A free trial has four moments: the start, the middle, the first charge and the exit. Most trial complaints come from one of them being unclear. This checklist walks through each. It is part of Testing monetization.
How trials start, end and renew is defined by the store, not by your app. Apple's guidelines (§3.1.2(a)) say: "Auto-renewable subscription apps may offer a free trial period to customers by providing the relevant information set forth in App Store Connect." This page makes no claim about eligibility, reminders or cancellation timing; check the current Apple and Google documentation for those.
Source: Apple, App Review Guidelines, retrieved 2026-10-22.
Before you start
Use test accounts or a sandbox, never real cards. For Android, see testing with license testers.
Start
- The paywall states length, price after the trial and renewal. Why: people who feel tricked cancel and complain. How to check: show the screen to someone for five seconds and ask what happens after the trial (comprehension test).
- The button says what happens. "Start free trial" beats a vague "Continue". How to check: read the button without the screen around it.
- Access unlocks immediately after the store confirms. Why: a trial that starts but shows locked content looks like a scam. How to check: start a trial and open every gated feature.
- Interrupted start is safe. Kill the app or lose network during checkout; no double trial, no lost access. See purchase interruption.
Middle
- The app shows trial status. Where can a user see the end date? How to check: open settings and look.
- The reminder, if you send one, matches the real end date. Why: wrong dates are worse than none. How to check: compare your message with the store entry for the test subscription.
- Reinstall and second device keep access. See restore purchases.
Conversion
- The first charge matches what the paywall said. Currency, period, price. See price display across regions.
- Paid state replaces trial state. No leftover "trial" banner, no relocked features. How to check: let a sandbox trial convert and reopen the app.
- Failed first payment is handled. See failed payments and grace periods.
Cancellation
- The app tells users where to cancel. A link or short instruction in settings. How to check: ask a tester to find it without help.
- After cancelling, access lasts as long as the store says, and the app shows it. How to check: cancel in the sandbox and watch what the app displays before and after expiry.
- A user who cancelled and returns is not offered the trial again by your copy if the store will not give it. Check store behavior in current docs.
Exit
- Expired users land on a calm screen, not an error. Free features still work.
Related: Subscription pricing and trials, upgrade and downgrade testing.
Ask testers to walk the trial path on a fresh install and report in their own words what they think they signed up for. Start free on AppReviewX for private, structured feedback.