# Add a Payment Method During Your Free Trial

> Step-by-step guide to adding a payment method securely through the Stripe customer portal before your OptionData free trial ends.

OptionData uses the Stripe customer portal to collect and store payment methods securely. You do not enter card or bank information directly into OptionData.

Adding a payment method does **not** end your free trial. Your trial continues until its scheduled end date, and any future charge follows the price and terms shown for your subscription.

## Before you start

- Sign in to your OptionData account.
- Complete the qualification survey so your free trial is active.
- Confirm the price shown on the [Billing page](/billing), including any promotion that has been applied.

## Step 1: Find the trial reminder

When your Pro Plan trial is active and Stripe does not have a payment method for it, OptionData displays a reminder at the top of every dashboard page.

The reminder shows:

1. How many calendar days remain in your free trial.
2. An **Add payment method** button that opens Stripe securely.

![Annotated OptionData trial banner showing the remaining trial days and the Add payment method button](/docs/add-payment-method/optiondata-trial-banner-annotated.png)

Select **Add payment method**.

## Step 2: Choose a payment method in Stripe

OptionData redirects you to a Stripe-hosted page. Confirm that the browser address begins with `https://billing.stripe.com/` before entering payment information.

On the Stripe page:

1. Choose an available payment method. The choices can vary by country and account.
2. Enter the required payment and billing details.
3. Review the authorization text, then select **Add**.

![Annotated Stripe payment form showing the payment method choices, required fields, and Add button](/docs/add-payment-method/stripe-payment-method-form-annotated.png)

> **Screenshot note:** The example above was captured in Stripe test mode, so it contains no real payment information. Production follows the same steps without the **Test mode** badge.

## Step 3: Return to OptionData

After Stripe saves the payment method, it redirects you back to OptionData. The trial reminder disappears after OptionData confirms that Stripe can charge the trial subscription when it ends.

You can also open [Billing](/billing) to review your trial end date, subscription, and standard billing amount.

## If the reminder remains visible

1. Reload the OptionData page once.
2. Open [Billing](/billing) and select **Manage Subscription** to confirm the payment method in Stripe.
3. If Stripe shows the method but OptionData still shows the reminder, contact [OptionData Support](/support).

Do not send full card or bank details to OptionData support. Stripe should remain the only place where you enter that information.

## Frequently asked questions

### Will I be charged immediately?

Adding a payment method does not itself end the free trial. The subscription remains in its trial period until the scheduled end date.

### Why do I not see the reminder?

The reminder appears only for an active Pro Plan trial that does not already have a usable payment method. If you already added one, the reminder stays hidden.

### Can I update the payment method later?

Yes. Open [Billing](/billing), select **Manage Subscription**, and update the payment method in the Stripe customer portal.