When to use a plan override vs a coupon to give a customer $0 pricing

Both a plan override and a coupon can produce a $0 charge, but they behave differently on the invoice, in how long the $0 pricing lasts, and in how much setup work is required. Use a plan override for a clean invoice with no discount line, and a coupon when you want the discount to show explicitly or expire automatically.

How each works

Plan override. Sets the charge price to $0 directly on the subscription, in one API call (POST /api/v1/subscriptions with plan_overrides). The invoice shows the charge at $0 with no separate discount line, so there is no visible deduction. The $0 price persists until the subscription is moved to a different plan.

Coupon. Leaves the original charge price unchanged and applies a deduction that appears as a named line in the invoice summary, for example "Pilot discount: -$100". Setup takes two steps: apply the coupon to the customer (POST /api/v1/applied_coupons), then create the subscription. In the UI, applying a coupon is faster than zeroing out each charge individually. A coupon's frequency setting (once, recurring, or forever) can expire the discount automatically, and it applies at the customer level, covering all of that customer's subscriptions at once.

Which to use

Use a plan override when Finance needs the invoice to show $0 directly, with no discount line. Use a coupon when you want the original price visible alongside an explicit discount, when the $0 pricing should expire automatically, or when one action needs to cover a customer with multiple subscriptions.

This article reflects guidance drawn from customer case resolutions. It is not officially supported documentation and may not apply to all situations.