trials

Configures free trial behavior for subscription plans in the Autumn billing layer.

2.7k|244|Updated Jan 21, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/useautumn/autumn --skill trials
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: trials
Source: https://github.com/useautumn/autumn/tree/main/packages/agent-docs/generated/skills/trials
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/useautumn/autumn --skill trials

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Setting up free trials involves tricky decisions: how long the trial runs, whether a card is required upfront, what happens when it ends, and how trialing an already-paying customer differs from trialing a new one. This Skill encodes the correct Autumn API patterns for each scenario so billing behavior is predictable.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Trial Configuration: Set free_trial on attach with duration_length, duration_type (day, month, year), card_required, and on_end behavior.
  • New Customer Trials: Choose between no-card trials (default, no upgrade until a card is added via the Stripe billing portal) and card-required trials using a long-lived checkout URL.
  • Trials for Paying Customers: Use on_end: "revert" to grant a plan without touching the active Stripe subscription, preserving the existing billing cycle when the trial ends.
  • Trial Updates: Extend a trial by calling update_subscription with a new free_trial (duration counts from now), or pass free_trial: null to end it immediately.
  • Use Case: A sales-led team wants to give an existing paying customer 14 days of access to a higher plan. Attach the new plan with on_end: "revert" so the customer returns to their original plan and billing cycle when the trial ends.

Quick Start

Ask the assistant to attach a plan with a 14-day free trial that requires no card and reverts to the original plan when it ends.

Frequently Asked Questions about trials

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I set up a free trial with the Autumn billing API?

Pass a free_trial object on attach with duration_length, duration_type (day, month, or year), card_required, and on_end. Always include duration_type. Default to card not required if there is no paid plan, and on_end revert if there is one.

How do I give a free trial to a customer who already has a subscription?

Attach the new plan with on_end set to revert. This grants the plan in Autumn without touching the active Stripe subscription, and at trial end the customer returns to their original plan with the existing billing cycle preserved.

What is the difference between a card-required and no-card free trial?

A no-card trial starts without payment details and ends if no card is added, but blocks upgrades until a card is added via the Stripe billing portal. A card-required trial returns a checkout URL to collect a card and charges the customer when the trial ends.

How do I extend or end an active free trial?

Call update_subscription on the trialing plan with a new free_trial to extend it; the duration counts from now, not the original start. Pass free_trial as null to end the trial immediately.

Does adding a trial to an existing subscription reset the billing cycle?

Yes. Attaching a plan with a trial or updating a subscription to add one with on_end bill resets the Stripe billing anchor and cycle. Use on_end revert instead to preserve the existing billing cycle.