B2B SaaS Pricing: The dos and don'ts

Pricing in B2B SaaS isn’t just about picking a number and hoping it sticks. It’s a strategic decision that influences customer perception, sales velocity, and overall market positioning.

But too often, companies get pricing wrong, whether by overcomplicating it, failing to align it with their value proposition, or treating it as a last-minute decision. 

And here’s another challenge: many CMOs aren’t data-driven enough to effectively lead pricing discussions. They struggle to connect pricing strategy to revenue metrics, making it harder to justify pricing decisions internally – especially when speaking with CFOs or sales leadership.

In our webinar, Right Pricing for the Right Audience (available here), Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt paid us a visit to explore what makes a great pricing model – and where SaaS companies tend to go wrong. 

Let’s break it down.

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1. DO: Choose a clear pricing position

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Your pricing sends a message about where you stand in the market. Companies typically fall into one of three pricing positions:

Cheap – Competing on price, often in highly commoditized markets. Think budget SaaS tools or entry-level solutions.

Fair – Pricing reflects sustainable margins and is directly correlated with the value delivered.

Premium – Pricing signals exclusivity, risk reduction, and a superior experience. A premium price isn’t just 50% higher – it’s often 10x.

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How you present pricing is just as important as the pricing itself. Smart companies use price anchoring to:

• Offer three tiers with clear distinctions.
• Highlight one plan as the “default” or best value.
• Space out price points so the mid-tier feels like a great deal.

Don’t: Try to be everything at once

‍Many SaaS companies make the mistake of sitting somewhere in the middle – positioning themselves as “fair” but constantly discounting, or calling themselves “premium” without a strong enough differentiation.If your pricing is inconsistent with your messaging, customers will notice. If you offer multiple tiers, ensure each one is clearly positioned. Your cheap tier should be limited, your fair tier should be your core offering, and your premium tier should stand out with added value.

‍2. DO: Align your pricing with the customer journey

‍Pricing isn’t just a number – it’s part of the customer experience. A strong pricing strategy should:

• Set expectations early: Customers should know upfront whether you’re budget-friendly or high-end.
• Qualify the right leads: Transparent pricing filters out bad-fit prospects before they reach sales. 
• Reduce sticker shock: Especially for high-ticket SaaS, where pricing should be introduced gradually.

‍Don’t: Treat pricing as an afterthought

‍Pricing decisions shouldn’t happen in isolation. When pricing isn’t aligned with sales, marketing, and product, it creates:

• Mixed messaging: Marketing promotes affordability, but sales pushes enterprise pricing.
• Poor conversion rates: Customers don’t understand the pricing model.
• Higher churn: Customers feel completely misled.

Treat pricing as part of your brand story. Think about luxury brands in B2C – when you shop for a Hermès Birkin bag, you already know it’s expensive before seeing the price tag. That’s the power of strategic pricing.

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‍3. DO: Be transparent about pricing (when it makes sense)

‍Transparent pricing works well when:

• Your pricing is simple enough to explain on a pricing page.
• Your model is standardized (e.g. $99 per user/month).
• You sell to self-serve customers who prefer to research before reaching out.

‍Don’t: Hide pricing just to charge more

‍Some SaaS companies intentionally avoid displaying pricing — not because their model is complex, but because they want flexibility to negotiate higher deals.This approach can:

• Frustrate potential buyers (causing drop-offs).
• Slow down sales cycles (more back-and-forth conversations).
• Create trust issues (customers wonder why you’re not upfront).

If your pricing is too complex to list publicly, at least disclose the structure (e.g. "Base fee + per-user pricing") so prospects have a general idea.

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‍Final thoughts

‍Pricing matters. It’s a positioning strategy, a sales qualifier, and a brand signal.So, there are a few questions you should ask yourself. Where does your pricing model stand? Are you clearly positioned? Are you transparent enough? Are you using price anchoring effectively?Get these right, and pricing becomes your SaaS company’s growth engine – not just a number on a page. 

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