Guide

How to create an introductory offer for subscriptions

Jul 19, 2026 Set up App Store introductory offers for new subscribers: offer types, eligibility, pricing, and how Helm manages subscription offers on Mac.

Introductory offers give new subscribers a lower price or free period before the standard subscription rate. They are one of the clearest conversion levers on the App Store when your trial or paid onboarding needs a public, store-native discount. This guide covers when to use them, how to configure one cleanly, and how Helm’s in-app purchase tools help on Mac.

Learn related offer types in the offer codes and win-back offers glossaries when your campaign is about codes or churned subscribers instead.

Introductory vs other offer types

Introductory: for eligible new subscribers who have not used an intro offer on that subscription group (Apple’s eligibility rules apply)
Promotional: for customers you target under promotional offer rules, often with codes
Win-back: for lapsed subscribers you want to bring back

If you need controlled distribution (press, support make-goods), pair a promotional or win-back offer with offer codes. Introductory offers are usually the public “first time” path shoppers see on the product page and in-app paywall.

When an introductory offer fits

Strong fits:

You have a clear paid value after the intro period
Support can explain what happens when the intro ends
Finance agrees on duration, price, and territory coverage
Your paywall and restore flows handle intro states without dead ends

Weak fits:

You have not decided the standard price yet
The intro is so long that paid retention is untested
You already burned intro eligibility for most of your audience on a prior product in the same group

An intro offer is not a product strategy. It is a bridge into one.

Prerequisites

Before you create the offer in Helm or App Store Connect:

The auto-renewable subscription and subscription group exist and are ready for sale (or nearly ready).
Localizations and review information for the product are complete enough to leave Missing Metadata behind.
You know the territories where the offer should apply.
Legal and finance agree on free trial vs pay-up-front vs pay-as-you-go style pricing.
Your app StoreKit code handles intro offer eligibility and expired-intro states.

Configure the offer on Mac in Helm

Full IAP catalog, pricing, and offer workflows live on macOS. On iPhone, Helm focuses on discounts and offer codes, not the full introductory offer editor.

Open your app in Helm and go to in-app purchases / subscriptions.
Select the auto-renewable subscription product.
Create an introductory offer with a clear internal name (intro-annual-7day-2026).
Choose the offer type and duration that match your paywall copy.
Set prices (or free period) and eligible territories.
Save and confirm the product launch list still looks green: pricing, localizations, review info.

Name offers after the plan and campaign half-year. “New intro 2” will haunt you in six months.

Helm also supports purchasing-power-aware pricing workflows on Mac when you need fairer worldwide price points. Pricing optimization helpers are a Pro feature.

Paywall and listing alignment

Before you ship:

Match the intro duration in App Store metadata, paywall UI, and support macros
Explain the post-intro price in plain language
Confirm eligibility messaging (“for new subscribers”) matches Apple’s rules for your group
Test restore purchases and family sharing scenarios if they apply

Shoppers forgive a discount. They do not forgive a surprise charge they did not understand.

Measure more than redemptions

Track:

Intro start rate among eligible new users
Conversion to the first paid period after the intro
Refund rate on the first paid renewal
Support tickets about “I thought it was free forever”

A spike in starts with a cliff at renewal means your intro sold the discount, not the product.

How Helm helps day to day

On Mac, Helm groups introductory, promotional, and win-back offers with the rest of your IAP catalog so the subscription story stays in one place. Duplicate products when variants share most metadata. Export and create offer codes when a campaign needs controlled keys. Automate related flows with helm-asc on Pro when scripts or agents are part of store ops.

Launch checklist

Intro offer configured for the right territories
Paywall and App Store copy agree on duration and price
Product launch list clear of Missing Metadata
Support macros ready for eligibility and renewal questions
Success metrics defined before the offer goes live