Whether you’re a freelancer, consultant, or business owner, you'll need to raise your prices at some point in your professional journey (thanks inflation).
While it might feel uncomfortable, raising prices is essential to keeping up with ever-rising costs and driving long-term growth. The good news is that a well-written price increase email can avoid (or at least minimize) any accompanying tension.
An effective price increase email doesn’t stop at notifying your customers. It also reassures them of your commitment to quality, explains why the increase is happening, and even reinforces their trust in your brand.
This article breaks down how to write an effective price increase email and a few best practices to ensure a smooth transition. We'll also provide a few examples to get you started. Let's get into it.
Essential Elements of an Effective Price Increase Email
Every detail counts when it comes to informing customers about price increases. Take note of these key components to optimize your message for the best results:
- Clear Subject Line: Your email subject line should set the tone without causing alarm. Direct but courteous examples are “Upcoming Price Changes – Here’s What You Need to Know” and “Important Update Regarding Your {{Service}} Plan.”
- Warm, Personalized Opening: Greet recipients using the {{Name}} tag to give your message a more personal feel. Then, thank them for their continued patronage and support. This seemingly small gestures set a positive tone for your entire message.
- Reason for the Price Increase: Clearly but briefly explain why the change is necessary. Whether it's due to rising operational costs, inflation, or improved services, providing context helps customers understand (and accept) the increase.
- Details of the Change: Lay out the specifics of your message in simple language—how much prices will rise, when the change will take effect, and any other relevant information. Consider using bullet points to make the details easy to digest.
- Reassurance of Value: Next, strongly reaffirm the quality of your product or service and explain how the price increase allows you to maintain or even enhance this value. This part is especially important to establish that the price increase is justified.
- Call to Action or Next Steps: Provide a clear call-to-action (CTA) to let customers know the next step to take (if any) and how to submit questions or get more information. A simple line like “Please feel free to contact our team at {{Email}} if you have any concerns” works well.
- Friendly Sign-off: End on a positive, appreciative note. A closing like “Thank you for your continued trust in {{Your Business}}” keeps things friendly, professional, and courteous.
Best Practices for Writing a Price Increase Email
Writing a price increase email requires a balance of transparency, professionalism, and empathy. Here are a few best practices to help your message evoke the right reaction:
Give Ample Notice
As a general rule of thumb, send your announcement at least 30 days before implementing changes. This timeline considers your customers' budgeting cycles and offers professional courtesy. For significant increases, you may consider extending this timeline by a bit.
Emphasize Value
Highlight the value you're working to deliver or the improvements you've made that justify the price increase.
Get specific by mentioning rising costs, notable achievements, or service enhancements you've added. This reminds customers why they chose you and sets the context for the adjustment.
Be Clear and Direct
State the price change clearly without burying it in lengthy paragraphs. Just lay out specifics like:
- The exact amount or percentage increase
- When the new pricing takes effect
- How it affects current services or products
- What customers need to do (if anything)
Maintain a Confident, Professional Tone
Keep your message positive but matter-of-fact. You've run the numbers, and this has to happen. So avoid defensive or apologetic language like "we regret to inform you…" or "unfortunately…"
Instead, use confident phrasing: "We're updating our pricing to reflect market conditions…" or "As part of our commitment to quality…"
Striking the right tone shows confidence in your decision without downplaying the impact on your customers.
Consider Transition Options
If possible, offer benefits or perks to ease the adjustment, such as:
- Locking in current rates for an extended period
- Providing grandfathered pricing for loyal customers
- Including a grace period for contract renewals
- Offering multi-year agreements at current rates
Follow Up Strategically
Send a friendly reminder two weeks or so before the implementation date to reach customers who may have missed the initial announcement.
To make your message stand out, use a different subject line than your initial announcement, such as "Reminder: Pricing Update Effective {{Date}}."
If you're looking to make the process extra efficient, you can engage an email automation partner like Instantly.ai to send personalized email follow-ups on auto-pilot.
Beyond basic mail merge capabilities, Instantly helps you segment your audience, schedule strategic send times, and track engagement metrics—all in one place.
This means you can tailor your price increase message for different customer groups, automatically set timely reminders, and gauge customer responses while maintaining that personal touch that keeps relationships strong. Try Instantly today for free!
Price Increase Email Example Templates
Below are a few email templates for different business types, each designed to reduce show consideration and reduce friction while announcing price increases.
For Service-Based Businesses:
Freelancer/Consultant/Agency Template
Subject: Important Update: Service Pricing Changes for {{Year}}
Dear {{First Name}},
I'm writing to inform you about upcoming changes to our service pricing, effective {{Date}}.
As of {{Implementation Date}}, our rates will increase to {{New Rate}}. This adjustment will help us maintain our high service standards and continue to deliver the quality results you expect.
For our valued existing clients like {{Company Name}}, we're offering a 60-day grace period at current rates. This means you can lock in your existing pricing until {{Grace Period End Date}}.
I'm happy to discuss any questions you might have about these changes. Thank you for remaining a valued client of {{Your Business Name}}.
Best regards,
{{Your Name}}
Subscription Service Template
Subject: Updates to {{Service Name}} Subscription Prices
Dear {{First Name}},
Thank you for being a valued subscriber of {{Service Name}}. We're writing to inform you about upcoming changes to our subscription rates.
Effective {{Date}}, our monthly subscription will adjust to {{New Rate}}. As a current subscriber, you'll continue to enjoy your existing rate until {{Renewal Date}}.
To ease this transition, we're offering you the opportunity to lock in your current rate for an additional 12 months by renewing early before {{Deadline Date}}.
Thanks again for your continued patronage and support.
Best regards,
{{Your Name}}
For Product-Based Businesses
Retail/Ecommerce/Manufacturing Template
Subject: Important: Pricing Update for {{Product Line}}
Dear {{First Name}},
Due to increased manufacturing and supply chain costs, we need to adjust our pricing structure.
Effective {{Implementation Date}}, prices across our {{Product Line}} will increase by {{Percentage}}. All orders placed before this date will be honored at current rates.
As a valued customer, we're offering you an exclusive {{Discount Amount}} discount on any orders placed within the next 30 days.
Thank you for your continued partnership with {{Company Name}}.
Best regards,
{{Your Name}}
SaaS Product Template
Subject: Important Updates to {{Product Name}} Pricing
Hi {{First Name}},
Thanks for being a valued {{Product Name}} customer. We're reaching out about upcoming changes to our pricing structure.
Starting {{Date}}, our product tiers will adjust to:
{{Plan Name}}: {{New Price}}/month
{{Plan Name}}: {{New Price}}/month
As an existing customer, you'll keep your current rate until {{Renewal Date}}. You can also lock in your current pricing for an additional year by switching to an annual plan before {{Deadline Date}}.
We remain committed to delivering exceptional value through:
{{Feature 1}}
{{Feature 2}}
{{Feature 3}}
Please feel free to reach out to us at {{Email}} if you have any questions. Our team is here to help.
Best,
{{Your Name}}
Key Takeaways
As markets evolve and operational costs increase, raising your prices becomes less of a choice and more of a necessity for sustainable growth.
Short on time? Here’s a rundown of the highlights:
- A thoughtful, well-crafted price increase email helps ease your customers into the change, maintain goodwill, and even strengthen your relationships.
- When drafting your email, make sure to give ample notice, emphasize value, be direct, maintain a confident, professional tone, offer perks (if possible), and follow up to ensure no one misses the announcement.
- Email automation platforms like Instantly.ai streamline the process of writing all sorts of email content formats (including price increase emails) thanks to our AI-driven templates.
Personalized email communication at scale is just a few clicks away. Ready to nail your price increase emails while preserving relationships and minimizing friction? Sign up with Instantly today!
