Price Change Notice

What is a price change notice?

A price change notice is the advance warning a vendor promises before a new price applies to you. The vendor's terms set how much notice you get, how it is sent (email, in-app banner or an update to a pricing page) and when the new price starts.

This page is about monthly and self-serve plans, the ones you buy with a card on the vendor's website. On an annual contract, the price question usually comes up once a year at renewal. That is covered under renewal price increase. On a monthly plan, every month is a renewal, so a price change can reach your bill quickly.

How it works on monthly and self-serve plans

Many vendors lock your price for the current term and apply changes at the next one. On a monthly plan, the next term is never more than a month away. A typical sequence:

1. The vendor decides to change a price, plan or feature bundle.
2. It sends a notice by email or in the product, or updates its terms or pricing page.
3. The notice period runs, such as 30 days.
4. Your next billing period after that date starts at the new price.
5. If you do not cancel or downgrade before then, you are charged the new amount.

Real terms follow this pattern. HubSpot's terms say your subscription fee "will not increase during the Current Term," and that HubSpot will notify you at least 30 days before an increase at renewal. The terms do not set a separate rule for monthly billing. Atlassian's Customer Agreement says it uses commercially reasonable efforts to post changes to the agreement at least 30 days before they take effect, and for paid subscriptions they generally apply "at the next Order or renewal."

Not every vendor gives a set period for self-serve plans. Calendly's customer terms, for example, state a 30-day notice rule for invoice-billed and Enterprise customers but give no specific notice period for price changes on self-serve plans. The only stated timing is that a different renewal rate is communicated before the renewal term starts.

What it looks like in a vendor's terms

A typical clause reads like this:

We may change our fees from time to time. We will give you at least 30 days' notice of any fee change by email or within the service. Changes take effect at the start of your next billing period after the notice period. If you do not agree, you may cancel before the change takes effect. Continuing to use the service after that date means you accept the new fees.

• "From time to time" means there is no limit on how often prices can change.
• "At least 30 days' notice" is your warning period. Check that the notice goes to an inbox someone reads.
• "Within the service" means the notice may be a banner in the app, which an admin who rarely logs in can miss.
• "You may cancel" is your only remedy. There is often no refund for the period you are in.
• "Continuing to use the service" treats silence as agreement. Whether that binds you depends on how you were told and on state law. See continued use as acceptance.

Price changes come in many shapes

A notice is not always about a higher number on the price list. Watch for these too:

• A new pricing model. In January 2024, HubSpot announced a move to seats-based pricing for new customers from March 2024. It said existing customers would see no immediate change, might see a migration-related increase of about 5% or less at renewal, and would get advance notice of any change to their renewal cost.
• New usage fees. A plan can add metered charges on top of the flat fee. See usage-based pricing.
• Features moved to a higher tier. The price stays the same, but a feature you rely on now costs more. See forced plan migration.
• Changed limits. Lower included usage means more overage charges at the same headline price.

A real change we caught

Venpo flagged a change to the Google One Additional Terms of Service, detected on November 12, 2025. As our article Google expanded its pricing rules, adding cost uncertainty explains, Google now allows price changes for subscriptions and AI credits with advance notice. You may have to accept the new price to keep the service.

Why it matters to you

• Short runway. A 30-day notice on a monthly plan gives you about one billing cycle to decide.
• Card charges add up quietly. Self-serve plans are often on a company card, outside your normal purchasing review. A price change can land without anyone approving it.
• Notices go to the wrong person. They may go to whoever signed up, who may have left or may not handle billing.
• Your own prices. If a tool is part of what you sell, a price change on your side may need notice to your own customers too.

What to check

• How much notice the terms promise for price changes, and whether it differs for monthly, annual and invoice-billed plans.
• How the notice is sent: email, in-app message or just an update to a web page.
• Which email address gets billing notices. Use a shared inbox, not one person's address.
• Whether the price is locked for the current term, and what counts as the current term on your plan.
• Whether a move to annual billing, or a signed order form, would lock the price for longer.

How Venpo helps

Venpo watches your vendors' terms of service and billing pages and emails you when they change, including the rules on how and when prices can change. The Fine Print Scan also answers, for each vendor, whether it can raise your prices, which is the first thing to know about any self-serve tool.