# How should apps show limited-time subscription discounts in paywalls?

Author: Ali Abouelatta
Source date: 2026-06-02
Tags: monetization, pricing, paywall, conversion
HTML: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/snapchat-special-offer-badge
Markdown: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/snapchat-special-offer-badge.md

Short answer: Make the discount impossible to miss, then guide users toward the intended plan. Snapchat changed the paywall headline to a 60% savings claim, added multiple discounted plan cards, marked annual as BEST VALUE, and put a SPECIAL OFFER badge on the purchase surface.

> Make the discount impossible to miss, then guide users toward the intended plan.

## Visuals

### Primary visual: Side-by-side Snapchat Plus paywall comparison with the original price-focused screen on the left and the discount-offer experiment on the right.

Image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/snapchat-special-offer-badge/01-control-vs-experiment.png
Original image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/snapchat-special-offer-badge/01-control-vs-experiment.png
Image description: Lazyweb Research comparison showing Snapchat Plus moving from a price-led subscription page to a discount-led paywall with 60% savings, plan cards, BEST VALUE annual marking, social avatars, and SPECIAL OFFER badge.

### Visual: Snapchat Plus control paywall with price-focused subscription messaging.

Image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/snapchat-special-offer-badge/02-control.png
Original image URL: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/photos5_snapchat/compare/h_IMG_4592.png_IMG_6029.png/IMG_4592.png
Image description: The control screen focuses on the subscription price and a simpler Snapchat Plus offer structure.

### Visual: Snapchat Plus experiment paywall with Save 60% headline, plan cards, and special offer badge.

Image URL: https://design.lazyweb.com/research-assets/snapchat-special-offer-badge/03-experiment.png
Original image URL: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/uploaded_snapchat/paywall/compare/2026-05-24/1779644329623_02_Snapchat-20260524-173847-03.png
Image description: The experiment screen anchors the decision on a 60% savings headline, shows multiple discounted plans, marks the annual option as best value, and adds a visible special-offer treatment.

## Evidence

Lazyweb Research compared Snapchat Plus screenshots where the experiment increased offer salience with percentage savings, tiered plan cards, annual-plan guidance, and offer badges.

## What changed

- Control: price-focused headline and simpler subscription presentation.
- Experiment: Save 60% on Snapchat+ headline, multiple discounted plans, BEST VALUE annual marking, social proof avatars, and SPECIAL OFFER badge.
- The experiment changed both the offer framing and the plan-selection architecture.

## Why it matters

- Discounts need visual hierarchy; burying the incentive forces users to calculate value themselves.
- Plan badges can turn a discount into a routing mechanism toward the higher-commitment option.

## Sources

- [1] Lazyweb Research: Most up to date mobile A/B test library tracking +1000 apps weekly. [Get access here](https://design.lazyweb.com/monetization#buy)

## Methodology

Product-experiment write-up by Ali Abouelatta, dated on June 2, 2026. Source links are listed below.

- [Lazyweb Research: mobile A/B test library](https://design.lazyweb.com/monetization#buy)

## Related research

- [How did Uber Eats test a benefit list against a benefit grid in its subscription paywall?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/uber-eats-benefit-list-paywall)
- [Should AI subscription paywalls use comparison tables to explain free versus paid plans?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/chatgpt-free-vs-plus-comparison-table)
- [Should subscription paywalls reduce copy density around free trials?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/strava-low-density-trial-paywall)