You can make a membership free or discounted using Shopify's discount codes for subscription products. These work on the paid tiers you've set up in your community, whether you want to take a bit off, comp a few months, or make a membership permanently free.
How discounts apply
A subscription discount can work in one of three ways:
First payment only. Discount the first payment, then bill normally after.
A set number of payments. Discount a fixed number of payments, then bill normally.
All future payments. Discount every payment, like a permanently free membership.
How to create one
Log into your Shopify admin.
Go to Discounts → Create Discount.
Choose Amount off products or Order discount as the type.
Choose a discount code or an automatic discount.
Set the discount value, and set the purchase type to Subscription.
Search your Shopify inventory and select your paid community tier.
Set any purchase minimums, customer eligibility, and a maximum number of uses.
Choose how the discount recurs: first payment only, multiple payments, or all recurring payments.
Set any combinations and active dates.
Click Save.
Common questions
How do I make a membership permanently free for someone?
Set the discount to apply to all future payments at 100% off, and share the code with that fan. The membership stays free for as long as it's active.
Why isn't my discount working?
Make sure the purchase type is set to Subscription and the discount is applied to your paid community tier in Shopify inventory. A discount that isn't set to Subscription won't apply to a recurring membership.