PureVPN has a lot to offer, including a great set of security tools, a huge network, and exceptional streaming ability. However, at $10.95 (GBP £8.29) per month, it’s not exactly the cheapest option. This service does offer a seven-day “trial” plan for $0.99 (GBP £0.75) but automatically signs you up for a year if you forget to cancel in time, which isn’t ideal.
What if we told you there was another option, one that would let you try PureVPN risk-free for a month? This VPN comes with a 31-day money-back guarantee, which means you can cancel for any reason and receive a full refund as long as it’s within 31 days of signing up. This will require you to make an upfront payment, but you can get all of your money back quickly and easily, as we’ll illustrate below.
How to hack PureVPN’s money-back guarantee
PureVPN makes signing up extremely simple, which means you can get started in minutes. Using the money-back guarantee is a common ‘hack’ for trying the service risk-free.
Here’s how to use the PureVPN free trial hack:
- First, load up the PureVPN website. Then you can click on ‘Get PureVPN’ on the homepage, or head to the pricing section.
- Choose one of the available plans. The money-back guarantee applies to all of these but the longer subscription options cost more, so we’d recommend using the monthly plan. If you decide to keep PureVPN, you can always upgrade and take advantage of the long-term discounts at a later date.
- Scroll down and enter your email address, as well as your desired password. Select a payment method too, being sure to avoid any marked “Non Refundable”. These include cryptocurrencies, Google Play credit, or Apple app store credit.
- Next, click on the big green Pay button at the bottom of the page. You’ll be presented with a new screen asking how you plan to use the service. Your answer doesn’t seem to matter, so just choose any option. You’ll then be prompted to download the app, so do this now.
- Once the PureVPN app is installed, open it and click Login. The app will ask you to log into the website, so do this now. That’s all there is to it; you now have full, unrestricted access to PureVPN for as long as your subscription lasts. Just remember to cancel in time to claim your refund (more on this below).
How to cancel your PureVPN subscription
Decided not to keep using PureVPN? Not a problem: we’ll walk you through the cancellation process and explain how you can get a refund with just a few simple steps.
Here’s how to cancel your PureVPN subscription:
- Visit the PureVPN website and click the circular icon (or Live chat button, depending on which page you’re on) in the bottom-right of the screen. This will open a support window.
- One of the suggested help articles is called “What’s the Cancellation Process” but this is out of date and no longer accurate, so it’s no help here. Instead, click on Send us a message.
- At the bottom of the chat window, click Sales or Billing, then type a quick message saying you’d like to claim a refund.
- A customer support representative should reply shortly after, asking for details like your registered email address. They may also ask why you’ve decided to cancel, but don’t feel like you have to provide a reason if you don’t want to.
- Congratulations, you’ve now successfully used PureVPN for a month without paying a cent. PureVPN aims to process refund requests within 24 hours, although it can take up to 30 days for payments to show in your account, depending on your payment provider.
Common problems with VPN trials
Most major VPNs don’t offer free trials anymore. Even if you find one that does, it’s likely there’ll be some sort of catch to be aware of. Providers have come up with plenty of ways to keep users on the hook. We’ve explained a few of these below:
- Limited features: You’ll often find that free trial accounts only have access to a handful of servers. They may also have a low monthly bandwidth cap, certain features restricted, or speed limits in place. You also won’t find premium features like a kill switch or split tunneling functionality. A free trial for a service like this isn’t much use, since it doesn’t provide an accurate idea of how the full app would work, should you decide to upgrade to a paid account.
- Small print: It pays to read a service’s refund policy thoroughly before signing up, because some include caveats that allow providers to wriggle out of refunding you. For instance, we’ve seen VPNs that refuse to give users money back if they’ve used a certain amount of data, if they’ve used the service in ways the provider disagrees with, or if the customer paid using a specific payment method.
- Difficult to cancel: Some VPNs make it extremely difficult to cancel your account. They may only allow you to do this via email, for instance. This allows them to claim they didn’t receive your request in time (assuming they reply at all). Less scrupulous providers may not have a cancellation process at all, which forces you to manually cancel payments with your bank.
- Set to automatically renew: It’s not uncommon for VPN subscriptions to automatically renew. However, this can be a huge shock when your trial ends and you’re immediately billed for a full year of service. Most reputable services will have an automatic renewal option somewhere in their settings that can be easily turned off.
PureVPN free trial: FAQs
What’s the difference between a free trial and a money-back guarantee?
A free trial is just that: free. There’s no upfront payment required, but usually certain aspects of the service will be limited to encourage you to upgrade to the paid version of the software. You’ll usually only have access for a few days too, since the provider most likely won’t want you getting too comfortable with the free version.
In contrast, a money-back guarantee is a commitment to give you a refund as long as certain conditions are met. The key difference here is that you need a paid account to take advantage of these. In other words, you have full, unrestricted access to the software for as long as your chosen subscription lasts, but can also choose to get your money back if you’re unsatisfied. Usually, you’ll have to ask for a refund within a month or so, though some providers have other criteria to meet as well.
Does PureVPN provide a smooth streaming experience?
PureVPN is known for its smooth streaming capabilities. It has a vast network of servers globally, including some explicitly optimized for streaming. This means you can enjoy stable and fast connections, which is essential for uninterrupted streaming. PureVPN excels in bypassing geo-restrictions, allowing you to access a wide range of content from different regions.
While it generally offers good speeds, your experience may vary depending on where you are, which server you choose, and your internet conditions. It’s also compatible with various devices, making it convenient for different streaming setups. For the best experience, it’s a good idea to try it out yourself, maybe through their trial or money-back guarantee.
Can I get a PureVPN refund?
Getting a PureVPN refund is easy, provided you paid with PayPal or a credit card. As long as it’s been less than 31 days since you signed up, you can simply contact customer support and let them know you’d like a refund. The easiest way to do this is via live chat, but you could also fire an email over to help@purevpn.com if you’d prefer.
How long is PureVPN’s guarantee period?
PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee. This is a day longer than most of its rivals, and PureVPN specifically states that this lasts exactly 31 days, down to the minute. In other words, if you signed up at noon on March 1, you’d have until noon on March 31 to claim a refund.
