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

In your dashboard, open Customers and find the subscriber you want to reward. In Discord, use /manage.

2

Choose "Gift Free Time"

Select Gift free time on their row. This option only appears for subscribers with an active paid subscription.

3

Pick Duration

Choose anywhere from 1 to 24 months.

4

Confirm

Select Apply credit. The credit goes onto their Stripe balance straight away.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Customers in your dashboard

Open your PayBot dashboard, choose your server and go to Customers.

2. Find the Subscriber

Find the subscriber you want to gift free time to in the customer list.

3. Select "Gift free time"

Select Gift free time on their row, choose the months to gift, then Apply credit.

Prefer Discord? Run /manage, select the subscriber and choose 🕐 Gift Free Time from the action dropdown.

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. Choose How Many Months

Pick anywhere from 1 to 24 months in the Months to gift list. The credit lands on their Stripe balance, so their next invoices are covered and access simply continues.

5. Apply the Credit

Select Apply credit to confirm, or Never mind to go back. Credit is not easily reversible, so check the number of months before you confirm.

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).