Surprise‑and‑Delight Credit

An unsolicited, no‑strings‑attached credit or feature unlock granted to a user, typically as a response to a milestone, a usage threshold, or a period of disengagement. The credit reframes the company’s relationship with the user from transactional to generous, triggering reciprocity and positive affect. It is a specific application of gift framing and is distinct from a discount because it does not reduce the price of an existing purchase; it adds something the user was not expecting. Surprise‑and‑delight credits are especially effective for recovering silently churned users who have stopped responding to conventional offers, because the gift interrupts the association between the product and the unfulfilled demand for payment.

Example: A SaaS platform notices a user who hasn’t logged in for 30 days and sends an email: “We’ve added 100 free automation credits to your account — they’re waiting for you.” The user returns, uses the credits, and later upgrades.