I’ve previously been converted off free trials that way. So it can definitely work.
Comment on Nope
Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 1 month agoHaving worked at a bunch of SaaS products, it’s actually not that shady (at least in those cases i’ve seen). Free users are low value but they can cost a ton in support and commercial effort. Asking for a credit card upfront is just a simple way to filter for people who actually intend to buy the product.
OP’s reaction is not a bug, it’s the feature.
Katana314@lemmy.world 1 month ago
VonReposti@feddit.dk 1 month ago
In the tech sector it can also work as free advertising for the company the trial person works at. I’m for example using a tool on the free tier for log aggregation and monitoring which I really like. I’ve thought of doing a startup sometime within the next year and at that point I already know that tool and will probably look at implementing that as the first option.
Self hosters are a powerful marketing tool.
Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 1 month ago
Yes, it’s a classic.
Pre-market fit it makes sense to be 100% free, as you want to gauge whether your product is attractive to people.
Post-market fit you already know the product has traction, so now you want to gauge whether it is attractive enough for people to pay for it.
FozzyOsbourne@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Free users are low value but they can cost a ton in support and commercial effort
Maybe they shouldn’t offer a free trial then
Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 1 month ago
Or maybe they should keep their free trial and just filter out randos with a credit card wall. It’s a simple and cheap way to keep your user base high value. And as attested by the OP’s meme, it just works!
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 1 month ago
Sorry, no. The only reason you could possibly want my credit card information is so that you can start collecting rent if I forget to cancel, which is the goal. That is an extremely shady way to collect
customersmarks.Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 1 month ago
lmao what a nuanced point of view, you seem to have vast personal experience of this kind of things
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 1 month ago
OK. For what other reason could you need my credit card information?
Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 1 month ago
Again, it’s a filter. You give me card details, that means you seriously want the product and also that you trust me. If i treat you right and give you a great experience you’ll be subscribed for years, purchasing add-ons, and recommending me to your friends. That’s much more valuable for me than skimming 20 bucks a month because you forgot to unsub.
When it’s a big corpo sure they’ll do it cause they don’t give a shit about their customers or even their reputation. I’m honestly not saying it doesn’t happen. But when it’s a no-name with a small online product they can’t afford that shit. If they put a credit card wall it’s most likely because they were getting too many people on the free trial, and were having a hard time telling actual future customers from drive-bys. This solves that.