HBO Max no longer offers new subscribers a free trial when signing up to the service directly. It remains to be seen exactly when the free trial option ended, but the company has since updated its help pages confirming there is no longer a free trial and suggesting there are no plans to bring it back anytime soon.
Earlier in the year, Netflix abandoned its free trial for consumers in the U.S. In addition, Disney+ has also stopped offering new customers the option to try the service before having to pay. Now, HBO Max appears to have done the same.
When consumers attempt to sign up to HBO Max, either through the app or the website, they won’t see an option to try the service for free. Instead, the signup process now immediately expects the user to pay for the month ahead, leaving consumers with no option other than paying the $14.99 per month to stream movies and shows.
Furthermore, the service has since updated its help pages with a new “What happened to the free trial?” entry. Here, HBO Max does not provide a direct answer as to why it was removed, but does confirm that the free trial has gone and adds, “most HBO Max providers no longer offer a free trial to new subscribers.” This suggests the lack of a free trial is not only when signing up to HBO Max directly, but also through partner services as well.
Some promotional options remain available
The change now means new customers will need to pay for the service upfront and then cancel HBO Max if it is not the right streaming service for them. While not ideal, the company’s FAQs do state that some ‘subscription and promotional offers’ might remain available. For example, HBO Max may reach out directly to some consumers offering a free trial via email.
Likewise, some other loyalty programs will, at times, continue to offer a free trial. As an example, Uber Rewards and Bloomingdale’s Loyallist members are currently both eligible for a 30-day free trial to HBO Max. Of course, most of these promotions and free access options will be targeted, which leaves the general consumer base with few options to guarantee a free HBO Max trial going forward.
Source: HBO Max
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