Remove credit card requirement from free tier signup flow to reduce user drop-off

[barbaraperic]

Tagging @cwaring and @alanshaw for visibility :)

What is the issue

The "free" tier account currently requires users to provide credit card information immediately after creating an account, before they can access the UI or upload any files. This creates a significant trust barrier and contradicts user expectations for a free tier.

UXIT recommends removing this to remove a barrier to entry for acquiring a new customer learning to trust the app.

Potential solution

1. Remove credit card requirement entirely for free tier users until they need to upgrade or exceed usage limits
2. Make credit card step optional with a clear "Skip for now" option during initial signup
3. Delay the credit card request until after the user has experienced value (e.g., after first successful upload or after exploring the dashboard)

[Khwahish29]

Hey I'd like to work on this! Please assign it to me 🚀