Email Marketing

Price Increase Emails: How to Turn Bad News Into Opportunities

Price Increase Emails: How to Turn Bad News Into Opportunities

Out of all existing types of commercial emails, this one must be the trickiest to write. How do you even announce the upcoming change to your loyal customers who you fought so hard to acquire in the first place? No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, but there are ways to turn dreadful price increase emails into last-minute sales boosters — let us show you how.

What is a price increase email?

A price increase email is essentially a heads-up to customers that the cost of a product, subscription, or service they use or are interested in will soon be going up. For companies, it’s a proactive way to explain the reasons behind the price hike and to reassure customers that the value they receive will continue to match or exceed the new price.

This type of email is more than a formal update. It’s an opportunity to communicate openly and maintain a positive relationship with your customer base. Think of it as a litmus test demonstrating how equipped your brand is to handle sensitive and uncomfortable topics.

When done right, it shows that your company values transparency and is committed to delivering value despite the shaky economic times. It helps with building trust — by being upfront about pricing changes, you demonstrate honesty and respect for your customers.

Finally, sending a price increase notice to customers minimizes the surprise and potential legal backlash that might come if they were to notice the increase on their own. In short, it is a crucial communication tool that not only helps keep customers informed but also makes them feel understood and appreciated.

The key elements of a proper price increase announcement

If your goal is to retain customer loyalty and devotion to your brand despite the price hike, you need to announce the latter with extra care and consideration. Below are several aspects you may want to consider when preparing your price increase email template.

Clear announcement and date

Don’t beat around the bush — the email should start with a straightforward statement about your price increase. Ambiguity can lead to confusion and mistrust, so it’s best to be honest and direct. Highlight the exact date and time when the new pricing will take effect. This gives customers time to prepare for the change and adjust their plans and expectations.

Example: “We want to inform you that starting June 1st, the price of our Premium Package will increase from $250 to $290.”

Last chance offer

Much like last chance emails, price increase emails can give your customers an opportunity to take advantage of the old pricing before it’s gone forever. This is your chance to spark sales and get even the most passive and cautious customers moving before it’s too late.

Example: “If you have been considering purchasing the Premium Package soon, make sure to place your order before June 1st to save $40.”

Reason for the increase

Customers appreciate transparency, so explaining why the price is going up can help mitigate frustration. Whether it’s the rising costs of materials, improvements to the product, or other business-related expenses, you need to mention them to stay upfront with your audience. The goal here is to let them feel that you care about their customer experience and prioritize their needs.

Example: “Our suppliers have raised their prices multiple times since 2022, and we have been working hard not to let you feel that sting, but we cannot continue doing so without compromising our quality.”

Value reinforcement

Remind your customers of the benefits they receive and any new features or improvements that justify the price increase. This will draw attention to your dedication to quality and potentially will make the new pricing hurt less.

Example: “We understand that this is an unpleasant change. To make it more bearable, we will now be offering free monthly feedback calls to all of our customers. This is our way to help you get the most out of your Package.”

Customer appreciation

Whether your customers accept your new pricing or choose to cut ties with your brand, recognize and thank your customers for their loyalty and everything that led up to this point. By tapping into their emotional side and reminding them about the happy moments your products have brought them, you can soften the impact of yor price increase notice.

Example: “We would not be where we are today if it weren’t for you. Your trust and support mean everything to us, and that’s why we repeatedly choose quality over half-measures and shortcuts.”

Options and support

It’s always a good idea to offer options for customers who may not be completely on board with the new pricing. This could include ways to lock in current prices for a limited time or whom to contact for more information.

Example: “If you have any questions or want to consider other packages, our customer support team is here to help. You can reach us at support@ourcompany.com.”

In short, price increase emails are great for reminding customers why they chose your brand in the first place, which can help justify the new price in their minds. Providing support shows that you want your customers to succeed and are willing to help them through the transition.

Price increase email subject line ideas

To deliver unpleasant news to customers in a positive way, you first need to attract their attention with a concise, unambiguous subject line. We’ve gathered a few ideas to help you effectively convey your message.

Subscription price increase email subject lines:

  • We Need to Talk About Your Plan
  • There’s a Subscription Price Change Ahead
  • Your Subscription Plan Is Getting an Upgrade (and a New Price)
  • We Hate to Be the Bearer of Bad News
  • Heads Up: Your Subscription Pricing is Changing
  • Important Update Regarding Your Subscription
  • Our Prices Are About to Go Up. Here’s Why
  • We’re Enhancing Your Subscription: New Features and New Price
  • Notice: Subscription Fees Will Soon Increase
  • We’re Updating Subscription Pricing to Serve Your Better
  • What Our New Pricing Means for You
  • Your Subscription is Changing: Here’s What You Need to Know
  • We’re Adjusting Subscription Prices

Product price increase email subject lines:

  • Hear Us Out: We’re Rethinking Our Prices
  • We Want to Make Our Products Better. Our Prices Will Reflect That
  • Upcoming Price Change for [Product Name]
  • We Adjust Our Prices (But There’s a Silver Lining)
  • [Product Name] Will Get a New Price Soon
  • Higher Price for More Value
  • Heads Up: Price Increase for [Product Name]
  • We’ve Made Important Changes
  • Because We’re Obsessed with Quality: New Price for [Product Name]
  • Improving [Product Name]: Price Adjustment Notification
  • The Price for [Product Name] is About to Go Up a Bit
  • Times are Tough, But These Changes May Help
  • Product Update: New Price for [Product Name]
  • The Price for [Product Name] is Going Up. You Still Can Secure the Old Price
  • Your Favorite [Product Name] Is Getting a Price Increase

Service price increase email subject lines:

  • Our Pricing is Changing
  • Our Services Are Getting a Major Upgrade
  • We Want to Serve You Better. That’s Why We’re Changing Things
  • Our Fees Are Changing. Here’s What You Should Know
  • Watch Out: Pricing Changes Coming Soon
  • We’re Enhancing Our Service: New Pricing Effective [Date]
  • We Have Some Bad News (And Even More Good News)
  • Major Overhaul is Underway, and Changing Prices is Part of It
  • Some of Our Fees are Going Up
  • [Service Name] Is Evolving. And So Is the Price
  • Our Prices Will Slightly Increase Soon. Here’s What to Know
  • We Are Rethinking Our Pricing. Here’s What That Means to You
  • Enhancing Our Services: New Prices Coming Soon
  • Service Pricing Update: Everything You Need to Know

When sending out a price increase notice to customers, it’s important to help them differentiate your high-priority message from regular promotional campaigns and minor updates. That’s why an informative, transparent subject line is a must.

5 price increase email examples to draw ideas from

Price change emails tend to be minimalistic — but it doesn’t mean that you should throw together a generic plain-text draft and call it a day. Let’s see how popular brands manage to craft sincere and impactful price increase announcements that convince their customers to focus on the bright side of things.

Circles

This price increase email template instantly catches the user’s eye with its inviting, bold colors. The email skillfully leverages FOMO, making the recipients consider buying the tickets right here and now instead of waiting any longer.

price increase email example
A price increase email example from Circles; source: Really Good Emails

Here, the recipient is presented with the conference program, which is more likely to convince them to buy the tickets ahead of time. Finally, the clear deadline is meant to let the attendees know exactly how much longer the original price will remain in effect.

Acquire

The next price increase email example demonstrates how you can carefully introduce a new fee without startling or confusing your customer base. This email copy does a fantastic job describing what the Acquire users get in return so that no doubt remains — the change is justified and well worth it.

price increase email example
A price increase email example from Acquire; source: Really Good Emails

In this price increase announcement, we also see a clear deadline along with a side-by-side comparison, which demonstrates how reasonable and fair Acquire’s pricing is and what the user can expect from other marketplaces. The email has a strong finish, too, as it highlights the platform’s benefits and invites the reader to check out other helpful articles.

Netflix

Netflix is known to adjust its pricing fairly often, and yet its popularity keeps growing. This email may be one of the reasons why — it’s transparent, straightforward, and yet extremely convincing when it comes to justifying the increased price. In it, Netflix reminds its users how many captivating stories lie ahead of them and how much joy a single subscription can bring.

price increase email example
A price increase email example from Netflix; source: Impact Pricing

This email is as minimalistic as it gets, but it still retains that recognizable Netflix branding along with the company’s tone of voice. It’s broken down into short paragraphs for better legibility, and there are useful links for those who may decide to make changes to their accounts.

Panic

Our next example ticks all the boxes when it comes to writing a strong, irresistible price increase notice to customers. This email announces the new price in a friendly manner and gives its recipients an option to snatch the old offer before it expires. There are no distractions, and the user’s attention is automatically drawn to the buy button, which is likely to spur some consumers into action.

price increase email example
A price increase email example from Panic; source: Really Good Emails

Another strong point of this email is how openly it describes the reason behind the price adjustment, making the recipient trust the company even more. What makes this message even better is the fact that it acknowledges that the new price may be too steep for some, and yet it still manages to end on a positive note.

Article

Our final example is this powerful price increase announcement, listing multiple reasons why the company has chosen to walk that path and pursue quality instead of trying to cut costs elsewhere and sacrifice the reputation of their product in the process.

price increase email example
A price increase email example from Article; source: Really Good Emails

The tone of this email is friendly but confident, which is exactly what you need if your goal is to win someone over. It’s also stripped down to the essentials to allow the reader to fully focus on the content and naturally come to the conclusion that grabbing the last-chance offer would be the best move.

How to build and customize a price increase email template with SendPulse

You can create any type of commercial email campaign in minutes with the help of SendPulse. The following steps will help you customize a price increase email template and prepare it for a successful launch.

Firstly, create or log in to your SendPulse account. Open the “Email” tab and click “Create a mailing list.” Upload your contacts or add them manually. Later, you can use tags to segment your audience more easily.

Then, choose “Create campaign” and select your recipients. Select one of the pre-made templates from our library and click “Edit” to start customizing them. In our visual editor, you can click on any element to change its style, formatting, content, and overall appearance.

price increase email template
Creating a price increase email template in SendPulse

You can also drag and drop new elements, such as columns, buttons, images, and videos, from the panel on the left. Make sure to add your own content and brand elements to make your email stand out. Our built-in AI email assistant can help you refresh and improve your copy in seconds.

With SendPulse, you can monitor opens, clicks, and other important metrics to understand how your campaign is performing. It’s also possible to set up automated flows based on trigger events and gather information about your customers in our CRM system.

Our free account allows you to explore our toolkit without commitments. In addition to sending up to 15,000 monthly emails, you can try out our chatbot builder, CRM, landing page builder, LMS, and other tools. The prices for email plans start at $8 a month, billed monthly.

Summing up

With the help of our sales and marketing automation platform, you can simplify your routine workflows and take your customer relationships to the next level. SendPulse can empower you to send effective automated campaigns across multiple marketing channels, promote and monetize your content, build an engaged contact base, provide 24/7 support, boost conversions, and more.

Create your free account now to see it in action!

Date of publication:

June 11, 2024
Elena Timofeeva

Good writing makes my heart beat faster. So does a good conversion rate. In my free time, I obsessively learn...

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