Offers and gift subscriptions

Offers discount a paid tier, and a newsletter gift subscription lets a reader pay once for someone else’s access. Both run through your own Stripe account: offers become Stripe coupons and promotion codes, and a gift is a one-time Stripe payment.

Before you begin

• Connect Stripe and create a tier.
• Offers and gift options need earn:edit (sensitive). Changing a bought gift needs earn:manage (sensitive).

Create an offer

1. Open Earn › , then Plans & offers and add an offer.
2. Choose the kind:
   • Signup: for new paid members, by code or link.
   • Retention: shown only on the cancel page, to a member who is about to cancel.
   • Referral reward: single-use codes that your referral program gives out.
3. Set the discount (a percentage or an amount) and the tiers it applies to.
4. Choose the duration: Once (the first payment, so the first year on a yearly price), For a number of months (1–36) or Forever.
5. Optionally set a Redemption limit and an end date. The offer ends at its date or its limit, whichever comes first.
6. Save, then share the code or the offer link to your upgrade page.

Note

A paid member sees a retention offer at most once every 12 months. Referral reward codes are valid for 60 days by default (1–365).

Sell gift subscriptions

1. Open Earn › , then Gifts and select New gift option.

   

2. Pick the tier and the length (1–36 months), and set the price. The buyer pays once; nothing renews.

3. Save. The option appears on your gift page.

When a reader buys a gift, they choose who gets it, an optional message (up to 300 characters) and when it is delivered: now or on a date up to a year ahead. On that date the recipient gets the Your gift email with a redeem link. Redeeming starts the gift: the recipient becomes a paid member with the Gift status until the length runs out.

The gift emails (Gift receipt, Your gift, Gift ending) are member emails: publish their templates in Earn › , then Settings › , then Member emails.

Defaults and limits for gifts

Setting	Default	How to change
Gift redeem link works for	12 months after delivery	Earn › Gifts › Gift links work for; 3, 6 or 12 months
Gift message	Up to 300 characters	Fixed
Scheduled delivery	Up to 1 year ahead	Fixed
Gift emails	Reminder 7 days after delivery if not redeemed; ending notice 7 days before the gift ends	Earn › Settings › Member emails
Gift length	1–36 months per option	Earn › Gifts › New option

Check that it worked

• Open the offer link in a private window: the upgrade page shows the discounted price.
• Buy a gift with a Stripe test card: it appears in Earn › , then Gifts and the test recipient gets the gift email on the delivery date.

Troubleshooting

• The upgrade page says “This offer has ended” → the offer reached its redemption limit or end date, and readers see the normal prices. Raise the limit or move the date to keep it running.
• The recipient never got the gift → check the delivery date, then that the Your gift template is published.
• A redeem link no longer works → gift links work for 12 months after delivery by default. Change the period in Earn › , then Gifts.

Related

• Sell paid subscriptions
• Manage paid members
• Revenue metrics explained