Free Tool — Price Increase Letter
Raising your prices? Say it right.
Costs went up — suppliers, tariffs, wages — and your prices have to follow. The message announcing it is the part everyone dreads and most get wrong. Three inputs, and you get a calm, honest announcement your customers will actually respect: email, text, counter sign, and social post.
Why this matters
Most price-increase damage is self-inflicted: no warning, a paragraph of apologies, or three stacked excuses that read like a guilty conscience. The formula that works is boring — notice, one reason, what doesn't change, old price honoured for existing bookings. Here's the full guide to raising prices without losing customers.
Charging more also gets easier when your business looks worth it online — a sharp website and a strong Google profile do the justifying before you ever have to. Run the free website grader to see how your site holds up, or the website cost calculator if the site itself is what needs the upgrade.
Questions
How do I tell customers I’m raising my prices?
Before it takes effect, in writing, with one honest reason. Name the change plainly, give the effective date, say what doesn’t change (the people, the standard of work), and honour anything already quoted at the old price. Customers forgive a fair increase; what they don’t forgive is discovering it on the invoice.
How much notice should I give?
Two to four weeks is the sweet spot for most service businesses — enough that nobody feels ambushed, short enough that it doesn’t become a months-long negotiation window. For contract or retainer clients, give a full billing cycle.
Will I lose customers over a price increase?
Almost always fewer than you fear — and usually the least profitable ones. Customers who value the work rarely leave over a fair, well-explained increase. The announcement also has a hidden upside: "booked before [date] is honoured at current pricing" reliably converts fence-sitters into bookings this month.
Should I apologise in the letter?
No. Apologising frames a normal business decision as a wrong done to the reader. "Thank you for understanding" and "thank you for your business" strike the right tone — warm, direct, unapologetic. The generator writes it that way on purpose.
Why does the letter mention tariffs and costs?
Because one honest, specific reason is more persuasive than three vague ones — and in 2026, rising supplier costs, tariffs, and wages are reasons every Canadian customer recognises from their own life. Pick the one that’s actually true for you; skip the rest.