SKILL.md
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Public vs Hidden Pricing
Show public pricing
Hide (contact sales only)
Self-serve / SMB; standard tiers
Enterprise; highly customized
Competitive market; transparency differentiates
Premium positioning; consultative sales
Simple pricing model
New category; value exceeds cost in prospect's mind
86% of B2B buyers want transparency; hidden pricing is a top deterrent
Custom deployments, SLA, volume; fixed price misleading
Middle ground: "Starting from," price ranges, or calculator—clarity without rigid commitment.
Where Pricing Lives
Location
Audience
Purpose
Marketing site
Unlogged visitors
Acquisition; standalone /pricing page; main nav or footer
In-app / Dashboard
Logged-in users
Subscription management; Settings → Billing/Subscription in sidebar; upgrade/downgrade, payment
Marketing site = conversion; In-app billing = retention and plan management. Not all sites need public pricing in nav—enterprise-only products may use "Contact sales" as primary CTA.
Pricing Models
Model
Use
Subscription
Recurring; monthly/annual; most SaaS
Freemium
Free tier + paid; adoption then conversion
Usage-based
Pay per use; API calls, tokens, credits
One-time
Perpetual license; some tools
Hybrid
Base + usage; tiered + overage
Pricing Page Structure
Section
Purpose
Headline
Value-focused; "Simple pricing" or benefit-led
Pricing model selector
Monthly/annual toggle; show annual savings (15–25%); usage-based calculator if applicable
Plan comparison
Clear table or cards; feature comparison; "Best for" per tier
Enterprise / Contact sales
Separate tier; "Contact us," "Custom pricing"; SLA, dedicated support; volume discount
API / Usage pricing
If API product: token/request pricing; tiers (Standard/Flex/Batch); overage; link to /api or docs
Special programs
Startups, education, nonprofit; link to startups-page or embed block
FAQ
Billing, cancellation, refunds, API limits, enterprise
Social proof
Testimonials, logos, "X companies trust us"
CTA
Per plan or unified "Get started"; "Contact sales" for enterprise
Guarantee
Money-back, free trial, no credit card
Comparison
Brief price vs alternatives; link to alternatives-page
Best Practices
Plan Presentation
- Tier design: 2–4 tiers; avoid too many options; 3 tiers optimal (decoy effect)
- Anchoring: Lead with mid-tier or annual discount; anchor high to make mid-tier feel reasonable
- Decoy effect: Middle tier as "Goldilocks" choice; "Most popular" or "Best value" badge
- Differentiation: Clear "best for" per tier; value metric (seats, API calls, projects)
- Feature clarity: What's included; outcome-first ("Save 10 hours/week") over feature-first ("Advanced API"); avoid vague "Advanced features"
- Price display: Monthly vs annual; show savings explicitly
- Comparison: Help user choose (quiz, comparison table)
Usage-Based & Credits
- Consumption visibility: Show credits/usage clearly; avoid "bill shock" from opaque consumption
- Wording: Avoid vague "Unlimited" if soft limits exist; use "Extended" or state limits explicitly
Enterprise & API Pricing
Scenario
Use
Enterprise
Separate tier; "Contact sales," "Custom pricing"; SLA, dedicated support, volume discount
API / Usage-based
Token/request pricing; tier (Standard/Flex/Batch); overage; link to api-page or docs
Hybrid
Base subscription + usage; show base + overage clearly
Conversion Psychology
- Anchor high: Present highest tier first; mid-tier feels more reasonable
- Loss aversion: Money-back, no CC trial, cancel anytime—reduce perceived risk
- Transparency: No hidden fees; 73% of users value transparent pricing
- Trust signals: Logo, testimonial, "X+ companies"; guarantee near CTA
Objection Handling
- Price: ROI, cost per use, comparison to alternatives
- Commitment: Free trial, no CC, cancel anytime
- Uncertainty: Guarantee, case studies, support
Promo & Discounts
- Annual discount: Highlight 15–25% for annual prepay
- Promo placement: Top banner or promo block on page; see top-banner-generator
- Startups/Education: Link to startups-page or education-program page; or "Special plans" block on pricing page. When discount applies at registration, registration flow is P0; pricing page is P1. See education-program for placement priority.
SEO
- Title: "Pricing | [Product]" or "Plans & Pricing"
- Meta: Include price range or "Start free" if applicable
- Schema: Consider Product/Offer structured data
Output Format
- Visibility (public page vs contact-sales-only; marketing nav vs in-app billing)
- Headline options
- Pricing model (Subscription/Usage-based/Hybrid)
- Plan structure (tiers, features, pricing display; include Enterprise, API if applicable)
- Special programs (Startups/Education link or block)
- API/Usage display (if applicable)
- Anchoring and Decoy approach
- FAQ topics and sample answers (billing, API limits, enterprise, refund)
- CTA copy per plan
- Objection handling copy
- SEO metadata
Related Skills
- pricing-strategy: Base price structure, tier design, anchoring; pricing-page is execution
- discount-marketing-strategy: Promotional pricing, annual discount, seasonal campaigns
- api-page-generator: API pricing, usage-based limits; developer audience
- education-program: Student/education discount channel; placement (registration P0, pricing P1)
- startups-page-generator: Special plans; Startups/Education discount; link from pricing
- services-page-generator: Service tiers; contact sales; custom quote
- alternatives-page-generator: Price comparison; competitor comparison
- landing-page-generator: Click-through landing pages often send to pricing; LP CTA destination
- homepage-generator: Homepage links to pricing
- website-structure: Page priority; when pricing belongs in nav vs contact-sales-only
- features-page-generator: Features inform plan differentiation
- top-banner-generator: Promo banner; discount code display
- schema-markup: Product/Offer schema for pricing