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Forced Plan Migration

A forced plan migration is when a vendor moves existing customers off their current plan onto a new one. The new plan can cost more, include less or count usage differently, so it can work as a price increase without a new list price.

What is a forced plan migration?

A forced plan migration is when a vendor retires the plan you are on and moves you to a new one. You did not ask for the change, but the terms let the vendor make it.

The new plan may cost more, drop features, add limits or start billing by usage. That is why a migration can work as a hidden price increase: the price list stays the same, but what you pay for changes.

What it looks like in a vendor's terms

A typical clause reads like this:

We may stop offering older plans or products. If we do, we may move you to our current plan, which may have different features and pricing. Renewals are at our then-current rates.
  • Stop offering older plans: your plan is not guaranteed to exist next year.
  • Move you to our current plan: the vendor chooses the destination, not you.
  • Then-current rates: the new price applies, often from your next renewal.

HubSpot's customer terms say, about legacy products, "we may choose to move you to our then-current products."

A real change we caught

Venpo flagged that Atlassian added usage-based billing to its paid plans, on by default. The seat price did not change, but paid cloud plans gained a usage layer billed above a monthly allowance, switched on by default.

Why it matters to you

A migration can raise your cost without a price change notice you would recognize. It can also remove a feature your team or your customers rely on, with little time to replace it.

Your rights depend on the contract. Atlassian's Customer Agreement, for example, lets you end the rest of your term within 30 days of notice of certain mid-term changes, such as product updates, and get a refund of prepaid fees for that part.

What to check

  • Search the terms for "legacy," "retire," "discontinue," "then-current" and "migrate."
  • Ask for grandfathered terms and pricing in your order form, with a fixed end date.
  • Check how much notice you get and whether a change can apply mid-term or only at renewal.
  • Check whether you can leave with a refund if you reject the new plan. See right to reject changes.
  • Compare limits and usage pricing on the new plan, not only the headline price.

How Venpo helps

Venpo monitors your vendors' terms, billing pages and other public legal pages, and emails you in plain English when plan, legacy product or pricing clauses change. The Fine Print Scan answers whether each vendor can raise prices.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a SaaS vendor change my plan without my consent?

If the terms allow it, yes. Many terms let the vendor retire plans and move you to a current one, so look for that clause and for any right to leave with a refund.

How do I keep my old plan price?

Ask for it in writing before you renew. A grandfathering clause in your order form, with a clear end date, is much stronger than a sales email.

Related terms

Terms Changes Grandfathered Terms and Pricing Grandfathered terms and pricing let existing customers keep their old price, plan or terms after a vendor changes them for new customers, usually for a limited time. Renewals, Pricing and Billing Renewal Price Increase (Uplift) A renewal price increase, or uplift, is the higher price a vendor charges when your subscription renews. It can be a fixed percentage, an inflation-based increase, or a jump to the vendor's current list price. Vendor Management End of Life Notice An end of life notice is a vendor's announcement that it will stop selling, supporting or running a product, plan or feature on a set date. It starts the clock on your move to a replacement and on getting your data out. Renewals, Pricing and Billing Usage-Based Pricing Usage-based pricing means you pay for how much you use, such as API calls, requests, messages or compute time, instead of a flat fee per seat. Your bill moves with your usage, so it can be hard to predict. Terms Changes Right to Reject Changes A right to reject changes lets you refuse a vendor's new terms, usually by ending the contract early with a refund of prepaid fees, instead of being bound by them. Renewals, Pricing and Billing Price Change Notice A price change notice is the warning a vendor gives before it charges you a new price. On monthly and self-serve plans, it is often the only protection you get, since the plan can renew at the new price within weeks.

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