Making the Annual Plan the Default Selection A/B Test

Visitors who never touch the billing selector in session recordings, support requests about annual billing, and survey answers from users who missed the annual discount raise the question of whether the monthly plan wins only because it is preselected. If the default really drives the choice, the annual plan selection share goes up while the paid subscription start rate holds steady. If billing questions stem from an unclear price explanation, fix that first, and keep cancellation and refund terms visible on the page in both arms.

Revenue per assigned user

Include non-buyers and use the same measurement window and revenue basis for monthly and annual plans.

Also track

• Paid subscription start rateCompare paid subscription starts across the monthly and annual defaults.
• Annual plan selection shareReport plan selection; choosing the annual plan does not by itself prove revenue improved.
• Cancellation or refund rateCompare subscriptions with the same completed follow-up period.
• Billing-related support requestsTrack questions about billing period or charges using the same visitor denominator.

• DefaultCompare monthly selected by default with annual selected by default.
• DiscountKeep the annual discount and its wording unchanged.
• Price disclosureShow annual total, monthly equivalent and billing schedule clearly in both arms.
• SelectorUse the same visible selector and allow visitors to change their selection.
• AudienceReview small-team and enterprise users separately.

1. 1A higher annual plan selection share does not prove a revenue gain. Compare revenue per assigned user on the same accounting basis without counting upfront payment as recurring revenue; if paid subscription starts drop or billing-related support requests rise, do not ship.
2. 2The result is limited to this discount and this billing selector; review small-team and enterprise users separately. Compare cancellations and refunds only on subscriptions whose follow-up period has ended, since early numbers can mislead. On mobile, check that the selected billing period is obvious and that the monthly option stays easy to find.
3. 3Revenue per user varies far more than a simple conversion rate, because annual and monthly amounts differ so much. If the result is unclear, enter the current paid subscription start rate and the lift you want to detect in the sample size calculator to see the users needed per arm before you extend the test. That figure does not cover the revenue gap, which is noisier, so read revenue with even more caution.