Should you show your prices? When it helps, when it hurts and how to do it

Updated 3 October 2026 · 8 min read

Many professionals hide their prices because they fear scaring people off or being undercut. Their clients, meanwhile, assume the worst or move on to someone who shows a number. The honest answer is that some indication of price helps almost everyone, and that you can give it in several ways that do not commit you to a rate card. This guide explains when showing a price helps and when it can hurt, six ways to show it, wording you can adapt, and the rules on hidden fees and tax.

The short answer

A visitor with no idea of cost tends to assume the worst or go elsewhere. Showing a price, a starting price or a range filters out poor fits and brings better-qualified calls.
You do not need a full price list. Fixed packages, a “from” price, a range, a typical total or the way you charge all work.
Say what is included and what is not, and whether the price includes tax. The same price with and without VAT or GST looks very different.
Never hide compulsory fees. Since 6 April 2025, UK law bans hidden or “sneaky” fees; the price shown must reflect what the customer must pay.
Some regulators require price information. In England and Wales, the SRA requires law firms to publish price and service information for specified services.
Update prices and say when you last reviewed them.

What happens when there is no price

Visitors compare. A person choosing between three professionals will often contact the one whose cost they can estimate.
They guess. Without a number, many assume a figure higher than reality, and quietly rule you out.
You get the wrong enquiries. Without a hint of cost, you spend time on calls with people who cannot afford you, and miss those who could.
AI assistants and search results cannot quote you. A question like “How much does a will cost in Leeds?” can only be answered from pages that show a price.

When showing prices helps most

Your service is fairly standard: a consultation, a check-up, a tax return, a portrait session, a survey, a lesson.
Your clients are individuals and small businesses who buy for themselves and compare.
Your prices are fair or better than the local norm.
You want fewer time-wasting calls and a better first conversation.
Regulators or professional bodies expect or encourage price transparency in your field.

When to be careful

The work is truly bespoke and varies widely with scope. A single figure would mislead; use a range or “from” price and explain the factors.
Your clients are large organisations that negotiate. You might show how you price rather than a number.
Your rules limit how you may advertise fees. Check your regulator.
Your price depends on facts you cannot know yet. Explain what you will ask, and how quickly you will quote.

Even then, silence is rarely the best choice. A line such as “Projects usually start at a fixed fee; I give a written quote after our first call” already helps.

Six ways to show a price

Ways to show prices, with wording
Approach	When to use it	Example wording (invented)
A fixed price	A standard, well-defined service	Initial consultation, 45 minutes: £90 including VAT.
A “from” price	A service with a standard core and optional extras	Home buyer reports from £495, depending on the size and age of the property.
A range	Work whose scope varies in predictable ways	A kitchen extension typically costs between €6,000 and €12,000 in design fees, depending on size and complexity.
Packages	Services bought in common bundles	Sole trader package: €85 a month, including bookkeeping review, tax return and quarterly check-in.
How you charge	Bespoke or high-value work	I charge a fixed fee per stage, agreed in writing before work starts. A first call is free.
A typical total	Work with a well-known overall cost	A straightforward residential conveyance usually costs $1,200 to $1,800 in legal fees, plus government charges and taxes.

The amounts above are invented examples, not recommendations; yours depend on your work and market.

What to say around the number

What is included: time, deliverables, revisions, travel, materials.
What is not included: extras, third-party costs, government fees.
Whether the price includes tax. For consumers in the UK and EU, prices are normally shown including VAT. In many other places they are shown before tax. Say which.
The currency, if you serve international clients.
How and when you bill: deposit, instalments, on completion.
When it was last reviewed: “Prices reviewed September 2026”.
A free first step, if you offer one, and what it covers.

The rules to know

United Kingdom: the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, with the consumer provisions in force since 6 April 2025, bans hidden or “drip” pricing. If there are compulsory charges, they must be included in the price you show, not added at the end.
England and Wales, legal services: the SRA’s Transparency Rules require regulated firms to publish price and service information for specified areas of work. See lawyer websites.
EU and UK consumers: prices shown to consumers should include VAT.
United States: some states and professions have fee-disclosure rules, and a price must not be misleading. Lawyers, for example, should check their state bar’s rules.
India: where GST applies, be clear whether your price includes it.
Always: the price you advertise is the price you must honour. Do not use a low “from” price as bait if few clients actually pay it.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check your regulator and your national consumer law.

A “from” price done honestly

Make “from” a price that a real share of clients actually pay, not a rarely-reached minimum.
Say what pushes it higher: size, speed, complexity, extras.
Add a typical total if you can: “Most clients pay between X and Y”.
Never advertise a price you will not honour.

Fear of being undercut

Competitors can already learn your prices by phoning you. A published price rarely loses you the client who values what you do, and it gives you a chance to explain why you cost what you do: your experience, your process, what is included. If you worry about price competition, compete on clarity and trust, not on secrecy.

Common mistakes

No price and no sense of cost.
A “from” price so low that almost nobody pays it.
A price with compulsory extras added at the end.
Not saying whether tax is included.
Out-of-date prices.
Listing every service and price in a dense table nobody reads.
Making your price the first and loudest thing instead of a reassuring detail beside the value.

Wording for a price page, by situation

Examples (amounts are invented)
Situation	Wording
You charge by the hour	£120 an hour, billed in 15-minute steps. A first call of 20 minutes is free.
You charge a fixed fee per stage	Stage 1, concept design: from €2,400. Stage 2, detailed design: from €3,800. You approve each stage before the next begins.
You charge by the project	Brand identity for small businesses: $3,500 to $6,000, depending on the number of applications. I give a written quote after a 30-minute call.
You charge a monthly retainer	Bookkeeping and monthly accounts for sole traders: from £85 a month, including a quarterly review call.
You offer a sliding scale	Sessions are £70 to £110. We agree the figure in our first conversation, based on what is manageable for you.
You work on a no-win-no-fee basis	Describe the basis honestly and state clearly what the client pays if the case is lost. Check your regulator’s wording rules.
Your price depends on size	Home buyer reports start at £495 for a flat and £695 for a detached house. Larger or older properties are quoted individually.

A simple way to set a price you can show

Work out what an hour of your time needs to earn, after tax, costs and non-working time.
Estimate honestly how many hours a typical job takes, including preparation, admin and follow-up.
Multiply, then compare with what clients in your area pay for similar work.
Round to a clear figure, and decide on a “from” price that covers a real share of your work.
Write what is included. Anything outside it is quoted separately.
Review it after six months, and raise it when you are consistently busy.

Talking about price in the first conversation

Say the number early and plainly, then explain what it covers.
Do not apologise for it. A calm, matter-of-fact figure signals confidence.
Offer options where you can: a lighter version and a fuller one.
If a client cannot afford you, say so kindly and suggest another route, such as a more limited piece of work or another professional.
Put it in writing afterwards, with what is included, what is not and when payment is due.

When prices change

Raising your fees is normal and honest if you do it clearly.

Update your page first, with the date: “Prices from 1 January 2027”.
Tell existing clients in advance, in writing, with a reasonable notice period.
Honour quotes you have already given until they expire.
Do not show old and new prices together on a page where they might confuse people.
Keep a note of the last change, so that you can review it once a year.

Where BeVisible fits

On a BeVisible page, every service can have a price or a “from” price next to it, in the “Services & fees” section, and visitors see it beside a description. You can also list a first-consultation price. You can build and preview free, and publish free for 7 days with no card needed; after that one yearly plan keeps a website online, and one plan covers one website. Start from a photo or type your details.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put my prices on my website?

Usually some indication helps. A fixed price, a “from” price, a range, a package or an explanation of how you charge all give visitors a sense of cost, filter enquiries and build trust. Check whether your regulator requires or limits price information.

What if my work is too varied to price?

Show a range, a “from” price and the factors that move it, or explain how you charge and say that you quote in writing after a first call. That is much better than saying nothing.

Will showing prices lead to being undercut?

Competitors can already find out by calling. Published prices let you explain your value. Competing on clarity and trust tends to work better than secrecy.

Should prices include VAT or sales tax?

For consumers in the UK and EU, prices are normally shown including VAT. In many other places they are shown before tax. Whatever you do, say clearly whether tax is included.

Is hidden pricing legal?

In the UK, since 6 April 2025, hiding compulsory fees until the end is banned; the price shown must include them. Many other countries have similar rules against misleading pricing. Always include compulsory charges in the price you advertise.

Do law firms have to publish prices?

In England and Wales, the SRA’s Transparency Rules require regulated firms to publish price and service information for specified areas of work. Elsewhere, rules differ. Check your own bar.