If you’re looking to get free software, you should probably read this other article about TrialPay.

TrialPay increases a customer’s willingness to pay by removing the cost associated with your product. Let’s say that you have a customer that won’t purchase your product outright but he or she might be a good lead for a different company’s product or services. TrialPay lets you leverage the brand recognition of the advertisers in the TrialPay network to convert such customers. TrialPay saves your abandoned shopping carts and turns them into successful conversions by matching your customers with other preferred brands.

When your potential customers complete an advertiser’s offer (for example: signs up with freecreditreport.com to monitor their credit), you will receive money from the advertiser (worth the full price of your product) which allows you to give your product away for “free” to the customer. With TrialPay everybody comes out a winner – the customers get their free products, advertisers acquire new leads / customers, while merchants earn significant revenue from customers that would otherwise be lost.

Cost Per Action or Acquisition

TrialPay advertisers operate through an online advertising pricing model known as CPA. Rather than paying for clicks, the advertisers only pay when a specified action (such as a purchase or form submission) is completed. This payment process allows every party involved to be compensated quickly and efficiently. Once the action is completed by the customer, you will get paid by the advertiser which allows you to send out the product license (or whatever you’re selling) to the customer.

Will TrialPay actually improve sales?

Many merchants have reported that TrialPay does indeed increase conversion rates. If you would like proof, I suggest that you read the case studies hosted on the TrialPay site. Basically all you’ll need to do is add the TrialPay payment option to wherever your customers are exiting without making a purchase. Some popular placements include: exit pops/overlays, trial uninstall messaging, reactivation campaigns, e-mail messages, rewards programs, standard payment options and many more. TrialPay is excellent at walking you through and explaining the various ways to capture more conversions. There is zero commitment between you and TrialPay – if you aren’t happy with the results, simply stop using them. The TrialPay payment platform is completely free to use – they don’t charge you for processing payments or customer service. You will also receive comprehensive merchant services like custom graphics, marketing tools and fully developed html pages from TrialPay, free of charge.

TrialPay guarantees that you will be paid (at least) the minimum that you require for each transaction and you will usually receive more than that. Let’s say you’re charging $35 for your product, with TrialPay you will definitely receive $35 for each transaction – but you could also earn $40 or $50. If you’re receiving a direct sale from the customer, you will only get $35.

Final Ramblings

When I wrote this article, there were over twelve million shoppers using TrialPay. Personally, I have used TrialPay to obtain products that I would never seriously consider spending my money on. Getting such products for free when I spent the same money on other services/products just seemed to make sense though. At the very least, merchants should use TrialPay to confront customers that are abandoning their shopping cart or uninstalling their software. When the customer sees that there is an alternative payment method available, they may reconsider walking out on your product. TrialPay is especially effective when a customer learns that they can get your product for free when they try out something else that they were already interested in. If I’ve been thinking about joining BLOCKBUSTER Total Access for a while and then one day, I found out that by joining Total Access, I could get AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 for free – I would definitely be more likely to go through with it. Getting 2 things for the price of 1 is always enjoyable for customers. So, don’t let these customers slip through the cracks – offer TrialPay as a payment method for your products today.

In the past, I have tried a couple of small town banks and some of the hugest financial institutions. So far, the best financial services company that I’ve ever had the pleasure to be a member of is USAA. All of my income goes to USAA first and then I transfer my money out to wherever I may need it. USAA is convenient for transfers because they allow you to link numerous external accounts to your USAA checking/saving account. Once you setup a transfer, USAA is very quick with processing everything. When I make a transfer from an external account into my USAA account, they even front me the incoming money while the transaction is processing. This way, I can instantaneously have those funds available to me in case I really need then. Some banks (like WaMu) make you wait a few days before they even think about actually processing the transfer which then takes another couple of days. USAA won me over with their courtesy, trust and common sense when it comes to taking care of their customers. There aren’t a bunch of ‘gotta have it’ or ‘gee whiz’ features but they provide a professional and honest service. Other than a checking account, I rely on USAA for my auto insurance as well as term & universal life insurance policies for my wife and I.

In case you’re wondering, USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association. In order to be a member, you’ll need to be one of the following:

Getting to know USAA

USAA has been around since 1922 and was started by some twenty-five Army officers. With honesty, rather than slimy car salesmanship, USAA has provided financial security to over 6 million (and growing) members. I might also mention that USAA isn’t a publicly traded company; which means that stockholders aren’t calling the shots – instead, the company prefers to listen to their customers. USAA doesn’t have branches everywhere; the company conducts its business through the internet, phones and mail. Beginning in 1922 USAA basically operated through mailings; late in the 1960’s they adopted the use of phones but didn’t get a toll-free number until 1978. Considering that toll free numbers were available in 1967, I’m guessing that USAA was a little slow adapting to change or there just wasn’t a lot of need for phone based services. USAA started operating on the Internet in 1999 and have stayed in touch with technological changes ever since. When I wrote this article, their website was pretty slick. The pages load fast and I can manage every type of account that I have very easily once I login. USAA keeps an archive of your bank statements and other documents (like insurance policies) so that you can look at or print them in a matter of minutes. I can also communicate with USAA’s customer service through speedy email messages that are built in to their site.

USAA runs on integrity; employees don’t receive any commission for selling someone a bunch of different insurance policies that they don’t really need. USAA currently offers incredibly competitive checking, savings, loans, certificates of deposit, credit cards, mortgages, auto insurance, home & property insurance, life insurance, numerous investing options, and much more. USAA also provides a free financial assessment so that you can see where you need to improve your financial situation. The financial assessment is a good tool for anyone but it is especially important for any young military member who just left their parent’s house for the first time. If you are eligible to be a USAA member and are trying to reach a decision on whether you should choose USAA or not, I urge you to read this short article.

Subscriber’s Account

This is just icing on the cake and shouldn’t be a major consideration when deciding to join USAA. When you pay $X amount of money to USAA for some type of insurance policy, your money sits in an account. This account is your Subscriber Savings Account (SSA) and it’s something that you’ll never be able to see or mess with. You can pretty much assume that you will never see your insurance premiums again, however, every once in a while something magical happens. If USAA had an awesome year – one where the company’s investments did great and they didn’t have to cover a lot of member accidents or other catastrophic losses – then USAA may choose to give you some of your premium money back. SSA Distributions are never guaranteed, but I have received them on a fairly regular basis.

Subscriber’s Accounts are a unique feature of USAA membership. As a reciprocal insurer, USAA holds a portion of its capital in each member’s name in a Subscriber’s Account. The association may, at the discretion of the USAA Board of Directors, use these funds to support USAA’s mission and goals.

Subscriber’s Accounts play an important role in our financial structure by providing capital to satisfy legal and regulatory requirements, support current and future operations, and pay large unexpected losses, such as claims from catastrophes.

Each year, the USAA Board of Directors examines whether USAA’s capital exceeds its current and projected needs and requirements. As circumstances permit, the board may authorize a distribution from each member’s Subscriber’s Account. If the board authorizes a distribution, a member can choose to receive the Subscriber’s Account distribution by direct deposit, apply the Subscriber’s Account amount to a USAA auto and property insurance bill or receive a check.

Final Ramblings

If you qualify to be a member – definitely take advantage of USAA’s professional services. USAA strives to be the provider of choice for the military community. They have succeeded in that mission with me; I’d like for everyone to be able to experience the benefits of being a member of USAA.