Free trial VPNs are great if you want to gauge your provider’s capabilities before hopping on their subscription. However, there are a couple of areas people tend to gloss over when it comes to free trials. Here’s what you should keep in mind.
#1 Sign-up information is required
The primary purpose of any VPN is to secure your online data and maintain your privacy in a world increasingly plagued by cyberattacks and mass surveillance. Minimizing how much data you share online reduces the chance that you’ll be part of any big data breaches, which seem to happen with increased frequency nowadays.
For that reason, some people may be against free trial VPNs that ask for credit card information just to test the service. Unfortunately, quite a few providers take that approach, presumably to prevent spam accounts. Thankfully, you can still find privacy-minded VPNs that don’t ask for credit card info by clicking here: https://proprivacy.com/vpn/comparison/best-vpn-free-trial
#2: Free trials are greatly limited on desktop
VPN providers seem to favor mobile users, at least when it comes to free trials. Presumably due to the fact that more than half of website visits come from mobile devices. Or perhaps people were abusing the free trial system predominantly on desktop devices – though that’s pure speculation.
Whatever the case, desktop users may find that their free trial is limited to one day, if that. Meanwhile, mobile users get to enjoy up to 7-day free trials in some cases. It’s good to know when your trial expires in case you didn’t plan on subscribing to the service. Why? See below.
#3 Don’t forget about credit card charges
It’s understandable to not get a full subscription if the service didn’t perform as you expected, or if you just needed a quality VPN for a couple of days. Be aware, though, that some services that ask for credit card information automatically charge you at the end of your free trial.
Check the “fine print” when you sign up to a free trial VPN, to avoid any unwelcome surprises. Manually cancel your trial before the expiration date if you’re not sure about any upcoming charges.
This is especially true for trials started through the App Store or similar third party sellers. For example, you may be signed up for an entire year’s subscription if you don’t cancel your iOS VPN free trial in time. What’s worse is that you won’t be covered by your VPN provider’s money-back guarantee, but by Apple’s (or whichever service you signed up through).
#4 Money-back guarantees are there for a reason
At least you don’t need to worry too much about accidental charges. Free trial VPNs usually have 30 day money-back guarantees in place for such incidents. Some VPNs even have a “no questions asked” approach to refunds, which is always welcome. In fact, if you’ve ever seen providers claim to have a “30 day free trial”, this is what they mean.
Don’t blindly follow the marketing, though. Make sure you read the VPN provider’s terms of service and privacy policy. Yes, they’re not particularly engaging, but you should at least glance through their refund policy, if nothing else.
