Every British Web Design plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and no card is needed to start it. The trial begins the moment the account is created. The owner adds a card through Stripe only to carry on, and nothing is charged before the trial ends.
How the trial starts
A visitor writes a sentence or two about the business, creates an account, and the free trial starts straight away. Nothing is set up at Stripe and no card details are asked for. The trial runs on the plan that is on sale, Business. The trial length quoted on British Web Design's pages is read from the same setting the billing system uses, so the trial advertised is the trial given.
What the owner can do during the trial
During the free trial, a British Web Design customer can:
- have one website built from their brief, and watch it build with a live log (drafts of further sites can be saved without limit)
- see the site on its own private address ending .on-britishwebs.com, once a person at British Web Design has checked it
- try it properly: book an appointment or buy something with Stripe's test card (4242 4242 4242 4242, any future date, any three numbers), with no money moving
- ask for changes in plain English from the dashboard, and edit words, photographs and opening hours in the site's own admin panel
- show the site to anyone they send the link to, while search engines are kept out of it
- get the domain ready: register a new name in their own name (a separate charge, paid when it is bought) or set up one they already own
- add a card early from the plan page, with nothing charged until the trial ends
What waits until the plan starts
Two things wait until the subscription starts. The site does not go live on the owner's own domain during the free trial: it stays on its private address until the owner subscribes, which stops the trial being used as free hosting. And search engines do not list it, because the private address is kept out of search results so that it never competes with the real site later. An owner who wants the site live sooner can end the trial early and start paying from the plan page.
When the trial ends
British Web Design emails the owner two days before the trial ends, and once after. What happens next depends on the owner:
- With a card added, the subscription starts by itself when the trial ends, and the site can go live on the owner's domain.
- Without a card, nothing is charged and nothing more happens. The dashboard asks the owner to choose a plan and add a card through Stripe Checkout, and their sites and drafts wait untouched.
- Cancelled before the end, a plan with a card on it costs nothing.
Any domain registered during the trial stays registered in the owner's name either way. While founding places are on sale, a trial with a card added holds a founding place and a trial without a card does not (see founding members).
Questions
Do I need a card for the British Web Design free trial?
No. The British Web Design free trial starts when the account is created, with no card. A card is added through Stripe only when the owner wants to carry on, and nothing is charged before the trial ends.
What happens when the British Web Design free trial ends?
If a card has been added, the British Web Design subscription starts by itself at the end of the trial. If not, nothing is charged, and the owner's sites and drafts wait on the account until they choose a plan. British Web Design emails a reminder two days before the trial ends.
Can I use my own domain during the British Web Design free trial?
No. During the free trial a British Web Design site stays on its private address, and it goes live on the owner's domain once the subscription starts. The owner can register or set up the domain during the trial so that it is ready.
How long is the British Web Design free trial?
The British Web Design free trial lasts 7 days. The figure on British Web Design's pages comes from the same setting the billing system uses, so the trial advertised is the trial given.