In today's podcast interview recap, we'll break down his entire strategy. Vahe has designed paywalls for dozens of high-profile apps including Claim, Cal AI, Quittr, and Rizz, and he's refreshingly transparent about what actually works versus what's just noise. His superpower? Looking at an app that seems healthy on the surface and pinpointing exactly how much money it's leaving on the table.
Our host, Joseph, covered a ton of ground with Vahe—from multi-step paywall mechanics to psychological triggers that boost conversions by 40%. As always, if you haven't seen the interview yet, definitely check that out right here. For now, on to the recap:
The revenue leak hiding in plain sight
Here's the thing most app founders don't realize: growth isn't just about acquiring more users. It's about fixing the leaks in your existing system. Vahe proved this with an entertainment app that was already pulling in 40,000-50,000 organic installs per month. Solid growth, right?
"We started to work together in April. They had like a 1.1% install-to-paid rate," Vahe explained. "From April to September, we got it from 1.1% to close to 4%."
That's nearly a 4x increase—without spending a single extra dollar on user acquisition. The app didn't change its product. It didn't launch new features. It just stopped hemorrhaging revenue through a poorly optimized paywall.
Think about it: if your onboarding and paywall experience are suboptimal, even high user engagement won't translate into commensurate revenue. You could have thousands of people loving your app, but if they're not converting to paid subscribers, you're essentially running a charity.
Why copying famous paywalls kills your conversion
The biggest mistake Vahe sees? Founders copying paywalls from competitors or "famous" apps without tailoring them to their own product's unique context.
"I speak with a lot of founders like, 'Oh, my friend has this paywall, it crashes it.' We copy the paywall that their friend has, test it, and it fails," Vahe said. "Happens like many, many times every week."
Here's where most people get it wrong: a health and fitness app and a productivity tool serve very different user needs and mindsets. User intent, demographics, and psychology all vary wildly. What works for a high-intent app like Cal AI (where users are motivated to lose weight) won't necessarily work for a utility app where purchase intent is lower.
Even apps operating with seemingly robust metrics—like an 81% trial start rate—can be leaving substantial revenue on the table. Vahe's seen that number leap to 90% with just a few strategic changes. But you can't unlock those gains by blindly copying someone else's homework.
The multi-step paywall that changed everything
Single-screen paywalls are the default for most apps. You hit users with an offer, they make a decision, and that's it. But Vahe's data tells a different story—multi-step paywalls that gradually guide users through the value proposition can boost conversion rates by 20-40%.
The Claim app provides a perfect case study. Instead of overwhelming users with one all-encompassing offer, Vahe's team designed a three-screen progression. The first screen introduced the app with appealing visuals and a clear message: "Try Claim for free." The second screen reinforced that users would receive a reminder before their trial ended—immediately alleviating anxiety about unexpected charges. The third screen provided the timeline and clear CTAs.
The genius move? They mentioned "free trial" five to seven times across those three screens.
"Just mentioning your product has a free trial one or two times is not enough," Vahe emphasized. "You should get into the user's head that this product is free. You don't have anything to lose if you just take it right now."
The result? A 34% trial start rate—more than double the benchmark of 15%.
How repetition crushes purchase anxiety
One of Vahe's core principles is risk reversal through repetition. When users see the same benefit reiterated multiple times, it works to reduce their hesitation. This isn't about being redundant—it's about maintaining constant reassurance that there's no hidden risk involved.
Take the payment card design. Most apps display something like "7-day free trial, then $59.99/year." But Vahe's team took a different approach: they labeled the annual plan simply as "Try it free" with the billing details underneath. No mention of "annual plan" or "yearly subscription"—just "try it free."
"We didn't call it a yearly plan. We say try it free because it's free," Vahe explained. "And on a CTA again we say try for free."
But here's the kicker—they also avoided specifying the trial length in the payment card itself. Users saw the 3-day timeline in the visual flow above, but removing it from the selection menu eliminated a critical psychological barrier. When users see "3-day free trial," many immediately think: "What if I forget to cancel? What if that's not enough time?"
By subtly removing that time constraint from the decision point, users focused on the benefit (it's free) rather than the obligation (I have to remember to cancel in 3 days).
The trial toggle that captures more demand
Not everyone wants a free trial. Some users prefer to skip the friction and pay immediately—especially if there's a discount involved. That's where the trial toggle comes in.
For the Rizz app—an AI-powered dating app that suggests conversation starters—Vahe's team implemented a toggle on the payment card. By default, users saw a 7-day free trial at $9.99 per week. But they could also toggle off the trial and purchase immediately for $6.99 per week—a $3 discount for skipping the trial.
"You are encouraging more direct purchases. You're trying to capture more demand because everyone is different," Vahe explained. "People want to be in control of how they want to spend their money."
The interesting part? The math works perfectly. A good trial-to-paid conversion rate is around 30%. By discounting the no-trial option by roughly 30%, you're essentially capturing the same revenue per user—you're just changing how they enter your funnel.
Around 10% of users will opt for the no-trial purchase, generating immediate revenue. And for apps doing paid acquisition, that upfront cash can make a massive difference in payback period.
Transaction abandonment done right
Most founders know about transaction abandonment paywalls—that last-ditch offer when users cancel out of the purchase dialog. But Vahe's approach takes it further.
His strategy: offer a discounted annual plan (only discount annual, never weekly or monthly), but give users the same trial toggle. If they take the trial, show an 80% discount. If they skip the trial, bump it to 90%. This way, you're capturing both user types: those who want to test the product and those who are price-sensitive but ready to commit.
"To maximize the impact of your transaction abandonment paywall, offer a free trial, but let users decide if they want to buy without free trial or without a free trial," Vahe said.
He also recommends adding an undiscounted monthly or weekly option below the discounted annual. You never discount this—it's just there as a comparison point. Very few users will select it, but its presence makes the discounted annual look like an incredible deal. That price anchoring can nudge users toward the higher-value option.
The spin wheel tactic borrowed from e-commerce
Discount offers are powerful, but static discount displays ("80% off!") are leaving engagement on the table. Vahe's solution? Gamify it with a spin wheel—a tactic borrowed directly from e-commerce sites.
Here's how it works: when users trigger a discount offer (whether on session start, transaction abandonment, or after canceling a trial), they see an animated wheel that spins and lands on a discount percentage—say, 80% or 90%. The user then taps to "claim" their discount and proceeds to the payment screen.
"The idea of this is let's try to add some sort of excitement before wanting money from users and second, making it like you did something and you won it, you earned it, now you should claim it," Vahe explained.
The takeaway? This interactive element transforms a passive discount into an active reward. Users feel like they've earned something special, which significantly increases the likelihood they'll follow through with the purchase. According to Vahe, this approach has generated double-digit conversion increases compared to static discount displays.
Placement strategy: Stop leaving money on the table
Paywalls aren't just for onboarding. Strategic placement throughout the user journey is critical for capturing every possible revenue opportunity.
Vahe recommends these high-leverage placements:
Session start: Present an offer once per day when users open the app. Every active user gets at least one subscription opportunity.
Contextual actions: If your app involves scanning, taking notes, or performing specific actions, show a paywall after every X actions. For example, in a coin-scanning app, prompt users after five scans with an upgrade offer.
Premium feature gates: If you offer limited free actions, remind users when they're about to hit their limit. "Hey, you're almost out of your free scans. Subscribe to keep unlimited scans."
Transaction abandonment: We've covered this, but it's worth repeating—this is one of your highest-converting placements.
The key is covering every possible touchpoint where users might be ready to convert. Each placement should be treated as an opportunity to recapture potential revenue.
The $3.33 pricing psychology
Here's a subtle detail most founders overlook: unconventional pricing can signal authenticity.
Vahe's Quittr app priced its annual plan at $3.33 per month—not $2.99, not $4.99, but $3.33. Multiply that by 12 and you get $39.96 per year. Why not just charge $36 or $40?
"If your product says $15 and if you test it against like $14.99, the $14.99 results in higher conversion," Vahe explained. "But what happens is people have developed some sort of defensibility and they know, 'Oh, they want to kind of trick me.' If it's a random number, it just feels more authentic."
The first number is what users see first—so $3.33 feels like $3. But that extra 33 cents per month translates to nearly $4 more per year, which can make a significant difference when you're doing paid acquisition. That $4 buffer gives you room to spend more on every ad while staying profitable.
Practical advice for app founders fixing paywalls now
If you're focused on monetization and ready to plug revenue leaks, here's Vahe's playbook:
Build your foundation first. Before you start experimenting, make sure you have all critical placements in place: onboarding paywall, session start, contextual actions, and transaction abandonment. Cover every touchpoint where users might convert.
Test multi-step paywalls immediately. If you're using a single-screen paywall, this is your highest-leverage change. Breaking information into digestible steps can boost trial start rates by 20-40%. Mention the free trial five to seven times across those screens—repetition kills anxiety.
Implement the trial toggle. Let users choose between a free trial and an immediate purchase with a discount. You'll capture more demand by serving both user types. Test different discount levels to find your sweet spot.
Gamify your discount offers. Add a spin wheel for discount reveals. Borrow tactics from e-commerce—users love the feeling of "earning" a deal. This can double your conversion uplift compared to static discounts.
Never discount weekly or monthly on transaction abandonment. Only discount your annual plan. This maximizes customer lifetime value while still providing a compelling offer.
Run continuous experiments. Even small tweaks—changing copy, adjusting discount percentages, reordering screens—can yield measurable improvements. Use tools like Superwall to test variations without rebuilding your entire paywall from scratch.
Wrapping up
Vahe's success isn't about one magic trick or a single "best" paywall design. It's about understanding user psychology, strategically placing conversion opportunities, and relentlessly testing to uncover what works for your specific audience. The tactics might vary by app category, user intent, and demographics—but the fundamentals stay the same: reduce anxiety, create urgency, and make users feel in control of their purchase decisions.
If you're running an app with decent engagement but underwhelming revenue, the problem probably isn't your product or your user acquisition strategy. It's your paywall. And as Vahe demonstrated with that entertainment app—going from 1.1% to 4% install-to-paid—you can nearly quadruple your revenue without spending another dollar on ads. You just have to stop the leaks.
The future of app monetization isn't about viral growth hacks or explosive user acquisition. It's about maximizing the value of every user you already have. Fix your paywall, test relentlessly, and watch the revenue compound.
As always, if you're ready to test your paywall, run price tests and more for your app, then you're already in the right spot. Sign up for a free Superwall account today!