Preply's trial lesson
A Preply trial is a paid first lesson with a tutor, not a free demo. If you're not satisfied, Preply can refund it in credits rather than cash. It exists to let you check tutor fit before committing to a subscription, not to let you sample the platform for nothing.
How the trial works
You book a lesson with a specific tutor at their listed rate, pay for it upfront the same way you would any other lesson, and attend it like a normal session. There is no separate "trial mode" interface. What makes it a trial is only that it's your first lesson with that tutor, which is also when Preply's one-time platform fee applies.
What happens after
Preply's stated position is that an unsatisfactory trial can be refunded in credits, which you can then put toward a lesson with a different tutor rather than losing the money outright. The exact wording and the time limit are published on Preply's own terms page, and we are confirming both before we quote either as fact.
What it costs
The tutor's own listed rate, plus Preply's 18% one-time platform fee, because the trial is your first lesson with that tutor. On a $20 tutor that is $23.60 for the lesson. There is no separate trial price and no discount for it being the first one.
Once you continue with the same tutor the fee is behind you, so the trial is the most expensive single hour you will buy from them. See how tutor rates vary on how tutor selection works.
01
Is the Preply trial lesson free?
No. You pay the tutor's listed rate for it, the same as any other lesson. It's a real first lesson, not a free sample.
02
What happens if I don't like the tutor?
You can typically get the trial refunded in credits and try a different tutor. It does not disappear as a sunk cost.
03
Does the trial include the platform fee?
Yes. Preply's one-time platform fee applies to your first lesson with any new tutor, which includes the trial.