Why trials catch people out
A trial is designed to be easy to start and quiet to continue. In 2026, 70% of people said they had signed up for a free trial, meant to cancel, and been charged anyway (Self Financial). One survey put the average yearly cost of trials that quietly became subscriptions at $540 (Yahoo Finance).
How it works
- Add the subscription, mark it as a free trial, and enter the day the trial ends. Lapsa asks for that date, because a trial without an end date cannot be reminded about.
- Choose how many days before the end you want to hear, or keep your account’s defaults. You are reminded on the day itself as well.
- The reminder reads: “Your free trial ends tomorrow. You will start paying $9.99 per month unless you cancel.”
- If you decide to keep it, there is nothing to do. Once the end date passes, Lapsa treats it as a paying subscription and its charges count in your totals from that day.
Trials that need notice
Some services want you to cancel a few days before the trial ends. Add that notice period and Lapsa works out a cancel-by date for the trial, the same way it does for any subscription. How cancellation deadlines work.
At the hour you choose
Reminders arrive at the hour you pick, in your own time zone, on your phone and by email, so a trial that ends tomorrow is not news you get at 3am.