Unlimited service models are reshaping the agency model. Whether you sell design, copy, or video, “unlimited” pricing structures can help you scale faster than you can say “no limits” as long as you get it right. Without a solid pricing structure? You’ll be hurtling towards burnout and razor-thin margins. Here’s the secret to scaling your agency: Price smarter, not harder.
This pricing structure appeals to marketing managers and agencies of all sizes. Be sure to offer exceptional value and build profitability into the structure. Scaling without sustainability is a disaster waiting to happen.
Here’s your guide to pricing strategies for unlimited service models. Discover 17 examples of the best pricing strategies to find the one that will be right for your agency. We’ll help you ditch thinking about hourly pricing in favor of a powerful future!
Best Pricing Strategies & Examples
There’s no “one size fits all” solution. Unlimited services utilize the subscription model, but exploring a range of different pricing models allows you to tailor them to your agency or create exciting hybrids that leave your competitors behind!
The tried-and-true “time for money" model has been used across industries for over 100 years. Charge for every hour your team works for the client.
- Pro: You get guarantees for every hour worked by the team. It’s easy to adopt, and clients have no problem seeing and tracking this.
- Con: You’re penalized for efficiency: more experienced team members get paid less because they finish tasks faster. Also, it can make clients too focused on time and less focused on value.
- Best For: Ad hoc requests, active clients, and consulting projects in the discovery phase where you can’t be sure of the scope.
An awesome fee is set for one unique deliverable, like one custom website, or one custom logo for your client.
- Pro: There will be transparency guaranteed. Projects become massively more profitable as your team’s efficiency increases.
- Con: You’ll need to guard against scope creep. If clients are demanding outside the project, that kills margins.
- Best For: Projects that have a defined life cycle, with numerous different milestones and outputs.
3. Fixed-Fee Pricing
This is like project-based pricing but for a repeatable offering with many outputs.
- Pro: The predictability of this pricing structure is off the charts! The frictionless billing that comes with this model also makes cash flow a dream.
- Con: All the risk rests with you. This needs to be extremely exact. If something takes longer than usual, it has a horrible impact on profitability.
- Best For: Repetitive services with a consistent cost structure each time. “5 blog posts per month,” for example.
4. Retainer Pricing
You only charge clients once per period and maintain an incredible sense of value exchange: guaranteed access to expert help when they need it most.
- Pro: This model brings guaranteed income! An awesome way to convert one-off service relations to valuable long-term partnerships!
- Con: Given the regularity of this arrangement, clients can feel like they’re not getting enough value when business is slow, and they only use 20% of your team’s capabilities.
- Best For: Repeat strategic consultation, account maintenance, and tech support.
Often considered the "holy grail" for unlimited service offerings. Clients pay a recurring monthly or annual fee for priority access to your service queue.
- Pros: Delivers consistent Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), is highly scalable, and removes friction from the sales process.
- Cons: High-volume management is essential to avoid team burnout. You must also stay vigilant against "churn"—the constant threat of cancellations.
- Best for: Unlimited graphic design, copywriting, or video editing services.
6. Value-Based Pricing
Price based on the actual value/ROI you create for your clients rather than how manual or intensive the task or service is.
- Pro: Insane profitability! Synced up with everything clients need from your agency—a perfect win!
- Con: Hard to quantify! You’ll need a lot of trust and perfect transparency before you employ this model.
- Best For: High-level consulting services, higher-level sales copy.
7. Performance-Based Pricing
A pricing model where you’re compensated based on completing certain key performance indicators agreed upon with clients in advance.
- Pro: Clients have low risk as it only costs them something if you deliver value. You have an impressive financial upside if you hit the targets!
- Con: The transactional aspect of this model isn’t always predictable. You may have to rely on (client) sales teams to close deals long before your paycheck arrives!
- Best For: Lead generation and PPC management.
8. Tiered Pricing
Like sliding scale pricing (see below), but this model works by capturing multiple market segments by offering a variety of plans at different price points. Think of Silver vs. Gold vs. Platinum packages.
- Pro: There’s less “buyer friction.” Clients have alternative price plans and different “anchoring” to help them better assess the value of a lower (or higher) price plan. This model provides multiple pricing options for different market segments.
- Con: Complexity in managing pricing packages while keeping your internal workings healthy.
- Best For: SaaS products and productized services. Easily segment a market according to package pricing!
9. Cost-Plus Pricing
You calculate your cost and add a certain percentage to everything you deliver to clients for profit.
- Pro: Every deliverable is guaranteed to cover costs and be highly profitable! This pricing plan is super-easy to implement.
- Con: Does not factor in how clients perceive value—or how much value it should have! Make sure they see it!
- Best For: Special expertise and products; there’s an insane variance in input costs.
10. Pay What You Want
Clients determine the cost of your products/services and how much they value them in real time.
- Pro: An incredible product awareness tool for new products/services—clients feel like they owe you something!
- Con: Not a long-term sustainable model—it gives every user permission (and incentives) to pay $0!
- Best For: Digital products, charitable products, limited-time campaigns!
11. Sliding Scale Pricing
A post-service or product fee that ties the final price to your perceived ability to pay as a client; it finds balance across all socioeconomic conditions!
- Pro: Open access to impressive services/products to non-profits or baby start-ups while still getting paid something by enterprises!
- Con: This could get messy; it forces you to make income assessments.
- Best For: Coaches/mission-driven service providers!
12. Freemium Model
Create a super amazing version of your product/services that is free but charge for upgraded features or a newer version of the same product/service.
- Pro: Insane user acquisition model! Freemium business models build massive amounts of goodwill between your potential users and you!
- Con: You may also need to service/free users of these products.
- Best For: Software as a service (Saas) Products
13. Package Pricing (Bundle Pricing)
Provide package prices on productized services/products!
- Pro: Higher average order value! A better way to sell complementary deliverables but be cautious!
- Con: Clients feel forced to buy things when they’re only interested in 1 part of an offering!
- Best For: Full-service agencies (branding, web design + SEO)
14. Contingency Pricing
You receive payment only if you meet certain pre-defined service conditions set by the client!
- Pro: Incredibly low risk to clients! It’s on you to create insane value for customers and clients
- Con: It comes at a massive cost of defined deliverables—if you don’t meet huge conditions, you work for free!
- Best For: Legal Services / Executive Head-hunting
15. Dynamic Pricing
A flexible-price model based on the fluctuations and demand in the market (surge pricing).
- Pro: Helps maximize income during peak trading conditions by helping agencies keep afloat.
- Con: Tricky to create artistic service pricing models that change due to market demand. It may upset loyal customers expecting a certain price.
- Best For: Travel / Ride sharing
16. Hybrid Pricing
Combine elements from different models! Charge lower recurring fees but still use a performance bonus model to incentivize clients.
- Pro: Flexible! Creates neat balances to finances while giving massive upside potential to team members.
- Con: Might be awkward to explain beyond a proposal phase—with certain clients!
- Best For: Marketer agencies willing to have “skin in the game”!
17. Promotional Pricing
Use temporary promotions to create an influx of cash in the short term! Incentivize potential customers with elevated feelings of urgency!
- Pro: Boost agency sales by a sudden but impressive amount in a short phase! Super-fast new customer acquisition (think Black Friday sales!)
- Con: Creates low agency value if overused! Avoid attracting “discount gods” super prone to churning!
- Best For: Black Friday Events / Seasonal Slumps
Scale Without Limits
The right pricing strategy drives your agency's growth. Moving away from hourly billing to models like subscription or tiered pricing aligns your business with modern marketing managers' need for predictability and speed.
Start by analyzing costs, understanding your value, and testing a model that excites your market. Get pricing right, and you’ll go from being an expense to an indispensable partner.
Credit for Cover Image: Photo by Ann H.
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