Context
offplan.online offers a free trial before subscription. Two decisions needed: (1) whether to require a card at trial start; (2) what happens to the studio's project URLs when the trial expires.
Decision
No card required to start a trial. On expiry: studio admin access is fully blocked (no read-only browsing, no editing); the public-facing project URL shows only the main building/exterior page — all sub-sections (units, floorplates, gallery, unit list) are blocked. Studio must upgrade to restore full access.
Alternatives Considered
- Card required — higher conversion intent, but excludes studios who want to evaluate before committing. Rejected: covers fewer customers at top of funnel.
- Full read-only on expiry — studio can still browse and share content, potentially selling through the service without paying. Rejected: allows continued value extraction with no upgrade pressure.
- Full block on expiry — breaks end-client project URLs entirely. Rejected: hurts the studio's client relationships and creates urgent churn pressure for the wrong reasons.
Consequences
- Broader trial top-of-funnel (no card friction).
- End-clients can still find the building on an expired project, giving the studio a natural reason to upgrade ("my clients can't see the units").
- Requires Phase 1.5 build to implement expiry state: (a) admin auth middleware checks trial status, (b) public project page conditionally renders only the building view when studio is expired.
- Detail TBD at build time: what do blocked tabs show (hidden / lock overlay / "contact your studio" message)?
Revisit trigger
If conversion from trial → paid is lower than 15% after 3 months — revisit whether no-card trial is the right mechanism or if a shorter trial + card captures intent better.