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Strava should enable gift subscriptions again


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https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001685450-Gifting-a-Subscription states:

"For the time being, we have removed the option to gift a subscription to an athlete. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience."

This seems to be a really bad idea. I was just looking up how to give a gift subscription. If it isn't possible, I'll be spending my Christmas gift money elsewhere.

Strava should consider enabling gift subscriptions again and stop throwing income away.

Best answer by Scout

Hello!

We’re happy to report that gifting is back! Using the Strava website you can purchase a year’s worth of premium features for your family members or friends, with a limit of one per purchase. Click here to purchase a gift subscription. For more information, please check out our help page

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56 replies

  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • December 10, 2022

It’s weird that this isn’t an option. Why would they remove it? It’s literally free money for them for almost no effort on their part except some sort of gift card redeeming service (which used to exist). I have wanted to gift two people Strava at this point.


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  • Hub Starter
  • 3 replies
  • December 15, 2022

I agree, @SSynan .  This was a perfect gift to several of my cycling friends who would not normally pay for a subscription.  Strava had a marketing-free method to generate revenue and subscribers.  As @ron_anejo said, I will be spending my Christmas money elsewhere.


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • January 21, 2023

This is really weird, has anyone heard from Strava why they would do this?


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  • Hub Starter
  • 3 replies
  • February 22, 2023

@Soren Any news related to this subject?


Soren
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  • Strava Alumni
  • 1140 replies
  • February 24, 2023

We appreciate the interest on gifting a Subscription and appreciate the discussion around this topic. Our gifting platform needed an overhaul and we are hoping to bring it back in 2023. We know that this ability is missed and we’ll absolutely let the community know when it’s coming back!


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • April 28, 2023

Hi @Soren , is there any update on this? I gifted a subscription to someone last year and was planning to do the same again this year. A prompt resolution would be appreciated as their last one has now expired and they will be without a subscription until this feature is back!


Soren
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  • Strava Alumni
  • 1140 replies
  • May 8, 2023

Hey there, we unfortunately aren't bringing gifting back this year, it's on the back burner for now. I will resurface this with our product team and let them know about the interest you've all expressed!


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • May 25, 2023

Bumping this again... beyond strange I can't gift a yearly subscription to Strava.  Can't imagine what product management is thinking (or not thinking).  How hard is this? 


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Thanks for the update and transparency. I wanted to share that I found this thread while trying to gift subscription upgrades to 2 people I ride with. I guess they will stay on the free tier. 


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • June 9, 2023

Hi @Soren , is there any update? I want to gift a subscription but It's now available yet 😞


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I was just hoping to buy a year-long gift subscription for someone. Dang! I really hope the option becomes available again in the future. 


Soren
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  • Strava Alumni
  • 1140 replies
  • June 13, 2023

Hi, I shared an update in this thread earlier in May: "we unfortunately aren't bringing gifting back this year, it's on the back burner for now. I will resurface this with our product team and let them know about the interest you've all expressed!" -- sorry!


VikK
Superuser
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  • Superuser
  • 91 replies
  • June 13, 2023

A cynic might say there won't be any gifting until all the price rises have completed in 2023. Otherwise you could buy many years worth of subs at the old price. 


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  • Hub Starter
  • 2 replies
  • June 14, 2023

Looks like Strava want to lose some paid users or want to force people to self-renewing subscriptions model... Well... I can live without this gift. Friend will not make me this gift in this year and probably never again because gifts will not back. Your lose.


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • June 14, 2023

This is a really disappointing decision by Strava. I've given gift subscriptions to both of my sons in recent years, and I'm sorry that I won't be able to do that again. It strikes me as a very poor business decision that will drive users away. Please reconsider.


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • June 15, 2023

Really strange idea, I found this when looking to buy my wife's subscription as a birthday present. Even stranger that no reasoning has been given for it. The strange world of modern customer service where you tell us it's a great idea, and you 'want' to bring it back but give no explanation for why you have withdrawn a service. I find it patronising and ubiquitous amongst modern companies with a stranglehold on a model. You don't listen and just offer platitudes. Time to find a business that wants to work with its customers. 


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I've just tried to find how to buy a gift subscription for my son only to find that this is no longer an option. I've never come across a company before who refuses to accept business from so many customers! Surprising business decision!!!!


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • July 7, 2023

Just want to continue to echo other statements of frustration.  So frustrated with Strava ever since nce you all started mucking up the payment system.  Raising prices, ok has to happen, but the manner in which Strava has managed to bungle the pricing increase and eliminate the gift subscription is very disappointing. 


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  • Hub Starter
  • 1 reply
  • July 21, 2023

strava dont want my money... hmmm...


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  • Hub Starter
  • 3 replies
  • September 3, 2023

I did NOT renew my own subscription over this.  This issue, plus the rate increase that Strava recently made has turned me off of them.  Garmin Connect and Ride with GPS offers similar features for much less.  


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  • Hub Starter
  • 3 replies
  • September 11, 2023

And please, If the possibility is returned to active duty, enable us to choose between 1, 3, 6, 12 months


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  • Hub Starter
  • 2 replies
  • September 28, 2023

Today I lost Strava features... They gave me 3 free months, well... Thanks I had fun with Strava and probably this is the end of this adventure. I'm against subscriptions and gifts was a good way to have this features or good way to give them to someone. I had many situations where automatic flag of activities doesn't work and I made some work for Strava for free in many cases. Probably I'll miss route creator but we have alternatives. It's kind of strange but probably will be not so bad. Anyway I don't care about places outside the top ten 😅


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  • Hub Starter
  • 6 replies
  • October 5, 2023

I imagine they're blocked by Google and Apple from doing so, but they can't tell us that. I've seen other apps that don't accept gifts too, instead encouraging gifts through the app stores.


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  • Hub Starter
  • 6 replies
  • October 5, 2023

To answer everyone's question: they're probably blocked by Apple and Google from offering direct gift card payments, and probably can't or don't want to tell us that. I've seen other apps do the same and no longer offer gift cards. Instead, they have to encourage gifts be purchased through the app stores, so Apple/Google get their 30% fee. Apps face removal from the app stores if they offer direct payments. But you can give an Apple App Store or Google Play Store gift card to friend and family and simply write "For Strava Premium" on it.


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  • Hub Starter
  • 3 replies
  • October 5, 2023

Interesting theory.  However, I disagree with the argument that Strava can't tell us that.  Indeed they should.  If this is true, their message could have read "Due to restrictions from Apple and Google app store agreements, we can no longer....". Why would that be such a huge secret?


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