It’s about what pisses off fewer customers. If I was stubborn and believed everything I read on HN about customers, I would continue to piss off a lot of people

It’s about what pisses off fewer customers. If I was stubborn and believed everything I read on HN about customers, I would continue to piss off a lot of people by designing under the assumption that I should only get CC details at the end of the trial. For certain types of customers, it is surprising and annoying to have to fill out CC info at the end of a trial. The customer gets the notice the trial is ending soon, but ignores the part about adding CC info to keep using after the trial. Then the day comes, we get them on the phone to ask if they will stay with us, they say yes but the person who has control of the CC is gone for the day. You’re not really going to turn it off are you? Sorry, but we have to. So the easy solution is to make the credit card form recommended but skippable. Skippers just need to know that the trial won’t be extended if they can’t pay. In either case, they still need to give the OK to charge at the end of the trial.