Announce a price change
Email to existing customers announcing an upcoming price increase.
Hi {{firstName}},
Our pricing is going up on {{changeDate}}. Specifically:
- {{plan1}} moves from {{old1}} to {{new1}}
- {{plan2}} moves from {{old2}} to {{new2}}
Why we're doing it: {{reason}}.
If you're already paying for {{product}}, you have two options:
1. Do nothing — you stay on your current price for the next 12 months. After that, you move to the new pricing.
2. Pre-pay 12 months now to lock in your current rate for 24 months total. [Lock in now]({{prepayURL}})
If you have questions, reply directly. I'll personally answer them.
— {{founderName}}Why this works
Price-change emails are the highest-trust-test in your email program. Done right, they earn loyalty. Done wrong, they trigger cancellations and a long tail of resentment.
**Subject names the change.** 'Price change in 60 days' is the honest subject. Vague subjects ('Important update to your account', 'Improving our pricing structure') trigger more anxiety, not less — recipients open and find the bad news anyway, plus the dishonest framing.
**Specific numbers.** Naming the exact old and new prices for each plan is essential. Generic 'prices are increasing' framing reads as evasive.
**Why explained, briefly.** A one-line rationale ('increased Claude API costs', 'new feature investment', 'inflation across the cost stack') signals respect for the customer's intelligence. Skip this and customers fill in the worst story themselves.
**Grandfather option.** The 12-month grandfather + pre-pay lock is the move that converts about half of would-be cancels in our data. It also lets the most loyal customers signal it by pre-paying — which is real cash and reduces your future-pricing risk.
**Founder reply offer.** 'I'll personally answer them' is non-negotiable. Don't ship this unless you mean it. Customers email back; you read every one.
Cancellation rate on this pattern vs. the silent-increase alternative: roughly half. Loyalty after the change: substantially higher.