Temp mail for downloads, coupons, and free trials
Lots of sites ask for your email before they give you something small. Here is when a temporary address is the right answer, and when it will cause problems.
Good fits
- A free e-book, checklist, or report behind an email form.
- A one-off discount code from a shop you may never use again.
- Reading one article on a site that wants you to register.
- Trying a tool once to see if it does what you need.
- Wi-Fi sign-in pages in cafés and airports. See temp mail for public Wi-Fi.
In each case you need the email once, and you don’t want months of marketing afterwards.
Free trials: think before you use temp mail
A trial is different, because it often turns into something you keep. If you end up subscribing, you’ll need receipts, renewal notices, and password resets. Those can’t reach an inbox that ended after 24 hours.
Many trials also ask for a card and start charging when the trial ends. The reminder that it’s about to renew goes to your email. With a temporary address you may never see it, and you may struggle to log in to cancel.
One trial per person
Using temporary addresses to claim the same free trial or welcome offer again and again breaks most sites’ terms, and our acceptable use policy. It’s also a big reason sites block temporary email, which makes things harder for everyone.
A simple way to decide
- Just want the file or the code? Use a temporary address.
- Might pay, or keep the account? Use an email alias or your real address.
- Giving a card number? Always use an address you’ll still have.
Tips for downloads
- Open the inbox and copy the address before you fill in the form.
- Keep the tab open until the email arrives. Download links can expire.
- Save the file itself. The email and its link disappear when the inbox ends.