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Create Android Subscription Introductory Offer

Introductory offers allow you to provide eligible users with either a free trial or a discounted introductory price. After the introductory period concludes, subscriptions automatically renew at standard pricing unless cancelled.

Overview

Introductory offers are a powerful tool to:

  • Reduce barriers to entry for new subscribers
  • Increase conversion rates
  • Allow users to try your premium features risk-free
  • Build long-term subscriber relationships

Eligibility

Users can receive an introductory offer if they haven’t previously purchased or received an introductory offer for the subscription. Google Play handles eligibility automatically.

Prerequisites

You must first create an auto-renewable subscription before adding an introductory offer.

Creating an Introductory Offer

  1. Access Offer Configuration

    Navigate to your subscription in Google Play Console and select the Add offer button.

    Add offer button

  2. Select Base Plan

    A modal will appear requiring you to choose your base plan. Typically, you’ll only have one base plan. Click Add offer to continue.

    Select base plan

  3. Configure Offer Details

    Enter the following information:

    Offer ID: A unique identifier for this offer

    Eligibility: Choose who can receive this offer

    • New customers: Only users who have never subscribed
    • Existing customers: Users who previously subscribed
    • Developer determined: Custom eligibility logic (not supported by native-purchases)

    Configure offer

  4. Add Phases

    Click Add phase at the bottom of the page to define your offer structure.

    You can add up to two phases, allowing combinations like:

    • Free trial only
    • Discounted price only
    • Free trial followed by discounted recurring payment

  5. Select Phase Type

    Choose from three phase types:

    Free Trial

    • Complimentary access for a set duration
    • Example: 7 days free, then $9.99/month

    Single Payment

    • One-time discounted price for a specific period
    • Example: $1.99 for 2 months, then $9.99/month

    Discounted Recurring Payment

    • Reduced per-billing-cycle rate for multiple cycles
    • Example: $4.99/month for 3 months, then $9.99/month

  6. Configure Phase Duration

    Set how long the introductory phase lasts:

    • Days, weeks, or months
    • Number of billing cycles

  7. Finalize and Activate

    Click Apply, then Save to activate the offer. The Activate button will become available once saved.

Offer Phase Examples

Example 1: Simple Free Trial

  • Phase 1: 7 days free
  • Then: $9.99/month standard pricing

Example 2: Discounted Introduction

  • Phase 1: $1.99 for the first month
  • Then: $9.99/month standard pricing

Example 3: Extended Trial + Discount

  • Phase 1: 14 days free
  • Phase 2: $4.99/month for 2 months
  • Then: $9.99/month standard pricing

Using in Your App

The native-purchases plugin automatically handles introductory offer eligibility and presentation:

import { NativePurchases } from '@capgo/native-purchases';


// Check eligibility
const { eligible } = await NativePurchases.checkTrialOrIntroductoryPriceEligibility({
  productIdentifiers: ['premium_monthly']
});


if (eligible['premium_monthly']) {
  console.log('User is eligible for introductory offer!');
}


// Fetch products (includes intro offer info)
const { products } = await NativePurchases.getProducts({
  productIdentifiers: ['premium_monthly']
});


const product = products[0];
if (product.introductoryPrice) {
  console.log(`Intro offer: ${product.introductoryPriceString}`);
  console.log(`Then: ${product.priceString}`);
}


// Purchase (intro offer applied automatically if eligible)
const { customerInfo } = await NativePurchases.purchaseProduct({
  productIdentifier: 'premium_monthly'
});

Best Practices

Offer Duration

  • Free trials: 3-14 days is optimal for most apps
  • Discounted periods: 1-3 months works well for building habit
  • Price discount: 50-70% off regular price drives conversions

Marketing

  • Clearly display the intro offer and regular price
  • Show what happens after the intro period
  • Make cancellation easy and transparent
  • Remind users before the intro period ends

A/B Testing

Test different offer structures:

  • Free trial length
  • Discount percentage
  • Discount duration
  • Single phase vs. multi-phase

Important Notes

  • Only one introductory offer can be active per subscription at a time
  • Users can only claim an intro offer once per subscription
  • Intro offers don’t apply to subscription upgrades/downgrades
  • Changes to intro offers don’t affect existing subscribers

Troubleshooting

Intro offer not showing:

  • Verify the offer is activated in Play Console
  • Check user eligibility (may have used offer before)
  • Ensure app is using latest product information

Wrong users receiving offer:

  • Review eligibility settings (new vs. existing customers)
  • Check if user previously subscribed on different device
  • Verify Play Store account history

Offer not applying at purchase:

  • Confirm product ID matches exactly
  • Check that offer is still active and not expired
  • Verify date range settings for the offer

Next Steps

  • Configure sandbox testing to test your offers
  • Monitor conversion rates in Play Console analytics
  • Consider creating multiple subscription tiers with different offers