How to Change Prices on Paddle Plans: A Comprehensive Guide

Hi, I'm Alex, and welcome back to the Boathouse Paddle series, where we talk about everything concerning Paddle. In this post, we're diving into the intricacies of changing prices on plans in Paddle. Whether you're looking to increase or decrease your prices, this guide will walk you through the entire process.

Understanding the Basics

The initial step to changing prices seems fairly straightforward—you log into your Paddle account, find the existing price, click Edit, and change the base price. But there is more to the story.

Key Consideration: Existing Subscriptions

One of the most crucial points to note is that price changes do not affect existing subscriptions. This means that your current customers, those with active subscriptions, will continue to be charged the old price. You might prefer this approach if you wish to grandfather your existing customers into the old plan, only subjecting new customers to the updated pricing.

However, there might come a time, perhaps a year down the line, when you want to update the prices for those grandfathered customers as well. This is where things get a little tricky.

You can't just re-assign the same price ID

Here's the problem: because the price ID hasn't changed - just the price, you can re-assign that same price id to a subscription. To Paddle it will look like you've changed nothing. Essentially, this limitation prevents any alterations for existing subscriptions.

Potential Workarounds

So, you might start brainstorming possible workarounds. One idea could be removing the price ID, making the changes, and then re-adding it. However, you can't have zero items on a subscription, so you'd need to add some kind of dummy price, maybe at $0, and then replace it with the new price. This process is far from ideal.

Creating a New Price Object

The more efficient method involves planning ahead. By creating a new price object, you can simplify future updates.

Creating a new price object is particularly advantageous if your plan involves changes in features or value metrics—perhaps you're offering more items in your app. In this case, simply creating a new price object and using the internal descriptor to differentiate (such as Basic 2024) is your best bet.

By doing this, the old subscribers will continue with the old price, while new subscribers will be set at the new plan and price. Should you later decide to switch existing customers to the new price, you can do so using the API without issues. This method allows full control over the transition, unlike merely changing the base price.

Conclusion

Changing prices on Paddle plans involves more than just updating a figure in the dashboard. By planning ahead and creating new price objects, you avoid complications and maintain control over your pricing strategy. Always remember, while grandfathering might seem convenient, it's essential to have a robust plan for future updates.

Stay tuned for more insights from the Boathouse Paddle series!