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Tips & Strategies6 min read

Early-bird pricing for online courses: how much to take off, how long to run it and how to set it up

Early-bird pricing for your online course: how much off, real deadlines, limited places and set-up with an expiring code. $25/month billed annually.

WithMe Team·11 November 2026

Early-bird pricing is a lower price for the first buyers of a new course, for a set time or a set number of places. It works when the discount is worth acting on, usually 20% to 30% off, and the deadline is real. On WithMe you set it up with a promo code that has an Expiry Date and a Redeem Limit, shared as a link that applies the code at checkout, or with Discount Price, which shows the full price with a strikethrough.

WithMe is $25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial and 0% WithMe commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply. More than 8,000 creators use it.

Why offer an early-bird price?

It rewards the people who trust you first. Early buyers take a risk on a course with no reviews yet, and a lower price is a fair thank-you.
It gives your launch a deadline. Most people decide at the last minute, so a clear end date brings sales forward instead of letting them drift.
It tells you early whether the course will sell. If nobody takes a good early-bird offer, you learn that before you spend weeks on the full launch.

How much should an early-bird discount be?

A common range is 20% to 30% off. Less than 15% rarely changes when people buy. More than 40% starts to look like the full price was never real, and it makes later buyers feel they overpaid.

Work it out from the full price, not the other way round. Decide what the course is worth, set that as the price, then take the early-bird discount off it. If you are not sure what the full price should be, start with our guide to pricing an online course.

On a membership or community, a founding price can last: members who join early keep a lower price for as long as they stay. That is a stronger reason to join now than a one-off saving.

How long should an early-bird offer last?

A time limit of 3 to 7 days suits most launches. Shorter works for a warm list that has heard about the course for weeks. Longer loses the urgency.

A place limit, such as the first 50 buyers, works well for a cohort or a programme with live calls, where there really are limited places. You can combine both: the first 50 buyers or until Sunday, whichever comes first.

A pre-sale before the course is finished is another kind of early bird. Buyers pay less and get access as lessons are released. Say clearly what is ready now and when the rest arrives.

How do you keep early-bird pricing honest?

Use a real deadline and keep it. If you extend it, or the price never actually goes up, your next launch has no deadline, because people learn to ignore it.
Show a real full price. A was price should be the price you really charge after the offer. In many countries, including the UK and the EU, showing a reference price you never charge, or false urgency, can break consumer law.
Say what happens next. Tell people the date and time the price goes up, the time zone, and the new price. Then put it up.
Treat early buyers well when the price rises. Never run a bigger discount soon after the launch for the same course. If you have to, give early buyers something extra.

Which set-up should you use: a promo code or Discount Price?

A promo code with an Expiry Date is best for a time limit, because it stops working on its own. Add a Redeem Limit for a place limit. Share the Copy link in your launch emails and on Instagram, so buyers do not have to type the code. Everyone who arrives without the link sees the full price.

Discount Price is best when everyone should see the early-bird price on the page, with the full price shown above it with a strikethrough. It has no end date: on the deadline you turn it off yourself, and the full price is charged from then on.

On a membership, a price change only applies to new members. Existing subscribers stay on the price they joined at, so anyone who joins at an early-bird Discount Price keeps it. With a promo code, the Duration decides that: Lifetime keeps the discount, and 1 to 12 months discounts only the first payments.

How do you set up an early-bird price on WithMe?

Publish the course with its full price. Add a payment plan as the second price if you want one.
Open More, then Promo Codes, and click Create New Promo Code. Use a code such as EARLYBIRD with your name added, because codes are unique across WithMe.
Choose the Discount, from 5% to 100% in steps of 5%, and use Restrict to products to limit it to the new course.
Set the Expiry Date and time for the deadline, and a Redeem Limit for the number of early-bird places. After you create the code, check its end date and time on the Promo codes list. If it is not the deadline you announced, delete the code and create it again with the time adjusted, because a code's expiry cannot be edited.
Click Copy link and use the link in every launch email, your Instagram bio and stories, and an Auto DMs keyword.
Watch the redemptions on the Promo codes list, so you can tell people honestly how many early-bird places are left.

What should the launch emails say?

Announce the early-bird price, the deadline with its time zone and the number of places, and use one button with the discount link. Then send one reminder that adds a reason to buy, such as what is inside the course, and a last-chance email the day before the deadline. On WithMe each person gets at most one broadcast or timed sequence email from you a day, so space them out and schedule them with Schedule for later.

What is not included?

Promo codes are percent off only, not a fixed amount, and there is no limit per customer. After you create a code you can only change which products it covers, not its discount, limit or expiry. Discount Price has no end date, so you turn it off yourself.

How much does WithMe cost?

WithMe is $25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial and 0% WithMe commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply. Free migration of up to 10 GB of your courses and members comes with the yearly plan. One plan covers courses, memberships, community, coaching, webinars and digital products, with promo codes, payment plans and email built in.

Early-bird pricing questions

What is a good early-bird discount for an online course?

20% to 30% off the full price is a common range. It is enough to act on, and it does not make the full price look made up.

How long should early-bird pricing last?

3 to 7 days for most launches, or a set number of places, such as the first 50 buyers. Pick one deadline and keep it.

Can I limit early-bird pricing to the first 50 buyers?

Yes. Set a Redeem Limit of 50 on the promo code. The Promo codes list shows how many times it has been redeemed.

Can I show the full price crossed out?

Yes. Turn on Discount Price on the product. Buyers see the full price with a strikethrough and pay the lower price until you turn it off.

What does WithMe cost?

$25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial. WithMe takes 0% commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply.

Start your 14-day trial at https://www.withme.so/become-a-creator.