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Offering a free trial or discounted first order

Want new subscribers to get their first order free or at a special intro price? Super Subscriptions doesn't have a dedicated "free trial" switch, but you can achieve the same result with a Shopify discount that only applies to the first payment. This guide shows how.


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How it works


A "free trial" on a subscription is really just a first order that's free (or heavily discounted), with normal pricing from the second order onward. You create that with a Shopify discount set to subscription purchases and limited to the first payment. The customer still enters a payment method at checkout, so renewals bill automatically once the intro period ends.


Set up a free or discounted first order


  1. In Shopify admin > Discounts, click Create discount and choose Amount off products (use a percentage like 100% for a fully free first order, or a smaller amount for an intro price).
  2. Under Purchase type, select Subscription.
  3. Under Recurring payments for subscriptions, choose Limit discount to the first payment.
  4. Set any eligibility rules (for example, restrict it to new subscribers, see How to Offer a One-Time Use Subscription Discount).
  5. Save.


Make it an automatic discount to apply with no code, or a discount code if you want to target specific customers or campaigns. Full details in How subscription discounts work.


Good to know


  • The renewal price is whatever your subscription bar charges normally. The discount only touches the first order.
  • Because the customer's payment method is saved at checkout, the subscription renews automatically when the free/intro order is over.
  • To set a different ongoing price (rather than just the first order), set the price on the subscription bar itself.



Updated on: 07/29/2026

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