TL;DR:
- Your pricing model shapes margins, cash flow, and client fit.
- Start from costs, then match the model to risk and outcomes.
- Use markup for simple pass-through work, retainers for ongoing services.
- Add tiers or usage for SaaS reselling, use performance fees when you can measure results.
- Track margin and scope, review prices each quarter to stay profitable.
White-label lets you sell complete services or software under your brand. The right pricing model keeps margins healthy and clients happy. Pick a model that fits your offer, your risk tolerance, and how value is delivered.
HubSpot’s overview of pricing strategies is a helpful base. It explains cost-plus, value-based, and other playbooks that you can adapt to services and SaaS.
Resource Guru’s agency guide shows there is no single best model. Agencies mix models across clients and offers, including retainers, projects, performance, subscription, and hybrids.
McKinsey reminds us that price discipline matters. In its analysis of typical S&P 1500 economics, a 1 percent price rise can lift operating profit by about 8 percent if volume holds. Even small price moves have outsized impact.
The core models, with when to use each
1) Cost-plus markup (pass-through)
What it is: You add a markup to your vendor price and resell under your brand.
Best for: Simple, repeatable services with clear unit costs.
Pros: Easy to explain, fast to quote.
Watch-outs: Can underprice value, hides profit in a single percentage. Use for fulfillment that has stable costs.
HubSpot defines cost-plus as adding a fixed percentage to cost, which keeps math simple but ignores perceived value.
2) Fixed-fee project
What it is: One price for a defined scope and timeline.
Best for: Site builds, migrations, one-off campaigns.
Pros: Clear deliverables, upsell change requests.
Watch-outs: Scope creep erodes margin. Lock scope and change-order rules.
Resource Guru notes this suits one-off needs but brings less predictable revenue.
3) Monthly retainer
What it is: Ongoing fee for a set of services or hours.
Best for: SEO, content, social, PPC management, reporting.
Pros: Predictable cash flow, deep relationships.
Watch-outs: You must show value each month and police scope.
Retainers are common in agencies and work well when outcomes accrue over time.
4) Tiered packages or subscriptions
What it is: Bronze-Silver-Gold style bundles with rising features or limits.
Best for: White-label SaaS, social plans, support plans.
Pros: Easier sales, self-selection by budget, clean upsell path.
Watch-outs: Keep tiers distinct and profitable.
Both HubSpot and Resource Guru describe subscription or tiered models as strong for recurring value.
5) Usage-based or per-unit (wholesale-retail)
What it is: Price per seat, call, lead, credit, or GB, often atop a base plan.
Best for: Telephony, AI credits, email sends, seat-based tools.
Pros: Costs scale with demand, easy for clients to understand.
Watch-outs: Spiky usage can distort cash flow. Add minimums and overage rates.
HubSpot’s coverage of pricing models includes usage and geographic considerations you can adapt to SaaS resell.
6) Performance or commission
What it is: Pay tied to results, like leads, sales, or ROAS.
Best for: Channels where you can attribute outcomes cleanly.
Pros: Aligned incentives, strong upside.
Watch-outs: External factors can sink payouts. Cap risk with floors or mixed models.
Resource Guru flags unpredictability and the need for clear measurement.
7) Hybrid
What it is: Combine a base retainer or minimum with project or performance fees.
Best for: Complex accounts, multi-service bundles, high-touch SaaS.
Pros: Smoother revenue, balanced risk.
Watch-outs: More admin. Standardize your templates.
Hybrid models are common as clients differ by need, budget, and risk.
Quick-fit checklist
Use this to narrow your model. Pick the first row that fully applies.
- Work is ongoing, value compounds monthly → Retainer or subscription.
- Clear one-time scope with a finish line → Fixed-fee project.
- Costs are stable and transparent → Cost-plus markup.
- Seats, credits, or transactions drive value → Usage-based with tiers.
- Outcomes are easy to measure and verify → Performance or hybrid.
- Client wants flexibility, you want baseline cash flow → Retainer + project add-ons.
Compare models at a glance
| Model | Price unit | Best for | Key risk | Safeguards |
| Cost-plus | % over vendor cost | Simple pass-through | Ignores value | Set floor prices, review quarterly |
| Fixed-fee project | Per project | One-off builds | Scope creep | Change orders, milestone billing |
| Retainer | Monthly | Ongoing ops | Value perception | Clear deliverables, QBRs |
| Tiered subscription | Monthly by tier | Productized services, SaaS | Tier overlap | Distinct limits, upgrade paths |
| Usage-based | Per seat or unit | SaaS resell | Demand spikes | Minimums, overage pricing |
| Performance | Per result | Trackable channels | Attribution | Defined KPIs, caps and floors |
| Hybrid | Mixed | Complex accounts | Complexity | Standard templates, clear SOWs |
Resource Guru’s list of nine agency models includes retainer, project, performance, time-based, subscription, commission, matrix, and hybrid variants.
Markup and margin, with the math
You must know the difference.
- Markup is profit over cost.
- Margin is profit over selling price.
How to choose, step by step
- Map value and risk. If results are measurable and you control key levers, consider performance fees. If results depend on client execution, prefer retainers or projects. Resource Guru stresses fit over fashion.
- Start from cost, then price to value. Use cost-plus to set a floor. Then adjust up for value, urgency, and expertise. HubSpot recommends a structured pricing analysis, including costs, demand, and competition.
- Choose the price unit clients care about. Seats, credits, sites, campaigns, or outcomes. Align units with how value is consumed. HubSpot’s models can be adapted to services and SaaS.
- Pilot, measure, and tune. Run a 90-day test. Track margin, churn, and support load. McKinsey’s work shows small price changes move profit a lot, so test carefully.
- Standardize the paperwork. Write clear SOWs, service catalogs, and tier limits. Add change-order and overage rules.
Packaging tips for white-label SaaS reselling
- Pair a base plan with usage. Charge a monthly platform fee plus per-seat or per-credit charges.
- Create clean tier jumps. Limit by features, support speed, or caps. Avoid “everything in the middle.”
- Add value under your brand. Bundle onboarding, templates, and strategy calls. Clients pay for outcomes, not just software access.
- Guard gross margin. Set minimum advertised prices if allowed, and review vendor price changes quarterly.
Contract and scope guardrails
- Define what is included, what is not, and response times.
- For retainers, state hours or deliverables and what happens when limits are hit.
- For projects, bill 40/40/20 or milestones to protect cash flow.
- For performance, define KPIs, tracking, and how disputes are handled.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pricing only on cost. You leave money on the table. Add value factors. HubSpot warns cost-plus ignores perceived value.
- No floor price. Discounts stack and crush profit. Use a floor tied to margin goals. McKinsey’s pocket price waterfall shows how revenue leaks.
- Too many tiers. Clients stall. Offer three clear choices.
- Retainer without scope control. Scope creep is real. Resource Guru calls out this risk and the need for detail.
A simple pricing workflow you can copy
- List all direct vendor costs and your internal delivery costs.
- Set a floor price using margin math, not just markup.
- Pick the model that matches value delivery and risk.
- Package into one page: three tiers or a retainer plus add-ons.
- Run the numbers on three scenarios: low, expected, and high usage.
- Add SLA, change-order, and overage terms.
- Review prices every quarter and after major scope changes.
Why it matters
Price is a powerful profit lever. McKinsey’s analysis shows even a 1 percent change can move operating profit by several points, if demand holds. Good pricing turns delivery work into durable profit.
Sources:
- HubSpot, “Pricing Strategies & Models: An In-Depth Look at How to Price Your Products Effectively,” https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/pricing-strategy, updated 2025-03-18.
- McKinsey Quarterly, “The Power of Pricing” (PDF), https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/Marketing%20and%20Sales/Our%20Insights/The%20power%20of%20pricing/The%20power%20of%20pricing.pdf, 2003-02-01.
Resource Guru, “Agency pricing guide (including 9 agency pricing models),” https://resourceguruapp.com/blog/agencies/agency-pricing, 2025-02-07.