A free trial reminder email should tell the customer the exact date their trial ends, the full price they'll be charged from then (including GST in Australia), how often they'll be billed, and how to cancel before the charge, with a direct link. Send it a few days before the trial converts. From 1 July 2027, free trials that convert automatically are subscription contracts under Australian law.
Key takeaways
- Free trials and intro discounts are 'subscription contracts' under Australia's rules from 1 July 2027.
- The core reminder states the end date, the full price including GST, the billing frequency and how to cancel.
- As at October 2026, the regulations setting reminder timing weren't published. Sending a few days before conversion is a sensible default; check with your adviser.
- Use the reminder to show progress. Customers who reached their 'aha' moment don't mind being reminded.
- Intro prices that step up need their own reminder before the higher price applies.
Designer Shoe Warehouse had a loyalty program so automated that customers forgot they were in it.
Points piled up with every purchase. Nobody had to do anything. Brilliant, in a way. But people forgot it existed, so it wasn't building any loyalty.
So, as I wrote in The Subscription Playbook, DSW started sending reminder emails. Each one was personal. It told the customer how many points they had, what they needed for their next $10 certificate, and which rewards they could claim right now.
A reminder that was about them, not about DSW.
That's the free trial reminder I want you to write. Most trial reminders read like a warning from a parking inspector. "Your trial ends soon. You will be charged." Technically correct. Completely forgettable.
From 1 July 2027, Australia's subscription rules treat free trials and intro discounts as subscription contracts, and the government has said businesses will need to notify customers before a free trial ends. As at October 2026, the regulations setting the timing and content weren't published, so the timing below is my recommendation. Check your setup with your adviser.
What must a free trial reminder say?
- When the trial ends, as a date (not "in a few days").
- The full price they'll be charged from then, including GST for consumers.
- How often they'll be billed, and when the first charge happens.
- How to cancel before the charge, with a direct link.
Everything else is marketing. Good marketing, though.
When to send each email
| Trial length | Emails | Timing (recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Template 1, then Template 2 | Day 0, then 3 days before it converts |
| 14 days | Templates 1, 2 and 3 | Day 0, 4 days before, 1 day before |
| 30 days | Templates 1, 2 and 3 | Day 0, 7 days before, 1 day before |
| Any | Template 4 | The day it converts |
| Intro discount | Template 5 | Before the price steps up |
| No card required | Template 6 | 2 days before access ends |
Template 1: Trial started
Subject: Your free trial has started (ends [Trial end date])
Hi [First name],
Welcome to [Product]. Your free trial runs until [Trial end date].
After that, unless you cancel, you'll move to [Plan name] at A$[Price] a [month/year] (including GST), charged to [card ending 1234] on [First charge date].
We'll email you before the trial ends, so there are no surprises. You can cancel anytime here: [Cancel link]
The fastest way to see if [Product] is right for you: [One action that leads to the "aha" moment, with link].
[Your name]
Template 2: Trial ending soon (the key one)
Subject: Your free trial ends on [Trial end date]: here's what happens next
Hi [First name],
Your free trial of [Product] ends on [Trial end date].
So far you've [personal progress, e.g. "set up 3 projects and saved 4 hours"].
What happens next
- On [First charge date], you'll be charged A$[Price] (including GST) for [Plan name].
- After that, you'll be billed A$[Price] every [month/year] until you cancel.
Want to keep going? You don't need to do anything.
Not for you? Cancel before [Trial end date] and you won't be charged: [Cancel link]
Not sure yet? Reply and tell me what's holding you back. I'll help.
[Your name]
Template 3: Last day
Subject: Last day of your free trial: A$[Price] from tomorrow
Hi [First name],
Your free trial ends tomorrow, [Trial end date]. From then, [Plan name] is A$[Price] a [month/year] (including GST).
Keep it: no action needed.
Cancel: [Cancel link]
[Your name]
Template 4: Trial converted
Subject: You're now on [Plan name]: receipt for A$[Price]
Hi [First name],
Your trial has ended and you're now on [Plan name]. Here's your receipt.
- Amount: A$[Price] (including A$[GST] GST)
- Next charge: [Next billing date]
- Manage or cancel your plan: [Link]
Thanks for sticking with us. Here's what to try next: [Feature or tip].
[Your name]
Check your trial against the 2027 rules
Walk your free trial sign-up, reminder and cancellation through the free AU Subscription Compliance Checker.
Template 5: Intro price ending
Subject: Your intro price ends on [Date]: from A$[Intro price] to A$[Full price]
Hi [First name],
Your intro price of A$[Intro price] a [month] ends on [Date]. From your next bill on [Billing date], [Plan name] will be A$[Full price] a [month] (including GST).
Your options
- Keep [Plan name] at A$[Full price]: no action needed.
- Move to [Smaller plan] at A$[Price]: [Link]
- Cancel before [Date]: [Cancel link]
[Your name]
Template 6: No-card trial ending
Subject: Your trial ends on [Date]. Want to keep your work?
Hi [First name],
Your free trial ends on [Date]. You won't be charged, because we never asked for a card.
To keep [your projects / your data / your bookings], choose a plan: [Link]. Plans start at A$[Price] a [month] (including GST).
If now's not the right time, your account will stay saved for [X days].
[Your name]
SMS version
[Business name]: Your free trial ends [Date]. From then it's A$[Price]/[month] incl GST. To cancel before you're charged: [Short link]
The free trial mistakes I see most
- The price lives only on the pricing page. Put it in every trial email.
- "Cancel anytime" that isn't. If they signed up online, the cancel link has to work online, without a call. See cancellation rules in Australia.
- Charging before the date you promised. Test your billing timezone. A trial that "ends 30 June" shouldn't charge at 9pm on 29 June.
- A reminder sent after the charge. That's a receipt, not a reminder.
- Auto-converting customers who never used the product. Legal or not, they're your future chargebacks. Consider an email asking whether they want to continue.
And the honest bit: if your trial conversion only works when people forget to cancel, the reminder will hurt. That's a product and onboarding problem, not an email problem. See free-to-paid conversion rates for realistic benchmarks, and the comparison of freemium vs free trial if a trial might be the wrong model for you. A reverse trial is another option worth a look.
What to do next
- Load Templates 1, 2 and 4 into your email platform this week. Add 3, 5 and 6 if they fit.
- Make the reminder timing a setting you can change.
- Run a test trial end to end and check the charge date against the email.
- Measure conversion before and after. If it drops, model what that does to revenue.
For renewals after the trial, use the renewal reminder email templates. For the full set of 2027 checks, work through the AU subscription compliance checklist, and for the law itself, read Australia's subscription trap laws.
Frequently asked questions
How many days before a free trial ends should I send a reminder?
As at October 2026, Australian regulations hadn't set a number. A practical default is three days before conversion for a 7-day trial, and seven days plus one day before for a 30-day trial. That gives customers time to decide and act. Build timing as a setting so you can match the regulations once they're published, and check with your adviser.
Do I need a reminder if the free trial doesn't take a card?
If the customer can't be charged automatically when the trial ends, it's unlikely to be a subscription contract with an initial free period, because nothing converts on its own. You don't need a legal reminder, but you should still send a trial-ending email, because it's your best chance to convert them. Template 6 is written for exactly that.
Can I extend someone's free trial instead of letting them cancel?
Yes, and for customers who haven't had time to try the product properly it's often a smart offer. Make it optional, tell them the new end date and price in writing, and send the trial-ending reminder again before the new date. Don't extend a trial automatically as a way to delay a cancellation they asked for.
Should the reminder include a discount to convert?
Only if you're happy for every future customer to expect one. A conversion discount trains people to wait for it. A better lever is showing progress and offering help: a setup call, a template, an answer to the question that stalled them. If you do discount, state the discounted price, how long it lasts and the price afterwards.
What's the difference between a free trial and freemium for these rules?
A free trial converts to a paid plan automatically unless the customer cancels, so it's treated as a subscription contract. A freemium plan stays free until the customer chooses to upgrade, so there's no automatic charge to warn about. Once a freemium user does upgrade to a recurring paid plan, the disclosure, notice and exit rules apply to that paid plan.
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Robert Coorey, MBA
Robert is the author of The Subscription Playbook and Feed a Starving Crowd and a Director at BPAG Accountants in Sydney. More about Robert.
Sources
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026 (No. 64, 2026), ss 48B, 48D and 48E, Federal Register of Legislation
- Parliamentary Library, Bills Digest No. 58, 2025–26 (notice before a free trial expires)
- Assistant Minister for Competition, Government targets hidden fees and subscription traps (9 Feb 2026)
- The Subscription Playbook, Robert Coorey (2022), Chapter 9
Facts and prices checked 27 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.