SON (System Obslugi Najmu) is a SaaS that makes life easier for property owners and managers by automating lease agreements, invoicing, and tenant bill settlements. It’s one of the best and easiest-to-use tools on the Polish market, acting as a mix of CRM and ERP that chops administrative tasks to almost nothing. SON’s value proposition lies in delivering unique automation and efficiency benefits specifically tailored for property owners and managers, helping them save time and reduce errors.
For SaaS startups, developing an effective pricing model is crucial for growth and retention, as it directly impacts how well the company can scale and adapt to changing market needs.
SaaS pricing models are a core driver of how SaaS companies generate revenue and retain customers.
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One thing is to increase the prices for existing customers; something entirely different is to transition them to the revenue model. Valueships experts helped us with doing so, and we have managed to move from the old property value metric to the entirely new revenue-based model. Considering the overall communication with my customer group, it is important that they have also assisted me when it was tough. Despite the initial backlash, we received positive ROI from the project. And in general, I’m satisfied with the cooperation with the Valueships team
Rafal Paluch, the owner of SON, had built a stable position in the Polish property management tool market over seven years. However, while he developed the tool regarding user needs and features impeccably, its billing model had been static. SON charged a flat fee depending on the number of tenants per property or the number of properties. This was a form of flat rate pricing—the simplest option, where all users pay the same monthly or annual fee for unlimited access. It relied heavily on the type of property you rent, making it vulnerable to inflation. Without regular price bumps, SON had been losing money every year in real terms. This legacy pricing approach was common in early SaaS products but can become outdated as the product evolves and expands its feature set.
There was a deeper problem. The existing pricing structure didn’t consider the nature of the properties or the income they generate. Some users who were significantly profiting from their properties and leveraging the full capabilities of SON were paying the same - or even less - than users generating substantially less rental income. The pricing model was disconnected from the value SON created. SaaS pricing typically refers to a subscription pricing model that allows customers to pay at regular intervals instead of making a large upfront purchase, and the right pricing structure helps align your product with customer needs and differentiate your offering from competitors.
This is a common pattern in B2B SaaS pricing: a company builds a great product, grows steadily, but never evolves its pricing model to match the value it delivers. Over time, the gap between value and price widens until it becomes a strategic problem.
Rafal sensed that the model wasn’t optimal, and it was high time for a change. Our challenge was threefold:
Additionally, the new pricing model would support SON’s market positioning and sustainable growth by enabling the company to better serve different customer segments and expand into new markets.
This wasn’t a typical SaaS price increase strategy where you adjust existing prices up. This was a full SaaS pricing model transformation - moving from a static flat fee to a revenue-based pricing model that ties the cost of the tool to the value it helps generate.
A well-structured pricing model can stimulate revenue growth through optimized pricing tiers and strategic add-ons. Pricing is a strategic engine for growth, customer success, and market positioning.
Our collaboration with Rafal started with workshops where we discussed many pricing options—charging a flat fee, focusing on properties only, per-tenant models, and more. We also considered cost based pricing and cost plus pricing approaches. Cost based pricing sets prices based on the costs to produce or deliver the service, while cost plus pricing involves adding a fixed markup to those costs, offering transparency but not always aligning with customer value.
But during the conversation, Rafal mentioned something that changed the entire direction of the project:
“I always wanted to charge for the overall revenue generated.”
This was game-changing. We immediately realized that a revenue-based pricing model could solve all three goals at once: it reflects value (higher-earning properties pay more), it’s inflation-proof (as rents go up, so does the fee), and it’s scalable (no need to redesign it as the business grows).
We formed a value-based pricing hypothesis, recognizing that value based pricing focuses on what customers are willing to pay for the perceived value your product delivers, rather than tying prices to costs. Understanding customer expectations and perceived value is key to applying this strategy effectively. To execute value-based pricing well, companies must conduct customer pricing research, collect feedback, and analyze usage data to assess willingness to pay across different segments.
When pricing reflects the true value your product delivers, customers are much more likely to convert and stick around. Value-based pricing ensures buyers feel they're paying a fair price for meaningful outcomes, not just access to features. The biggest challenge with value-based pricing is figuring out the marketing machine that will convince your audience of the perceived value of your product.
We performed a value-sharing exercise to determine the actual worth of SON. We analyzed users’ portfolios and calculated the percentage of the tool’s cost against the revenue it generated for them.
The results were eye-opening: SON’s cost averaged a mere 0.034% of the transaction value. You don’t need to be a pricing consultant to know that’s far too low - the standard payment processing fee alone is usually 1 to 3%. If SON is sorting and automating landlords’ work, saving them significant time each week, the tool is an essential part of their value creation. And it should cost more than 0.034% of the value it helps capture. Aligning pricing with customer value can improve customer acquisition and retention by ensuring users feel they are getting a fair deal.
We also interviewed several SON users and found that they genuinely saw the tool as vital for their daily work. They believed it was the best on the market, and no alternative solutions came close. This confirmed our value-based pricing strategy hypothesis: the willingness to pay was significantly higher than the current price. The new pricing model enables customers to extract more value from the product, further justifying the transformation.
With the vast income differences among SON’s users, using a one-size-fits-all 1% fee wouldn’t be fair. We were dealing with a classic Pareto income distribution - a few landlords with very high revenue and many with modest portfolios. A flat commission would create a massive disparity.
So we called in our data analytics team. Using users’ revenue data, they drew up a power law graph and tested different commission models against it. They came up with two pricing models: one approach involved creating pricing tiers with different price points for different customer segments, offering multiple pricing plans tailored to specific target markets. A well-designed pricing plan can align with customer needs and improve scalability. The other model considered was feature-based pricing, where customers are charged based on access to specific tools or modules, allowing for customization based on customer needs. This combination ensured that the pricing was fair across the entire customer base - not just optimized for the average.
We presented the models to Rafal and got the green light to roll out the new pricing.
Before pushing the new pricing, we informed the users and explained why the prices were increasing. However, this stirred up quite a storm. Heated words poured in through Facebook groups for landlords and the company mailbox. Some users grumbled loudly, others threatened to leave. Understanding and managing customer reactions was crucial at this stage, as risking customer churn is a real concern during any SaaS pricing model transformation. Customers often view price increases through the lens of loss aversion, which can intensify their reactions and resistance to change.
To address this, we emphasized transparent communication, recommending 30 to 60 days advance notice for price changes to help maintain trust and minimize churn.
This was a tough time for Rafal. Naturally, in such times, it’s normal for the owner to question if they did the right thing. Should he reverse the decision? Maybe the upset clients had a point?
But thanks to our in-depth analysis, we were confident that raising prices was the right call. We had created a churn prediction model showing that SON would still come out financially better even if 30% of clients left. That’s the kind of safety margin that makes a SaaS price increase strategy executable even under pressure.
Instead of backing off, we helped Rafal manage the fallout. We ran problem-solving sessions on how to respond to clients so they could understand the real value of the tool and why it was worth paying more. We also decided to let a few clients stick with the old plan where it made sense - flexibility in execution doesn’t mean weakness in strategy. The clients who remained were loyal customers who truly valued the product, demonstrating the importance of fostering long-term relationships through the right pricing model.
We didn’t let emotions cloud our judgment and stood firm. Effective churn management and clear communication not only helped retain loyal customers but also supported ongoing customer acquisition, even during a challenging pricing transition.
The results validated the entire approach:
The right pricing model can unlock adoption, fuel expansion, and create long-term revenue predictability.
Out of 565 clients, SON lost 80 - mostly free riders who never paid a cent for the tool or paid virtually nothing. The clients who stayed are the ones who genuinely value SON and are now paying a price that reflects that value.
This case is one of the most honest examples of how to raise SaaS prices without losing customers - or more accurately, how to raise prices, lose some customers, and still come out significantly ahead. Not every client is worth keeping at any cost. When your churn prediction model shows you’d be profitable even at 30% churn, and actual churn is far below that, you know the decision was right.
The SON story also proves something important about churn management during price increase: the loudest voices aren’t always representative. The backlash felt overwhelming in the moment, but the numbers told a different story. Data beats noise.
In the world of SaaS companies, customer success is more than just a support function - it’s a strategic pillar that directly impacts revenue growth and long-term sustainability. The right pricing model is a powerful lever for driving customer success, as it ensures that customers perceive real value in the product relative to what they pay. When SaaS pricing is thoughtfully designed to reflect customer value, it not only attracts new customers but also helps existing customers stay engaged and satisfied, reducing the risk of customer churn.
A misaligned pricing strategy, on the other hand, can quickly erode trust and lead to customer confusion or dissatisfaction. If customers feel they are paying too much for too little, or if the pricing structure doesn’t scale with their usage and needs, they are more likely to seek alternatives - resulting in lost revenue and higher churn rates. This is why leading SaaS businesses invest in pricing models that align pricing with the value delivered, whether through usage based pricing, tiered pricing, or value based pricing approaches.
To truly support customer success, SaaS companies should regularly gather customer feedback and usage data to ensure their pricing strategy evolves alongside customer needs and market trends. By aligning pricing with customer segments and the actual value customers assign to the product, SaaS businesses can foster stronger customer relationships, improve customer retention, and unlock new revenue streams. Ultimately, a customer-centric pricing model is not just about maximizing price points- it’s about building a sustainable SaaS business where customer success and business success go hand in hand.
+ 30% increased MRR
No longer tied to inflation
New pricing model taking into account the diverse client structure
A scalable billing method for years to come
Increased overall confidence in the value of a product
Expert in B2B pricing, monetization and value-based selling strategies. Over the past year, he has completed over 40 consulting projects in Europe. Prior to founding Valueships, he worked at McKinsey & Company, mainly in the TelCo, software, and banking industries. He completed his doctorate in pricing in SaaS start-ups at the University of Economics in Wrocław, where he also lectures.
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Expert in B2B pricing, monetization and value-based selling strategies. Over the past year, he has completed over 40 consulting projects in Europe. Prior to founding Valueships, he worked at McKinsey & Company, mainly in the TelCo, software, and banking industries. He completed his doctorate in pricing in SaaS start-ups at the University of Economics in Wrocław, where he also lectures.
