Gift Free Time

Give your subscribers free months directly from Discord — credits are applied to their Stripe balance and automatically reduce future invoices

Table of Contents

Overview

Gift Free Time lets you give paying subscribers free months on their subscription. Instead of manually adjusting invoices in Stripe, you do it in two clicks from Discord.

When you gift free time, PayBot applies a credit to the customer's Stripe balance. On their next billing cycle, Stripe automatically deducts the credit from the invoice — the subscriber pays less (or nothing) without any manual intervention.

Who can use this: Server admins with a connected Stripe account. The option only appears for subscribers with an active paid subscription.

How It Works

1

Select a Subscriber

Open /manage and select the subscriber you want to reward.

2

Choose "Gift Free Time"

From the action dropdown, select Gift Free Time. This option only appears for subscribers with an active paid subscription.

3

Pick Duration

Choose 1, 2, or 3 months — or enter a custom amount up to 24 months.

4

Confirm

Review the credit amount and confirm. The credit is applied to their Stripe balance immediately.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open /manage

Run /manage in any channel where PayBot is active. You'll see your subscriber dashboard.

/manage

2. Select the Subscriber

Use the customer dropdown to find the subscriber you want to gift free time to.

3. Choose "Gift Free Time" from Actions

In the action dropdown, you'll see 🕐 Gift Free Time. Select it.

Don't see the option? Gift Free Time only appears for subscribers with an active Stripe subscription. Gifted (free) subscribers won't show this option since they don't have a billing cycle to credit.

4. Select Duration

You'll see the subscriber's tier, price, and per-month credit amount. Choose from:

  • 1 month — One billing cycle free
  • 2 months — Two billing cycles free
  • 3 months — Three billing cycles free
  • Custom — Enter any number from 1 to 24 months

5. Review and Confirm

You'll see a confirmation showing the exact credit amount. Click Apply Credit to proceed, or Cancel to go back.

Once confirmed, you'll see a success message with the Stripe transaction ID for your records.

Use Cases

🎉 Promotions & Giveaways

Run a "subscribe and get your first month free" deal. After they subscribe, gift them 1 month so their first invoice is $0.

🏆 Reward Loyal Members

Thank long-time subscribers with a free month. Great for anniversaries, milestones, or community events.

🛠️ Resolve Support Issues

If a subscriber had a bad experience or a technical issue, gift them free time as a goodwill gesture instead of issuing a full refund.

🤝 Contest Prizes

Use free months as prizes for community contests, giveaways, or engagement challenges.

How Stripe Credits Work

Gift Free Time uses Stripe's Customer Balance system. Here's what happens behind the scenes:

  • A negative balance (credit) is added to the customer's Stripe account
  • On their next invoice, Stripe automatically applies the credit before charging their card
  • If the credit covers the full invoice, the subscriber pays $0 — no charge to their card
  • If the credit is larger than one invoice (e.g., 3 months gifted on a monthly plan), the remaining credit rolls over to the next invoice
  • The subscriber's subscription stays active throughout — no interruption

Important: Balance credits cannot be easily reversed once applied. Always double-check the amount before confirming.

Yearly Subscriptions

For yearly subscriptions, the credit is calculated per month. If a subscriber pays $120/year, one month of free time equals a $10 credit ($120 ÷ 12). This credit applies to their next annual renewal.

FAQ

Does the subscriber get notified?

Not directly by PayBot. They'll see a reduced (or $0) charge on their next invoice from Stripe. You can message them separately to let them know about the gift.

Can I gift free time to someone with a gifted (free) subscription?

No. Gift Free Time only works for paid subscribers with an active Stripe subscription, since it applies a balance credit to their billing cycle.

What's the maximum I can gift?

Up to 24 months. For the preset options, you can choose 1, 2, or 3 months. For anything more, select "Custom" and enter a number.

Can I undo a credit?

Not from Discord. Once a credit is applied, it's on the customer's Stripe balance. You'd need to manually adjust it in the Stripe dashboard if needed.

Does this cancel or pause their subscription?

No. Their subscription stays fully active. The credit just reduces what they owe on the next invoice(s).