AWS Marketplace Adds Automatic Conversion for SaaS Trials

SaaS sellers can now move customers from free trials to paid, usage-based subscriptions without requiring a second purchase.

Amazon Web Services has changed how certain software free trials work in AWS Marketplace. As of November 10, 2026, sellers offering usage-based software subscriptions can have trials automatically convert to paid subscriptions when the trial period ends.

Previously, buyers needed to make a separate purchase to continue using the software after a trial. Under the new arrangement, access continues without interruption, and AWS begins charging for actual usage at the seller's published rates.

Sellers can offer trials lasting seven to 90 days. Before subscribing, buyers see the trial length, conversion date and applicable pricing, and must acknowledge the conversion terms. AWS sends reminders three days and one day before conversion, with an additional 15-day reminder for longer trials.

The change applies specifically to usage-based SaaS subscriptions sold through public offers. Fixed-term SaaS contract trials still expire rather than automatically becoming paid subscriptions. Sellers with existing trial offers must enable the new conversion option, while customers already in those trials keep their original terms.

For SaaS sellers, the change removes a purchasing step between product evaluation and paid use. For buyers, it means the decision to authorize ongoing charges happens when the trial begins, rather than when it ends.

Insider Take

AWS is removing a purchasing hurdle, but sellers still have to earn the customer's business. First Page Sage's September 2025 analysis of 86 SaaS companies found that, among trials originating from organic search, 48.8% of opt-out free trials converted to paid subscriptions, compared with 18.2% of opt-in trials. However, fewer people started opt-out trials, and even one paid month counted as a conversion.

For SaaS sellers using AWS Marketplace, enabling automatic conversion is only part of a successful trial program. AWS handles the purchase acknowledgment and reminder emails, but sellers still need to encourage product use, report usage accurately, and track what happens after conversion. The real measure is how many customers continue using and paying for the product, not simply how many trials become paid subscriptions.

Sources

• AWS Marketplace, SaaS Free Trials Now Convert Automatically to Paid Subscriptions, November 10, 2026
• AWS Marketplace Seller Guide, Creating a SaaS Free Trial Offer
• AWS Marketplace Buyer Guide, Subscribing to SaaS Free Trials
• First Page Sage, SaaS Free Trial Conversion Rate Benchmarks, September 5, 2025