# Early-Bird Discounts

Use a hidden timestamp field and Gravity Forms conditional logic to show an early-bird product until a fixed deadline, then switch the form to its regular-price product automatically. This works well for event registration, camps, conferences, and any form with date-based pricing.

## What you will build

Your form will contain three fields:

- a hidden **Current Timestamp** Number field;
- an **Early Bird** product field; and
- a **Regular Price** product field.

The two product fields use opposite conditions. Visitors see one price at a time.

## 1. Add a hidden current-timestamp field

Add a **Number** field to the form. In its **Advanced** settings, give it the admin field label **Current Timestamp**, set the **Default Value** to `{today:timestamp}`, and set **Visibility** to **Hidden**. Leave conditional logic off for this field.

![](https://digitalchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gravity-forms-current-timestamp-hidden-field.png)

Gravity Forms fills this field with the current Unix timestamp whenever someone opens the form. The visitor never sees it, but you can use it in conditional logic.

## 2. Convert the discount deadline to a Unix timestamp

First, decide when the discount should end in the website’s local time zone. If a client says the early-bird price runs “until September 15,” set the deadline to **September 15 at 11:59:59 PM**.

Enter that date and time at [unixtimestamp.com](https://www.unixtimestamp.com/) and copy the result. In this example, September 15, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time produces `1789531199`.

![](https://digitalchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/early-bird-discount-unix-timestamp-cutoff.png)

> **Note:** Before converting the deadline, double-check the site’s time zone under **Dashboard > Settings > General**. Use that time zone when setting the cutoff date and time.

## 3. Show the early-bird product before the cutoff

Open the **Early Bird** product field and turn on conditional logic. Set it to show when **Current Timestamp** **is less than** `1789531200`.

![](https://digitalchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/CleanShot-2026-08-06-at-12.28.07@2x-964x1024.jpg)

The timestamp `1789531199` is the final discounted second: 11:59:59 PM. Using the following second, `1789531200`, keeps the early-bird product visible through that entire final second.

## 4. Show the regular-price product after the cutoff

Open the regular-price product field and turn on conditional logic. Set it to show when **Current Timestamp** **is greater than** `1789531199`.

![](https://digitalchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/CleanShot-2026-08-06-at-12.29.37@2x-946x1024.png)

At 12:00:00 AM on September 16, the current timestamp becomes `1789531200`. The early-bird field hides and the regular-price field appears.

## 5. Test both prices

Preview the form and confirm that only one product field appears. Before the deadline, the early-bird product should show. After the deadline, the regular-price product should show.

For a quick test, temporarily use a cutoff a few minutes in the future. Once you have watched the form switch prices, replace it with the real deadline timestamp.

## Condition reference

- **Final early-bird second:** `1789531199`
- **Early-bird product:** Current Timestamp is less than `1789531200`
- **Regular-price product:** Current Timestamp is greater than `1789531199`

This pairing gives each second exactly one visible price.