Free Trial Overview

Balance offers a 30-day free trial of Premium features - no credit card required. This guide explains everything you need to know about the trial period.

What is the Free Trial?

The Balance free trial gives you 30 days of full Premium access to test all features before deciding on a subscription.

Key Points:

• Duration: 30 days from signup
• Cost: $0 - completely free
• Credit Card: Not required
• Features: Full Premium access
• After Trial: Automatically switches to free plan
• No Automatic Charges: We never charge without explicit confirmation

How It Works

Timeline

Day 1 (Today):

• Sign up for Balance
• Start your 30-day free trial
• $0 due
• Connect bank accounts
• Access all Premium features

Day 23 (7 days before trial ends):

• Receive email reminder
• Trial ending soon notification
• Option to subscribe to Premium
• Or continue with free plan

Day 30 (Trial ends):

• Trial expires
• Automatically switches to free plan
• No action needed from you
• No charges, no cancellation needed
• All your data remains safe

What’s Included in the Trial

During Your 30-Day Trial

Full Premium Access:

• Connect up to 10 bank accounts
• Automatic transaction syncing
• All budget categories
• Real-time transaction categorization
• Unlimited profiles for partners
• Full mobile and web access
• All future features as they launch

Everything that Premium subscribers get, you get free for 30 days.

No Credit Card Required

Unlike many services, Balance does not require a credit card for the free trial:

Why this matters:

• No risk of accidental charges
• No need to remember to cancel
• Test the service worry-free
• Make decision at end of trial

You decide if you want to subscribe after trying it.

What Happens After the Trial

If You Don’t Subscribe

Automatic Downgrade:

Day 30 → Automatically switched to Free Plan

No action needed on your part. No cancellation, no call, no email.

Free Plan Includes:

• Keep all your data
• Keep all your categories
• Keep all your budgets
• Manual transaction entry
• Unlimited budget tracking

Free Plan Limitations:

• Bank accounts disconnect (no auto-sync)
• Cannot connect new bank accounts
• Manual transaction entry only

Your data is safe! Nothing is deleted.

If You Want to Subscribe

Anytime during or after trial:

1. Go to Pricing page or tap Subscribe button
2. Choose Premium Monthly or Premium Annual
3. Enter payment information
4. Complete checkout
5. Bank accounts remain connected
6. Automatic syncing continues

Trial Best Practices

Week 1: Setup

Focus on getting set up:

1. Connect your bank accounts

   • Add all checking, savings, credit cards
   • Let transactions sync

2. Create budget categories

   • Income categories
   • Expense categories
   • Set budget amounts

3. Add partner profile (if applicable)

   • Create partner’s profile
   • Show them how it works

4. Categorize initial transactions

   • Go through recent transactions
   • Assign to appropriate categories

Goal: Get fully set up so you can properly evaluate.

Week 2-3: Daily Use

Use Balance daily:

1. Check transactions each day

   • Categorize new transactions
   • 2-3 minutes per day

2. Monitor budget progress

   • Check category progress bars
   • See spending patterns

3. Coordinate with partner

   • Both use the app
   • Discuss spending
   • Stay on same page

4. Experience the value

   • See how automatic syncing helps
   • Feel the reduced money stress
   • Notice improved communication

Goal: Experience the full value of Balance.

Week 4: Decision Time

Evaluate if Balance is worth it:

Questions to ask:

• Did automatic syncing save time?
• Are we more aligned on money?
• Did we stick to budget better?
• Is the cost worth the value?
• Do we want to continue?

Make your decision:

• Subscribe to Premium
• Or let trial expire to free plan

Frequently Asked Questions

“Do I need to cancel the trial?”

No. If you don’t subscribe, you’ll automatically move to the free plan after 30 days. No cancellation needed.

“Will I be charged after 30 days?”

No. We never charge without explicit authorization. No credit card on file means no charges.

“What if I forget about the trial?”

No problem. We’ll email you 7 days before it ends. And even if you miss the email, you’re just moved to free plan. No charges.

“Can I subscribe before the 30 days?”

Yes! Subscribe anytime during the trial:

• Immediately if you love it
• After 1 week
• After 2 weeks
• Wait until day 29
• Your choice!

“What happens to my data after the trial?”

Nothing. Your data stays safe and accessible:

• All transactions preserved
• All categories remain
• All budgets intact
• Everything stays

You just can’t connect bank accounts on free plan.

“Can I try Premium again later?”

Yes. If you let trial expire and later want Premium:

1. Go to Pricing page or tap Subscribe button
2. Choose a plan
3. Complete checkout
4. Reconnect bank accounts
5. Back to Premium!

Trial Reminders

Email Notifications

You’ll receive:

7 days before trial ends:

Subject: Your Balance trial ends in 7 days

Hi [Name],

Your 30-day Balance Premium trial ends in 7 days.

Want to keep Premium features? Subscribe now:
- Premium Monthly: $5.99/month
- Premium Annual: $4.99/month ($59.99/year)

Or do nothing and automatically switch to our free plan.

Your data stays safe either way!

Day trial ends:

Subject: Your trial has ended

Hi [Name],

Your Balance Premium trial has ended.

You're now on the free plan. Your data is safe!

Want Premium features back? Subscribe anytime.

In-App Notifications

During trial:

• Badge showing “Trial” on account
• Days remaining visible in settings

7 days before expiration:

• In-app notification
• Banner at top of app

Day of expiration:

• Notice that trial ended
• Option to subscribe

Comparing Trial to Paid

During Trial (Days 1-30)

Feels exactly like Premium:

• Full bank sync
• All features unlocked
• No limitations
• Identical to paid subscription

After Trial on Free Plan

What changes:

• Bank accounts disconnect
• No automatic syncing
• Cannot connect new accounts

What stays:

• All your data
• All features except bank sync
• Manual transaction entry
• All budgeting tools

If You Subscribe

Back to full Premium:

• Reconnect bank accounts
• Automatic syncing resumes
• All features forever (while subscribed)

Making the Most of Your Trial

Set a Goal

What do you want to test?

Goal 1: See if syncing saves time

• Track time spent on finances before Balance
• Track time during Balance trial
• Compare and decide if worth it

Goal 2: Improve partner communication

• Note money stress before Balance
• Use Balance together for 30 days
• Evaluate if communication improved

Goal 3: Stick to budget

• Try to stay within budget for 30 days
• See if Balance helps
• Decide based on results

Measure something so you can evaluate objectively.

Get Partner Buy-In

For couples:

1. Both create profiles
2. Both use the app daily
3. Weekly check-ins together
4. Both evaluate at end of trial
5. Make decision together

One person using it isn’t enough to evaluate properly.

Actually Use It

Don’t set it up and forget:

Do:

• Check daily (2-3 minutes)
• Categorize transactions regularly
• Monitor budget progress
• Discuss with partner weekly

Don’t:

• Set up once and ignore
• Check only once per week
• Let transactions pile up uncategorized
• Make decision without actually using it

You can’t evaluate without actually using it!

After the Trial

Option 1: Subscribe to Premium

If Balance added value:

Premium Monthly: $5.99/month

• Billed monthly
• Cancel anytime
• No commitment

Premium Annual: $4.99/month ($59.99/year)

• Save $12/year (17% discount)
• Best value
• Annual billing

How to subscribe:

1. Go to Pricing page or tap Subscribe button
2. Choose plan
3. Enter payment info
4. Complete checkout
5. Done!

Option 2: Continue with Free Plan

If not ready to pay:

Free plan includes:

• Unlimited budgeting
• Manual transactions
• All categories
• All your data
• Partner profiles
• Progress tracking

Limitations:

• No bank account syncing
• Must enter transactions manually

Still valuable for manual budgeting!

Option 3: Take a Break

Stop using Balance:

Your data is saved for if you return later:

• Log back in anytime
• Everything is still there
• Subscribe if you want features back

No pressure - it’s here when you need it.

Next Steps

Ready to start your free trial?

1. Creating Your Account - Sign up for Balance
2. Quick Start Guide - Get set up in 10 minutes
3. Connecting Banks - Link your accounts
4. Premium Plans Comparison - See plan details

Questions? Contact our support team - we’re here to help!