Most people take online security for granted until they fall victim to online fraud. That’s when they scramble to search for security measures to prevent lightning from striking twice in the digital world.
Installing a VPN (Virtual Private Network) has been recommended by IT experts to prevent hackers from intercepting sensitive information. Lately, a relatively new VPN has joined the fray of a hundred others vying for your attention—Surfshark.
In this guide, we will show you how to claim your free trial with Surfshark and access all the features offered to premium members. With 30 days to try it out, you’ll be able to test out each aspect of Surfshark to your heart’s content.
Should I Trust Free VPNs?
The growing need for online safety and privacy has to lead to an increasing number of VPNs. Some of these VPNs can be activated without paying for subscriptions. But should you trust free VPNs?
Unknown to non-technical users, most of the free VPNs lack security as they use obsolete encryption that is known to be vulnerable. Free VPNs are also usually littered with ads and mistakenly clicking on the ads may lead you to untrustworthy sites. Their services are also usually quite limited.
Some free VPNs may have dubious logging policies and you could risk having your data sold to third parties. It’s wise to avoid free VPNs and subscribe to reputable ones in the industry.
Why You Should First Try a Paid VPN
A VPN is only as good as it claims until you try it out. Common sense dictates that you shouldn’t be risking your money for services like a VPN until you’re sure that it meets all your requirements. By trying out a VPN you can:
Test the VPN’s maximum security
Every VPN claims to be boosted with industry-grade protocol and encryption to protect your privacy and security online. However, there are some cases where VPNs can suffer from DNS-leaks, which exposes your IP address despite turning the service on. Trying out a VPN with its maximum security ensures that your online security is not compromised.
Check if the VPN is easy for you to use
Setting up and using a VPN should be a hassle-free affair. But that definition may vary between users. By first trying out a VPN for free, you’re able to decide if the user interface has an easy learning curve or if navigation will be a nightmare.
Check if the VPN can access your favorite services
The ability to access Netflix while travelling abroad is one factor that has drawn users to subscribe to a VPN. Most VPNs claim that they are Netflix-friendly. However, there’s a huge difference between accessing Netflix via a single VPN server versus dozens of them. It’s best to try it out if you’re a Netflix fan.
Try out the customer service
Also, if you’re not technically inclined, or have the time to figure out how to work things on your own, you’ll want responsive customer support. And there’s no better way to verify that by reaching out to the virtual help desk from a free trial account.
Why Surfshark?
Surfshark is a feature-packed VPN that claims to offer sound security and privacy to online providers. But as wise consumers, you wouldn’t want to take those claims at face value, especially if stated on its website.
Instead, you’ll want to get your hands on Surfshark and try out all the features for yourself before determining if it is the right VPN for you. This relatively new VPN boasts the following:
Excellent security
If online security is your primary concern, you’ll find that the choice of OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec coupled with the AES-256-GCM encryption, will keep you safe from the prying eyes of hackers and government agencies.
Strict no-logging policy
The strict no-logging policy and the fact that Surfshark is registered in the British Virgin Islands means it is not obliged to share users’ data with authorities.
Netflix-friendly
For Netflix fans, Surfshark does not disappoint. A great number of servers allow access to Netflix, including those located in the US, UK, and Canada. Of course, you’ll need a reliably fast connection speed, and Surkshark is up to scratch in that respect.
No limit on devices
While its competitors often restrict connections to a limited number of devices, Surfshark does away with such limitations. That means you can connect every device that you own to Surfshark with a single account.
Killswitch + extra features
Besides the standard killswitch, Surfshark has a couple of features that can be handy. The MultihopTM allows enhanced protection by connecting to servers in multiple countries simultaneously. If you’re obsessed with privacy, you can turn on the Camouflage Mode which renders your ISP clueless to the fact that you’re using a VPN.
The Surfshark app has a minimal design and is easy to use. But if you stumble across any problems, help is only a click away, in the form of a live chat. Alternatively, you can leave Surfshark a message on its contact form.
Is Surfshark VPN free?
Surfshark VPN is not free. The service is offered on a subscription basis. You can pay for a 1-month, 12-months or 24-months subscription and enjoy huge savings for the long-term plans.
While you’ll need to pay to use Surfshark, you can try it out risk-free during the 30-days trial period. During the trial period, you could ask for a refund if you intend to stop using Surfshark.
Understandably, this is not exactly the type of Surfshark free trial that you’re looking for, at least not on the PC version. It’s natural that you’ll be questioning if you’ll actually get back your money if you’re not happy with the service.
However, rest assured that getting refunded during the paid trial period is fairly easy. Just contact Surfshark’s customer support and indicate that you’ll like a refund. It will be processed with no questions asked.
Does this mean that it’s impossible to try out Surfshark without paying anything upfront?
No. Check out the following section and find out how to activate Surfshark’s free trial.
How to Get Surfshark’s Free Trial—the Details
Technically, you don’t get a free trial with Surfshark in the strictest sense, unless you’re using an Android or iOS device. For these devices, Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial where you don’t need to pay anything for trying out all of its features. You will still need to enter your credit card details, but will not be charged if you cancel the subscription within those 7 days.
All of the plans on Windows and macOS offered by Surfshark require a minimum financial commitment. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t try Surfshark for free.
Surfshark offers a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee on any of its subscription plans. That means you’re able to try out its premium features for 30 days and request a full refund during the trial period.
The reason why it’s better to make use of the money-back guarantee instead of a “traditional” free trial is that, usually, free trials have limited features and they don’t allow users to test out the full potential of the service. With the money-back guarantee, you have full access to all the features which allows you to test every aspect of the VPN to see if it meets your requirements.
By subscribing to Surfshark’s free trial, you’ll have access to a highly-secure VPN, considerably quick connection, and the access to Netflix from its range of servers. Also, you’ll get to check out its customer support, which is an important factor when choosing a VPN.
Technically, there’s no difference from Surfshark’s free trial than a regular paid subscription, except that you’re able to get your money back within the first 30 days.
How to Activate Surfshark’s Free Trial
If you’re ready to take advantage of Surkshark’s free trial, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to Surfshark’s website and click on the Get Started button.
2. Choose any of the subscription plans. They are all covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee policy.
3. Enter your email to create an account.
4. Select your preferred payment method from the list provided. Fill in the details where applicable and click Complete Purchase.
5. Confirm your order in the payment page as follows.
6. Click Continue to your Surfshark account.
7. You will be redirected to a screen with a system-generated password. It is advisable that you change the password.
8. After changing the password, hit back to access your account.
9. Download the Surfshark app for your device.
10. We’ve downloaded the Windows version of Surfshark and installed the application. Once the installation is done, click Run to launch Surfshark.
11. Log in with your credentials on the Surfshark client app.
12. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be greeted with a dashboard and you can start connecting to a VPN server.
13. You’re now able to enjoy an unlimited free trial of Surfshark for 30 days.
How to Claim Your 30-Day 100%-Money-Back Guarantee From Surfshark
Surfshark claims that it’s the fastest VPN, but don’t take its word without trying it out. Understandably, you’ll be hesitant to pay for a service without testing out its features. Thankfully, you can leverage the Surfshark money back guarantee policy, which grants you full access to premium features risk-free for 30 days.
If you’re happy with Surfshark, you can continue the subscription without any other procedures. Otherwise, you can request your money back as long as it’s within the 30 days of the free trial period.
Here’s how to initiate a refund request from Surfshark.
1. Go to Surfshark’s website and click Help on the top menu. You can request a refund by using the live chat, contact form, or sending an email to support@surfshark.com. In this case, we’re going to use the contact form. Click Submit a Request to open up the contact form.
2. Fill in your email address and select billing. Then, indicate that you’d like to cancel your subscription and get a refund in the Description box.
3. Click Submit to send the refund request. You’ll be contacted by Surfshark within 24 hours and confirm that you want to get a refund.
Of course, if you can’t wait for 24 hours, you can use the live chat support to request your money back.
Summary
It’s always a great idea to try out all the features of a VPN service before you make a long-term financial commitment. There’s a great difference between trying out a free limited plan and enjoying full access to the features of a VPN without worrying about paying for it.
Whether you’re enticed by its security or the Netflix-friendly feature, Surfshark is a newcomer that deserves your attention. While it doesn’t have a free subscription plan, we have shown how you can make use of the 30-day money-back guarantee to try out the VPN.
By requesting a refund during the trial period, you’re able to try out the full potential of Surfshark. It has solid security, and your privacy online is guaranteed. Besides, Surfshark is Netflix-friendly and has a reliable quick connection.