How to price accounting software for clients inside your packages

Before setting any client price, know what the software costs your firm per client and in total. Under a flat license, the per-client cost falls as you add clients, which rewards growth. Under per-client plans, the cost scales in step with your book. Write both numbers down so you know the minimum each package must cover.

With HelloBooks, each client stays on a published plan and the firm receives a discount on every client plan, alongside its flat monthly license fee. HelloBooks bills only the firm, so you decide what the client pays. That separation means your price can reflect the service rather than mirror the vendor’s list.

Clients rarely want software for its own sake. They want reconciled accounts, timely reports and fewer surprises at tax time. Describe packages in those terms. A package might promise a closed month by a set point in the following month, a review call each quarter, and access to the firm’s app for invoicing and bills.

Once software is bundled, avoid pricing it as a visible pass-through. Showing a separate software charge invites clients to compare it with retail prices and question your margin. A single package price anchored to the work you deliver is easier to explain and easier to defend.

Two or three tiers usually cover most clients without creating decision fatigue. Differentiate them by service depth rather than by software features, since every client receives the same app regardless of tier and the real difference is how much of your team’s time they get. Useful levers include:

Review your tiers after the first few months of real data. If most clients cluster in one tier, the others may be poorly defined. If clients keep asking for add-ons, a missing tier may be hiding in those requests. Adjust gradually and tell existing clients well ahead of any change that affects what they pay.

• How often the books are closed and reviewed
• Whether invoicing and bill entry are client-run or firm-run
• The number of advisory or planning calls included
• Response time commitments for questions
• Whether catch-up or cleanup work is included

One flat license covers your brand, unlimited staff and the firm console. Your clients stay on published HelloBooks plans, and your firm gets 20% off each one. Founding firms go live first on a firm subdomain; your own domain and email from your domain follow at full launch.