How do I sell a lifetime deal before launch?
The problem“I want to pre-sell a lifetime deal to fund the build. How do I take the money before the product exists?”
Create a one-time payment link, cap the number of deals, and write down what “lifetime” covers and when you will launch, with a full refund if you miss the date. You do not need the product live to take payment. A pre-sale is still a sale, so VAT and sales tax are due when the buyer pays.
Seven steps to a pre-sale
| Step | How |
|---|---|
| 1. Write down what lifetime means | Say exactly what the buyer gets: which plan, which limits, and whether future features are included. “Lifetime” means the life of the product, so say that too. |
| 2. Cap the number of deals | Sell a fixed number of seats, for example the first 100. A cap keeps the deal special and stops one-time payments from replacing the monthly revenue you will need later. |
| 3. Set a price that funds the build | Price it as a few years of the monthly plan you intend to charge, so the deal pays for building the product rather than discounting it forever. |
| 4. Create a one-time payment link | You do not need the product live to take money. A hosted checkout link with a one-time price works from a landing page, an email or a tweet. |
| 5. Promise a refund date | Write the launch date and offer a full refund if you miss it. Pre-sale buyers are trusting you; a clear refund promise also keeps chargebacks down. |
| 6. Collect tax on the sale | A pre-sale is a sale. VAT and sales tax are due when the buyer pays, not when you ship. A merchant of record handles this for you. |
| 7. Give buyers access later | Keep the buyer list with email and order ID. At launch, send each buyer an invite or a license key tied to that order. |
Price the deal
Working out the monthly plan first makes the lifetime price easy: pricing digital products, credits or subscription for an AI product, and the MRR calculator. To see what each sale leaves after fees, use the fee calculator.
Taking the money without your own Stripe account: do I need a merchant of record and Stripe alternatives.
Related questions
How do I take payments for a lifetime deal before launch?
Create a one-time price on a hosted checkout, put the link on your landing page, cap the number of deals, and write down what lifetime covers and when you will launch. Keep the buyer list so you can give each buyer access at launch.
Is a pre-sale lifetime deal a good idea?
It is a good way to test whether people will pay before you build. The risk is selling too many: every lifetime buyer is a customer who never pays again. A cap and a price of a few years of the monthly plan keep that risk small.
Do I have to charge VAT on a pre-sale?
Yes. VAT and sales tax are due when the buyer pays. If you sell through a merchant of record, it collects and pays them for you.
What if I cannot launch on time?
Tell buyers early and offer the refund you promised. Refunding on request is cheaper than a chargeback.
Price your lifetime deal right
Paste your landing page or product link. Pricing Intelligence tells you what to charge and how to package it, before you sell the first deal. Free, no card.
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