Price increase email that keeps your customers
Costs went up and you need to raise prices, but you worry about the reaction. Customers mostly leave when an increase is a surprise or feels unfair, not because of the number itself. Your todo.is agent writes a clear price increase email with plenty of notice, an honest reason and something that helps loyal customers.
The prompt
- Write a price increase email to my [TYPE OF CUSTOMERS]. Our [PRODUCT OR PLAN] goes from [OLD PRICE] to [NEW PRICE] starting [DATE IT STARTS]. The honest reason: [WHY PRICES ARE GOING UP]. What customers can do: [OPTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS]. Put the change and the date in the first 3 lines, keep it under 180 words, no apologizing too much and no hype. Explain what they keep getting or what improved. End with a named person to contact. Write a subject line that is clear (not clickbait), a short SMS or WhatsApp version for customers who prefer texts, and an FAQ of 4 questions for my website. Deliver it as a Word document.
What to change
- [TYPE OF CUSTOMERS]: E.g. "monthly subscription customers", "wholesale clients" or "salon clients".
- [PRODUCT OR PLAN]: E.g. "Pro plan" or "weekly cleaning service".
- [OLD PRICE]: E.g. "$29/month".
- [NEW PRICE]: E.g. "$35/month".
- [DATE IT STARTS]: Give at least 30 days of notice, e.g. "1 January".
- [WHY PRICES ARE GOING UP]: E.g. "our software and support costs went up, and we have not changed prices in 3 years".
- [OPTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS]: E.g. "lock the old price by switching to yearly before 31 December" or "move to the Basic plan".
Example result
- The email
- Subject: Your Pro plan price is changing on 1 January
- Hi Sam,
- We are writing to let you know that from 1 January, the Pro plan will go from $29 to $35 per month. Your plan will stay the same until then.
- Why now: we have not changed prices in three years, and our hosting and support costs have gone up since then. This year we also added daily backups and live chat support, and we want to keep improving.
- Your options:
- • Do nothing, and the new price starts with your January bill
- • Switch to yearly billing before 31 December and keep $29 per month for 12 months
- • Move to the Basic plan at $15 per month, if you need fewer features
- If you have any questions, just reply to this email. I read every reply.
- Thanks for being with us,
- Ruth Kaplan
- Founder, Ledgerly
- SMS version
- Ledgerly: from 1 Jan, Pro goes from $29 to $35/mo. Switch to yearly before 31 Dec to keep $29 for 12 months. Questions? Reply here.
- FAQ for your website
- • When does the new price start? On your first bill after 1 January.
- • Can I keep the old price? Yes, by switching to yearly billing before 31 December.
- • Is anything changing in my plan? No. You keep every feature.
- • Can I cancel? Yes, at any time from your account settings.
- Good practice
- • Give at least 30 days notice, more for yearly contracts
- • Check your contract or terms for any required notice period
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the [brackets] with your plan, prices, date and reason.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack.
- Your agent writes the email, a short text version and a website FAQ, in one Word file.
- Send it with your email tool or ask your agent to save it as a Gmail draft. Ask for a version for VIP clients too.
Tips for a better result
- Say the new price and the date in the first lines. Hiding it at the bottom feels sneaky and causes more anger.
- Give a real, short reason. "Our costs went up" is honest and enough. Long explanations sound defensive.
- Offer a way to keep the old price for a while, like yearly billing. It rewards loyal customers and brings cash in.
- Prepare your support team with the FAQ before the email goes out, and ask your agent to draft replies to common pushback.
price increase email: FAQ
- How much notice should I give for a price increase? At least 30 days is common, and 60 to 90 days for contracts or yearly plans. Check your terms and local consumer rules for any required notice.
- Should I apologize for raising prices? No need for a big apology. Be clear and respectful, give the reason, and focus on what customers keep getting.
- How do I explain a price increase to customers? Keep it short and honest: costs went up, prices have not changed in a while, or you added features. Mention what they get, not only what they pay.
- How do I reduce cancellations after a price increase? Give plenty of notice, offer an option to lock the old price or a cheaper plan, and reply personally to customers who push back.
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