How do you structure introductory or beta pricing (like offering a lower price to early adopters) and later raise prices without upsetting those initial customers?

Based on our saas pricing book, Price to Scale, you can handle introductory or beta pricing and later price increases by taking a structured, segmented approach:

• Be transparent and segment your early adopters
Early adopters who signed up with a lower rate should be recognized as a distinct cohort. As noted in the book, it’s key to segment your customer base so that you treat early adopters differently from later ones. This means laying out clear terms at sign-up and being upfront that special pricing comes with specific conditions.

• Offer tailored alternatives and upgrades
Instead of simply “raising prices,” offer early customers alternatives. For example, provide them with a better option—such as an upgrade—to match the new pricing, or introduce discounts that require commitments like longer contract terms or add-on services. This proactive strategy, mentioned in Price to Scale, avoids alienating your initial cohort by giving them a choice rather than a unilateral price increase.

• Differentiate new pricing from initial offers
One effective approach is to create a new lineup of pricing tiers that clearly distinguishes between the original discounted plan and your full-featured, updated offerings. As recommended in our book, taking the same tiers and applying discounts only makes later comparisons too simple. Instead, a fresh configuration helps manage expectations and showcases added value, making the transition smoother for your existing users.

In summary, by clearly communicating the terms of your introductory offer, segmenting early adopters, and proactively offering upgrade paths or alternative pricing options, you can introduce future price increases with minimal customer upset while evolving your pricing strategy in line with your market growth.