Claude's Retention Plan After Mass Exodus to OpenAI Codex

Claude has a problem: its $100 monthly plan is costly and has tight limits. Codex, its competitor, is stronger, cheaper, and has fewer limits. People can buy 2 Codex accounts for $40, save $60, and get almost no limits.

To fight back, Claude recently created 2 special deals. But these are only to win back former users and attract new ones. Current paying customers don't get these offers.

Claude's 2 Special Promotional Offers

Claude created 2 special promotions to try to win them back or attract new users.

Offer 1: Free Month for New Users with Work Emails

• Must sign up with a company email (not personal emails like Gmail or Yahoo)

• This is meant to attract business users

• Offer ends October 30, 2025

Offer 2: Free Month for Former Paying Users

• For people who cancelled their expensive Claude plans in the last 120 days

• Gives them free access to Claude's best features for a month

• Must be claimed between October 29 and November 1

Why These Groups Were Chosen

Claude is focusing on people most likely to become paying customers:

Work email users represent companies with budgets. Converting one business user could lead to an entire team signing up.

Former subscribers have already shown they're willing to pay for premium tools. They left (possibly for Codex) but might return if they see improvements.

Current subscribers are already paying and staying, so Claude doesn't need to offer them incentives.

Loyal customers subsidize the comeback campaign

Existing subscribers pay full price while Claude courts those who left. The terms make it clear: "Existing paid subscribers are not eligible."

This prevents gaming the system. You can't cancel just to get the free month, then resubscribe. You must stay cancelled through the promotion period.

The logic is simple but harsh:

• Loyal users already converted (low churn risk)

• Lapsed subscribers need incentive to return (high acquisition value)

• Budget goes where conversion probability is highest

Gyms use the same playbook. New members get deals. Loyal members pay premium. It works because switching is painful enough to keep people subscribed.

What competition forced Claude to reveal

These promotions expose Claude's position. OpenAI launched a better competitor and users left. Claude's response was to spend money to win them back.

The strategy is ruthlessly efficient:

• Company email filter = high-value enterprise leads

• Former Max users = proven willingness to pay premium

• Existing customers = already retained, no budget needed

While loyal subscribers might feel overlooked, Claude is betting that the inconvenience of switching to another service will keep them from leaving.

Top Tweets of the day

1/

Smart trick!!

2/

Cool idea for marketing department.

3/

New nightmare unlocked. Never depend on 3rd-party platform. One of my friends got rekt twice by Apple on Apple Developer Account.

Rabbit Holes

1. Head of Growth at Lovable | The Collapse of Pre-Ai Distribution Moats, and How to Build New Ones

2. Earning $10K with 161 Lines of JavaScript

3. Claude Code is a Beast – Tips from 6 Months of Hardcore Use

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