A lifetime deal is a one-time payment that gives a customer access to a product for as long as it exists, instead of a subscription.
Makers use them to raise early cash and get first users, often in limited numbers or through deal marketplaces.
The cost comes later: lifetime customers keep needing support and hosting but never pay again, and too many of them can make a product hard to sustain.
Why it matters for a launch
A small, capped lifetime offer can fund early development; an uncapped one can trap a product in its first year's pricing.
Read more: How to price a SaaS product