A bookkeeping price increase letter should state the new fee, the date it starts, one plain reason, and what the client keeps getting for it. Send it well before the change, sign it personally, and invite questions without inviting a negotiation. The example letter below can be adapted in a few minutes per client.
What must a bookkeeping price increase letter include?
A bookkeeping price increase letter must include five things: the current fee, the new fee, the date the new fee starts, a one-sentence reason, and who to contact with questions. Leave any of them out and the client writes back to ask, which turns a notice into a conversation you did not plan.
Details that are easy to forget:
- The exact first invoice. "Starting with the invoice dated March 1" is clearer than "from March".
- Both numbers. Clients compare. Showing the old and new fee avoids a sense that something is being hidden.
- What stays the same. The service list, delivery date and contact person, so the client knows the change is only the price.
- The engagement terms. If your engagement letter or retainer has a notice clause for fee changes, send the letter in line with it. If you bill on a retainer, check what it says about mid-term changes first; when a bookkeeping retainer agreement makes sense covers how those terms work.
A price increase letter to adapt, paragraph by paragraph
The example price increase letter below has four short paragraphs: the news, the reason, what continues, and the next step. Replace each bracketed field. Keep it to one screen, because a long letter reads as a defense, and a defensive tone suggests the fee is open to argument.
Subject: Your bookkeeping fee from [date]
Hi [first name],
From [date], your monthly bookkeeping fee will change from $[current fee] to $[new fee]. Your first invoice at the new rate will be dated [invoice date].
[One reason, for example: Your business now runs through three accounts and about twice the transactions it had when we started, and the fee has not changed since [year].]
Everything else stays the same: your books closed by the [day] of each month, the monthly question list, and me as your contact.
If you would like to talk it through, reply to this email or book a time at [link]. Thank you for working with me.
[Your name] [Practice name]
The reason line is the one to tailor. A client whose work has grown gets a reason about their volume. A client whose fee is simply old gets a reason about the years since the last change. Do not list your own rising costs in detail; the client does not need your budget.
How much notice should a price increase letter give?
A price increase letter should give at least one full billing cycle of notice, and more if your engagement letter requires it. For monthly clients, 60 to 90 days lets them budget for the change and ask questions. Annual clients should hear before their renewal date, not after the invoice arrives.
Timing also matters inside the year. Avoid sending the letter in the middle of a client's busiest season, and avoid landing it the week tax returns are due. Changing fees once a year on a fixed date makes the letter routine rather than a surprise. If several clients are moving at once, send all the letters within a day or two so the news reaches clients who know each other at the same time.
Tone and reason lines in a bookkeeping price increase letter
The right tone for a bookkeeping price increase letter is plain and confident, like any other service notice. One reason in one sentence is enough. Apologizing, over-explaining or thanking the client for "understanding" signals that you expect pushback, and clients who sense doubt are more likely to ask for an exception.
Reason lines that work, depending on the client:
- Work has grown. "You now have two more accounts than when we started."
- The fee is old. "Your fee has not changed in three years."
- A floor applies. "My smallest monthly fee is now $[amount]." This one suits very small clients; setting a minimum fee for bookkeeping clients explains how to pick that floor.
- The service changed. "Your books now run in cloud software with daily bank feeds." If you moved the client from desktop to cloud software, that shift is a real reason; desktop or cloud accounting software for client books compares what each costs and offers.
If faster tools let you deliver sooner, you can mention it as a benefit. Converting statements in batches with AutoBankConvert, for example, can bring a close date earlier, which is something the client feels.
Price increase letter wording that invites pushback
Price increase letter wording invites pushback when it sounds tentative, offers a discount before anyone asks, or buries the number. Phrases such as "we hope you'll understand", "if this is a problem" and "we may need to" read as an opening offer. A clear number, a clear date and a calm reason close the subject.
Wording to drop:
- "Unfortunately, we have to raise prices." The word "unfortunately" makes it a loss.
- "Let me know if this works for you." It turns a notice into a request for approval.
- "As a valued client, you can keep your current rate until..." unless you planned this exception for every client.
- A percentage without the dollar amount, which makes the client do the arithmetic and guess.
Some clients will still push back. Hear them out, and hold the fee unless their work has truly shrunk. Fuller guidance on deciding who moves and by how much is in raising bookkeeping prices without losing clients.