E-commerce
July 1, 2026
"When exactly does my trial end?" "If I cancel tomorrow, will I be charged on Monday?" "I didn't receive the reminder, how do I avoid the charge?" Three messages where a trial subscriber without self-service lookup opens a ticket even though Recharge, TRIAL-MAP, and the portal already display trial_end, next_charge_date, and the cancel link.
A free trial e-commerce subscription AI chatbot does not replace TRIAL-FLOW agents (#435). It reads TRIAL-MAP, quotes the grounded API charge date, reminds limits of the trial, guides cancellation before charge and next conversion steps, then routes post-trial forgetfulness and disputes to #435.
This guide #436 covers intents bot_trial_*, flow TRIAL-BOT, and KPI trial_bot. Distinct from free trial customer support (#435) and cancel save (#373): here, trial AI use case: remind dates, limits, and next steps without dark patterns.
Summary
Why does a trial bot reduce date and cancellation tickets?
An avoidable free trial ticket occurs when the trial subscriber cannot find the exact billing date, a 1-click cancel link, or the consequences of the trial ending, before writing "scam" or "refund" to support.
Five botifiable trial ticket triggers
Charge date: trial_end, next_charge_date, cycle 1 amount
Cancel before charge: portal link, cancel deadline
Trial limits: duration, feature access, trial box shipping
Next steps: what happens after trial, auto-conversion
Symbolic charge: €1 verification fee vs first paid subscription fee
Chargebee estimates that 62% of consumers forget the trial end date without a 3-day advance reminder (Chargebee, trial management 2026). Recharge allows free trials with trial_end and configurable reminders (Recharge, free trials 2026). Tidio reports that a tier 1 trial subscription bot reduces billing date tickets by 45-58% vs a static FAQ (Tidio, chat stats 2026).
Angle #436 vs related content
Trial support #435: TRIAL-FLOW forgot refund chargeback execute. #436 = tier 1 bot proactive dates, limits, and cancel link.
Cancel save #373: SAVE-FLOW post-conversion. #436 = trialing period before first billing, not retention save.
General subscription: pause skip paid D0. #436 = trial window only.
Box bot #416: prefs skip surprise box. #436 = trial charge date box cycle 2 if applicable.
Governance #142: saying vs doing bot. #436 applies to trial cancel without obstruction.
DTC Example
Wellness app 14-day trial, 1,200 trials/month, 48 baseline tickets #435. Post-TRIAL-BOT: trial_bot_resolution 86%, trial_bot_ticket_delta -46%, trial_cancel_before_charge_bot 68% self-service cancels.
Responsible retention vs dark pattern
Trial bot states dates and cancel link. No "are you sure" loops 5 times. Cancel confirmed in 2 clicks max, aligning with #373 ethics.
Trial signup peak seasons
January fitness apps and September SaaS: spikes in trial starts. Scale T5 day-3 proactive messaging before paid acquisition bursts.
How does TRIAL-BOT differ from TRIAL-FLOW #435 and SAVE-FLOW #373?
Self-service trial bot, playbook agents trial, and cancel save post-conversion: three complementary layers.
Bot trial → role matrix
#436 TRIAL-BOT: charge date cite, trial limits, cancel deep link, next steps, proactive D-3
#435 TRIAL-FLOW: forgot_cancel refund execute, extend manager, chargeback P1
#373 SAVE-FLOW: cancel post-conversion pause skip save
subscription general: billing pause skip paid active
Upstream router
"When charge", "end of trial", "cancel before charge", "price after trial", "1 € verification", "what happens after" → TRIAL-BOT. "Forgot to cancel refund me", "chargeback scam", "extend trial manager" → handoff #435 TF-6. "Cancel active paid subscription", "too much product" → #373 SAVE-FLOW if status active.
TRIAL-BOT data
TRIAL-MAP JSON #435, Recharge/Stripe trial_end, next_charge_date, first_charge_amount, status trialing|active|cancelled, cancel portal deep link, reminder_schedule.
Promise #436
Policy TRIAL-BOT, 12 intents bot_trial_*, flow TB-1 to TB-8, guardrails no refund bot, KPI trial_bot_*.
Status trialing gate
TB-2: if status not trialing → route subscription_general or #373 if cancel intent post-conversion.
Which bot_trial_* intents should be configured?
Twelve free trial subscription bot intents cover tier 1 dates and dispute routing.
Twelve bot_trial intents
bot_trial_charge_date: trial_end, next_charge_date, cycle 1 amount
bot_trial_cancel_before: portal deep link cancel before charge
bot_trial_limits: duration in days, feature access, trial_type
bot_trial_next_steps: auto conversion, access cutoff, email reminder
bot_trial_symbolic_charge: 1 € verification vs paid subscription
bot_trial_terms: price after trial, commitment, forgot_cancel policy quotes
bot_trial_convert_early: paid upgrade link before trial ends
bot_trial_access_status: active expired trial, suspended access explain
bot_trial_reminder: D-3 D-1 reminder received, resend info
bot_trial_card_update: update credit card before conversion
bot_trial_handoff_435: forgot refund, extend, chargeback, ship trial box
bot_trial_route_373: cancel post-conversion status active → SAVE-FLOW
Session tags
trial_bot, trial_bot_trialing, trial_bot_resolved, trial_bot_handoff_435, trial_bot_route_373. Distinct cancel_save, subscription_bot.
Triggers T1-T5
T1: thank-you trial signup proactive charge date. T2: keyword free trial/trial/charge/cancel. T3: portal banner "Active trial ends on [date]" bot chip. T4: /pages/subscription-trial FAQ. T5: proactive D-3 widget "Your trial ends in 3 days".
How to apply the TRIAL-BOT flow in eight steps?
The TRIAL-BOT flow guides trial grounded TRIAL-MAP #435 and billing API.
Eight steps TB-1 to TB-8
TB-1 Welcome: "I am checking your trial: end date, next charge, cancellation."
TB-2 Auth sub: email + order or portal account → status trialing verify
TB-3 Classifier intent: bot_trial_* section 3
TB-4 Match TRIAL-MAP: trial_type, trial_days, charge_date_rule, cancel_deadline
TB-5 Read billing: trial_end, next_charge_date, first_charge_amount, cancel_at
TB-6 Respond: TRIAL-CHARGE-DATE style | cancel link | limits | next steps
TB-7 CTA: portal cancel | /pages/subscription-trial | update payment
TB-8 Close/handoff: forgot refund extend chargeback → #435 TF-6
TB-5 charge_date
Grounded template: trial_end [date time TZ], next_charge [amount] on [date]. Cancel before [cancel_deadline]: [deep link]. All from API JSON only.
TB-6 cancel_before
If trialing: send cancel deep link, confirm no charge if cancel before deadline. Cite access_cutoff TRIAL-MAP immediate vs trial_end.
TB-6 next_steps
Explain auto-conversion if not cancelled: charge date, amount, reminder D-3 D-1 schedule. No pressure language, facts only responsible retention.
TB-5 symbolic charge
bot_trial_symbolic_charge: distinguish €1 hold refunded vs first subscription charge post-trial dates.
TB-2 not trialing
Status active + cancel intent → bot_trial_route_373. Status cancelled → confirm no future charge cite cancel_at.
TB-8 session log chargeback pack
Log trial_end cited, cancel link sent_at, terms_version_id. Handoff #435 representment ready fields.
Which TRIAL-BOT policy should be documented?
The TRIAL-BOT free trial policy governs dates cited, frictionless cancellation, and handoffs.
Eight TRIAL-BOT rules
TRIAL-MAP only: trial_days, forgot_cancel_policy, access_cutoff from JSON #435
Billing API grounded: TB-5 trial_end next_charge from Recharge/Stripe, no LLM invention
Cancel link always: bot_trial_cancel_before deep link to portal, no "contact support"
No refund execute bot: forgot_cancel refund → handoff #435 TF-7
No dark pattern: cancel path in 2 clicks, no aggressive saving during trial cancel request
Trialing gate TB-2: bot trial intents only if status is trialing
Terms cite not promise: bot_trial_terms TRIAL-MAP, no unauthorized extension
Max 5 turns trial admin: then portal CTA or handoff #435
RAG corpus sources
/pages/subscription-trial, TRIAL-MAP #435, TRIAL-SUP #435, macros TRIAL-CHARGE-DATE TRIAL-CANCEL from #435 section 7.
Sync ops
TRIAL-MAP trial_days change → bot glossary + Klaviyo reminder sync. Charge date TZ update → TB-5 template refresh.
Monthly review
Audit: wrong charge date hallucination, cancel link broken, refund promise bot, dark pattern cancel friction.
Chargeback keyword P1
Scam + trial → immediate bot_trial_handoff_435 P1 fields trial timeline reminder sent_at checkout terms version.
What guardrails protect dates and cancellation?
The allowed vs. forbidden bot trial matrix protects trust and compliance.
Allowed bot actions
Quote trial_end next_charge_date first_charge_amount TB-5 API
Share cancel deep link bot_trial_cancel_before
Explain trial limits trial_type TRIAL-MAP
bot_trial_next_steps conversion auto facts
bot_trial_reminder quote reminder_schedule J-3 J-1
bot_trial_convert_early upgrade link if policy
Handoff #435 forgot refund extend chargeback
Route #373 if status active cancel intent
Forbidden bot actions
Process refund forgot_cancel API bot
Extend trial +7 days without manager handoff #435
Invent approximate charge date "in 2 weeks"
Block cancel path redirect save #373 during trial cancel
Promise forgot refund eligible without TF-6 window check agent
Cancel subscription execute bot without portal deep link confirm
Anti-hallucination dates
Fixed template: "Trial until [trial_end]. Charge [amount] on [next_charge_date] if not canceled." Zero approximation.
Responsible retention copy
bot_trial_next_steps: facts not fear. "You will be charged [amount] on [date]" OK. "You will lose access forever urgent" forbidden.
GDPR trial bot
Auth email match subscription owner before quoting trial_end. No trial status leak to wrong account.
Freemium trial_freemium_limited route
No auto charge: bot_trial_terms upgrade manual path. TB-2 may show trialing false, route upgrade FAQ not cancel charge.
How to connect TRIAL-MAP #435 and Recharge?
The free trial bot integration combines TRIAL-MAP, Recharge trial API, and cancel portal.
TRIAL-BOT read fields
subscription_status: trialing, active, cancelled
trial_end: ISO datetime
next_charge_date: first post-trial charge
first_charge_amount: cycle 1 price
cancel_at: if scheduled cancel
payment_method_last4: masked card confirm
Recharge Subscriptions API trial_end and next_charge_date (Recharge, subscriptions 2026).
TRIAL-MAP bot layer
Import #435: trial_type, trial_days, charge_date_rule, cancel_deadline, access_cutoff, forgot_cancel_policy, reminder_schedule. TB-4 per SKU plan.
Cancel portal deep link
Recharge customer portal cancel URL tokenized. Bot TB-7 never raw admin cancel API customer-facing.
Shopify Subscriptions trial
Selling plan trial days sync TRIAL-MAP. Mismatch admin vs bot RAG → trial_sub_terms_unclear spike audit monthly.
Qstomy Integration
See Shopify integration + Recharge read-only trial_end for TRIAL-BOT TB-5.
What are the D-3 proactive, portal, and UX triggers for TRIAL-BOT?
The UX TRIAL-BOT deployment maximizes responsible reminders and charge date deflection.
Five widget placements
Thank-you trial T1: bot chip charge date + cancel link
Portal banner T3: "Active trial ends [date]" bot_trial_charge_date
/pages/subscription-trial T4: FAQ + bot_trial_terms
Proactive D-3 T5: widget "Trial ends in 3 days, charge [date] [amount]"
App in-product: trial countdown chip bot_trial_limits
D-3 proactive bot vs email only
T5 widget + Klaviyo D-3: trial_cancel_before_charge_rate +22% vs email only cohorts DTC SubSummit 2026. Bot cites same dates as API-grounded email.
In-app trial countdown
Digital trial_free_digital: header "D-4 remaining" opens bot_trial_charge_date one-shot. Reduces in-app support tickets by 38% historically.
Box trial_free_ship chip
Portal box trial: bot_trial_next_steps cycle 2 charge if box 1 received. Ship delay → handoff #435 extend, not bot promise.
A/B test T5 D-3
Proactive widget vs passive: trial_bot_resolution + trial_forgot_cancel_rate delta 4 weeks.
Checkout terms alignment
bot_trial_terms must match checkout checkbox text version. Terms version id in TB-8 session log chargeback pack.
Which trial bot KPIs should be measured?
Free trial bot KPIs link deflection, cancel before charge, and disputes.
Eight key metrics
trial_bot_resolution_rate: resolved without handoff / trial_bot sessions
trial_bot_ticket_delta: drop in tickets #435 vs baseline
trial_charge_date_self_service_rate: charge date bot / charge date questions
trial_cancel_before_charge_bot_rate: cancels via bot link / trial cancels
trial_bot_handoff_435_rate: forgot refund chargeback routed to agents
trial_forgot_cancel_rate: forgot tickets / conversions post-bot
trial_bot_csat: satisfaction tag trial_bot resolved
trial_chargeback_rate: trial cohort chargebacks post-bot
DTC Benchmark
trial_bot_resolution 84-92 %, trial_bot_ticket_delta -40-50 %, charge_date_self_service > 70 %, trial_bot_csat > 4.2/5, forgot_cancel_rate < 6 % post-T5.
Monthly dashboard
Intent breakdown charge_date vs cancel vs terms, T5 D-3 open rate, handoff reasons, date hallucination audit count zero target.
Transcript audit
20 sessions/month: dates grounded API, cancel link valid, no refund promise, no dark pattern friction.
Conversion correlation
Track trial conversion rate bot cohort vs control. Responsible bot should not depress conversion vs baseline, reduce chargebacks net positive LTV.
T5 open rate vs cancel before charge
Correlate T5 widget open with trial_cancel_before_charge_bot_rate. Optimize copy facts not fear A/B monthly.
Which anti-patterns should be avoided on bot trial?
Ten free trial bot anti-patterns to banish.
1. Invent charge date LLM
Rule 2 TB-5 API only. Wrong date = chargeback + trust break.
2. Refund forgot_cancel bot execute
Rule 4 handoff #435. Finance API bot forbidden.
3. Save #373 during trial cancel
Rule 5 frictionless trialing cancel. Save flow post-conversion only.
4. "Contact support to cancel"
Rule 3 deep link always. Email cancel backlog = overnight charge.
5. Skip TRIAL-SUP #435 prerequisite
/pages/subscription-trial TRIAL-MAP before bot. Empty RAG wrong forgot policy.
6. Extend trial bot promise
Rule 7 handoff #435 manager. Unauthorized +7 d erodes ops.
7. Fear-based next_steps copy
Responsible retention facts only. Manipulative urgency = DGCCRF complaints.
8. Bot active on status active billing
TB-2 trialing gate. Wrong macros subscription_general.
9. Mismatch email vs bot dates
Same API source Klaviyo and bot TB-5. Sync ops critical.
10. Conversation 8 turns
Max 5 turns rule 8. Cancel portal CTA TB-7.
11. Symbolic charge confuse
bot_trial_symbolic_charge distinct post-trial charge. Reduce trial_sub_symbolic_charge tickets.
12. No proactive T5 D-3
62% forget without warning. T5 mandatory responsible retention not optional.
How does Qstomy remind of dates, deadlines, and next steps?
Qstomy on Shopify: TRIAL-BOT subscription lookup, TRIAL-MAP limits cite, TRIAL-CHARGE-DATE auto grounded Recharge, cancel deep link, proactive J-3 T5, handoff #435 forgot chargeback pre-filled fields.
Qstomy trial bot capabilities
trial_sub_lookup: TB-5 trialing trial_end
trial_map_explain: limits terms forgot policy cite
trial_charge_date_template: API grounded auto
trial_cancel_deep_link: Recharge portal 1-click
trial_proactive_j3: T5 widget trigger
trial_handoff_435: forgot refund P1 fields
Pipeline #436 → #435
Bot tier 1 deadline dates cancel next steps. Agents forgot refund extend chargeback execute. Shared TRIAL-MAP.
Encrypted DTC scenario
1,200 trials/month, 48 tickets baseline #435.
After Qstomy TRIAL-BOT: trial_bot_resolution 88%, trial_bot_ticket_delta -44%, trial_forgot_cancel_rate -28%, trial_bot_csat 4.3/5.
Explore customer support and request a demo.
Training corpus sync
See train Shopify chatbot for TRIAL-MAP RAG sync on policy update.
Reduce AI tickets
See reduce AI tickets for trial_bot deflection dashboard template.
What is the checklist for deploying TRIAL-BOT?
TRIAL-BOT Checklist (12 steps)
Validate TRIAL-SUP #435 + TRIAL-MAP /pages/subscription-trial
Export TRIAL-MAP JSON + Recharge trial_end read-only API
Configure 12 intents bot_trial_* section 3
Implement flow TB-1 to TB-8 + trialing gate TB-2
Activate guardrails no refund + no dark pattern + API dates only
Route trial vs #435 #373 subscription_general
Placements thank-you T1 + portal banner T3 + /pages/subscription-trial T4
Trigger T5 proactive J-3 widget aligned Klaviyo dates
Staging tests 8 scenarios: charge date, cancel link, limits, next steps, symbolic, terms, handoff forgot, route 373 active
Cancel deep link valid mobile + desktop
Dashboard KPI trial_bot monthly + date audit zero hallucination
A/B T5 J-3 proactive vs passive 4 weeks
At a glance
#436 = bot trial tier 1, #435 agents forgot refund dispute
TRIAL-MAP grounded: dates, limits, cancel, next steps
TRIAL-BOT: auth trialing → billing read → cite → cancel CTA → handoff
TB-5 API only: no made-up dates
KPI trial_bot_resolution: target > 85 %
FAQ
Difference from #435?
#435 customer service forgot refund extend chargeback execute. #436 bot charge date limits cancel link proactive J-3.
Does the bot refund forgotten cancellations?
No. bot_trial_handoff_435 #435 TF-7 refund if eligible window.
Cancel save #373 during trial?
No. bot_trial_cancel_before frictionless. #373 post-conversion status active.
Proactive J-3 dark pattern?
T5 cite dates facts + cancel link. No manipulation, responsible retention.
Free box trial?
bot_trial_next_steps cycle 2 charge. Ship delay handoff #435 extend.
Going further
This week: sync TRIAL-MAP bot per trial_type, configure TB-5 Recharge staging, test cancel deep link mobile, activate T5 J-3 proactive aligned Klaviyo.
Share this guide #436 with support and product: a bot that quotes "trial until July 15th 08:00, charged €19.90 on the 16th if not cancelled, cancel link" is worth ten avoided chargebacks, while an invented date is worth a "free trial scam" review.
Status no longer trialing?
TB-2 route subscription_general or #373 SAVE-FLOW if cancel post-conversion.
Enzo
July 1, 2026
