From memstack
Designs pricing tiers and models using cost-plus, value-based, competitor-based strategies with pricing psychology triggers and A/B test plans.
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*Designs pricing tiers using cost-plus, value-based, and competitor-based models with psychology triggers, tier structure templates, and A/B test plans.*
Designs and optimizes SaaS pricing strategies including tiering, packaging, value metrics, and experimentation. Useful for initial pricing, conversion optimization, revenue expansion, or monetization queries.
Guides SaaS pricing decisions with value metrics, tier structures, packaging strategies, discount frameworks, upsells, and experiments.
Analyzes and designs pricing strategies for SaaS products: models, competitive analysis, willingness-to-pay, elasticity. Useful for setting prices, tiering, or freemium evaluation.
Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
Designs pricing tiers using cost-plus, value-based, and competitor-based models with psychology triggers, tier structure templates, and A/B test plans.
When this skill activates, output:
Pricing Strategy — Designing pricing model...
Then execute the protocol below.
| Context | Status |
|---|---|
| User says "pricing strategy", "how to price", "pricing model" | ACTIVE |
| User says "tier structure" or "pricing psychology" | ACTIVE |
| User wants to design or redesign their pricing | ACTIVE |
| User wants competitor pricing comparison only | DORMANT — use Competitor Analysis |
| User wants to create an invoice | DORMANT — use Invoice Generator |
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong |
|---|---|
| "Price based on what it costs to make" | Customers pay for outcomes, not your expenses. Cost-plus leaves money on the table. |
| "Match the cheapest competitor" | Racing to the bottom kills margins. Differentiate on value, not price. |
| "Three tiers is always right" | Some products need 2 (simple choice), some need 4 (enterprise). Match tiers to buyer segments. |
| "Never raise prices" | Grandfathering old prices forever means your best customers pay the least. Raise annually. |
| "Free tier for everyone" | Free tiers attract non-buyers. Only use freemium if free users create viral growth. |
If the user hasn't provided details, ask:
- Product/service — what are you pricing? (SaaS, physical product, service, course)
- Costs — what does it cost to deliver? (COGS, hosting, labor)
- Target customer — freelancer, SMB, mid-market, or enterprise?
- Current pricing — is this a new product or a re-pricing?
- Competitors — what do alternatives cost?
- Value delivered — what outcome or ROI does the customer get?
| Model | Best For | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-plus | Physical products, commodities | Cost × markup (e.g., 2.5x) |
| Value-based | SaaS, consulting, info products | Price = fraction of value delivered to customer |
| Competitor-based | Crowded markets with clear benchmarks | Position relative to market (below, at, or above) |
| Usage-based | API, infrastructure, metered services | Pay per unit (API call, GB stored, seat) |
| Freemium | PLG (product-led growth) SaaS | Free core + paid premium features |
| Flat rate | Simple products with one buyer type | One price, everything included |
Decision framework:
Can you quantify the ROI your product delivers?
├── Yes → Value-based pricing (capture 10-20% of customer's ROI)
└── No
├── Is the market well-established with clear price benchmarks?
│ ├── Yes → Competitor-based (position strategically)
│ └── No → Cost-plus (ensure margins, then test market willingness)
└── Does usage vary dramatically between customers?
└── Yes → Usage-based or hybrid (base + usage)
Cost-plus calculation:
Direct cost per unit: $[X]
Overhead allocation: $[X]
Total cost: $[X]
Target margin: [X]%
Price = Total cost ÷ (1 - margin%)
Example: $40 cost ÷ (1 - 0.70) = $133 price (70% margin)
Value-based calculation:
Customer's problem cost (annual): $[X]
Your product saves them: $[X]/year
Value capture rate: 10-20%
Price = Annual savings × capture rate
Example: $50,000 saved × 15% = $7,500/year ($625/mo)
Competitor-based positioning:
Cheapest competitor: $[X]/mo
Average competitor: $[X]/mo
Premium competitor: $[X]/mo
Your position:
- Below average → justify with "same features, lower price"
- At average → justify with "better UX/support/speed"
- Above average → justify with "more value/features/outcomes"
3-tier template (most common):
| Starter | Professional | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target buyer | Freelancers, individuals | Small teams, SMBs | Large teams, companies |
| Price | $[X]/mo | $[X]/mo | Custom |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Annual (15-20% discount) | Annual contract |
| Seats/usage | 1 user / [limit] | Up to [X] users / [limit] | Unlimited |
| Feature 1 | Basic | Full | Full |
| Feature 2 | — | Full | Full |
| Feature 3 | — | — | Full |
| Support | Priority email | Dedicated CSM | |
| SLA | — | — | 99.9% uptime |
Tier design rules:
Naming conventions:
| Tone | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | Starter | Professional | Enterprise |
| Friendly | Free | Pro | Business |
| Creative | Solo | Team | Scale |
| Simple | Basic | Plus | Premium |
| Trigger | Implementation | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Anchoring | Show the highest price first (or "value" price before actual price) | First number seen sets the reference point |
| Decoy effect | Make the middle tier the obvious best deal (closest to top tier, much cheaper) | The "bad deal" tier makes the target tier look irresistible |
| Charm pricing | $97, $197, $497 instead of $100, $200, $500 | Left-digit effect: $97 feels closer to $90 than $100 |
| Annual discount | "Save 20% with annual billing" — show monthly equivalent | Increases LTV, reduces churn, feels like a deal |
| Price framing | "$8/day" instead of "$249/month" | Smaller daily number is easier to justify |
| Loss aversion | "You're losing $X/month without this" instead of "Save $X/month" | Pain of loss is 2x stronger than joy of gain |
| Social proof at price | "Join 5,000+ teams on Pro" next to the tier | Reduces purchase anxiety at the moment of decision |
| Risk reversal | 30-day money-back guarantee prominently displayed | Removes fear of making the wrong choice |
| Urgency | "Launch price — increases to $[higher] on [date]" | Deadline accelerates decisions |
Pricing page layout (top to bottom):
What to test (priority order):
| Priority | Test | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Price point ($97 vs $127 vs $147) | High — directly affects revenue and conversion |
| 2 | Annual vs monthly default | Medium — affects LTV and churn |
| 3 | Tier naming and positioning | Medium — affects which tier people choose |
| 4 | Feature bundling across tiers | Medium — affects upgrade rate |
| 5 | Guarantee (30-day vs 60-day vs none) | Low-Medium — affects conversion confidence |
A/B test protocol:
Price sensitivity survey (Van Westendorp): Ask 50-100 target customers these four questions:
Plot the four curves — the intersection defines your acceptable price range.
If changing existing prices:
| Scenario | Approach |
|---|---|
| Price increase (existing customers) | Grandfather for 6-12 months, then migrate with 60-day notice |
| Price increase (new customers only) | Update pricing page immediately, existing stay on old plan |
| Adding a new tier | Launch the new tier, don't change existing tiers |
| Removing a tier | Migrate users to nearest tier, give 90-day notice |
| Switching pricing model | Run both models in parallel for 3-6 months |
Price increase email template:
Subject: Changes to your [Product] plan
Hi [Name],
We're updating our pricing on [date] to reflect [reason: new features, rising costs, improved value].
What's changing:
- [Plan] moves from $[old] to $[new]/month
What you get:
- [New feature/improvement 1]
- [New feature/improvement 2]
Your plan won't change until [date — 60+ days out].
If you have questions, reply to this email — I read every response.
[Name]
# Pricing Strategy — [Product Name]
## Pricing Model
- **Model:** [Value-based / Competitor-based / etc.]
- **Rationale:** [Why this model fits]
## Price Calculation
[Show the math — cost basis, value calculation, or competitor benchmarks]
## Tier Structure
[3-column tier comparison table]
## Pricing Page Layout
[Section-by-section wireframe description]
## Psychology Triggers Applied
[List of triggers used with implementation details]
## A/B Test Plan
[Priority-ordered test queue with metrics and duration]
## Migration Plan (if re-pricing)
[Timeline and communication plan]
Pricing Strategy — Complete!
Pricing model: [Model]
Tiers: [Count] ([names])
Recommended price range: $[low] — $[high]/mo
Psychology triggers: [Count] applied
A/B tests queued: [Count]
Next steps:
1. Validate with 10+ customer conversations before finalizing
2. Design pricing page using the layout above
3. Run Van Westendorp survey if unsure about price point
4. Launch with the A/B test plan to optimize within 30 days
5. Re-evaluate pricing quarterly