When this duration expires, the plan automatically advances to the next phase.integer
required
Must be
0 for a free trial phase.string
required
Set to
FULL_PRICE for the paid phase that follows the trial. This is the price the consumer will be charged once the trial ends.string
required
How often the consumer is charged in the paid phase. In ISO 8601 duration format — for example
P1M for monthly billing.integer
required
The recurring charge amount in minor currency units (e.g.
1299 = $12.99 USD).string
required
Defines when the plan lifecycle — and therefore the trial period — begins.
CONSUMER_OFFER_FULLY_CREATED starts the trial as soon as the consumer Offer is created and all entitlements are active.What the consumer experiences
From the consumer’s perspective, the free trial is seamless:Immediate access
The consumer gains access to the product as soon as the Offer is provisioned — no waiting, no manual activation.
Automatic transition
At the end of the trial, the subscription moves to the paid phase automatically. The consumer’s entitlement and access continue uninterrupted.
Advance notice
If you have Billing & Charging enabled, an
UPCOMING_PHASE_CHANGE notification is sent ahead of the transition — giving you time to inform the consumer before they are first charged. See Billing & Charging Notifications.Cancellation before charge
If the consumer cancels before the trial ends, the Offer is closed and no charge is ever issued.
What’s next?
Plan Types
Understand the four ways a reseller can configure the plan for an Offer.
Plan Configuration
Learn how start triggers, phases, durations, and renewal frequency work together.
Billing & Charging Notifications
Set up advance notifications to inform consumers before their trial ends and billing begins.