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A straightforward price and a one-step payment

By the end, you'll have a price calculated from your costs and your hourly rate, written without ambiguity on your website, and you'll know why every extra piece of information you ask for before the card costs you sales.

By Yodai · Published on September 5, 2026 · Updated on October 12, 2026

4 min read

You've been staring at a blank price field for the last half hour. Price it at $20 and it feels like you're giving your work away; price it at $45 and you're afraid nobody will reach out. And even if you get the number right, there's still the other question: do you ask for the card right away, or wait for the client to show up and figure it out then?

Both doubts are really the same one: how much trust it takes for someone to pull out their wallet in front of a screen. The fix is a number and a button, not more text explaining why you're worth it.

Your price isn't copied from the competition

Looking at what the business next door charges tells you what they charge, not what your work is worth. It's only useful for staying in a reasonable range, nothing more.

The price comes from adding up what it costs you to do the job (materials, time, what you pay for your space or tools) plus the margin you want to make. If a photo session takes you an hour and a half and your time is worth $18 an hour, your time comes to $27; add $15 for materials and expenses and $18 in margin, and you land on $60, a number you already have written down before you even check what anyone else charges.

This math comes with a bonus: when someone asks why it costs that much, you've got a one-sentence answer instead of improvising an excuse.

Here's how a $60 price breaks down (example: a photo session)
Materials and expenses25%
Your time45%
Margin30%

Flat price or “starting at”: when to use each

How to show the number
Flat price
  • The client knows exactly what they'll pay before they even reach out
  • Works when the service is the same every time: a haircut, a tune-up, a ticket
  • If the work varies a lot from one client to the next, it forces you to overcharge the easy jobs or undercharge the hard ones
“Starting at”
  • Leaves room for a real quote when the work changes a lot: renovations, websites, custom orders
  • Needs a second step: someone who responds with the final price fast, not the next day
  • If the range is too wide, it sounds like you don't know what you charge

Which one to pick: Use a flat price whenever the service is the same every time. Use “starting at” only when the work truly varies, and with a real minimum, not a number thrown out just to attract clicks.

The price is stated plainly, no hedging

Just as important as the number is how it's written on the page itself: no “approximate,” no “nominal,” no fine print underneath. A price full of caveats doesn't build trust, it raises questions that nobody's going to bother writing you, they'll just close the tab.

If the price depends on something, size, urgency, quantity, say what that variable is; don't hide it behind a “contact us for pricing.” One line naming the variable settles the question before it turns into a message you have to answer yourself.

How to write it
Haircut + beard trim, $25. House calls, $35. Pay by card or Venmo when you confirm the appointment.

Payment: how many steps to the card

From price to card, no detours
  1. 1The price, before the button
    The number needs to be visible before you ask for any information. Nobody types in their name just to find out how much something costs.
  2. 2One piece of contact info
    A name and phone number, or an email, is enough to identify the booking. Asking for an address, an ID number, or making someone create a password-protected account just to pay $20 is more than reason enough for someone to close the tab.
  3. 3The method they already use
    Card, and if your customers already use it, Venmo or Zelle. Adding options nobody's asking for just means more buttons to decide between before paying.
  4. 4Confirmation as soon as they pay
    A message, by email or WhatsApp, showing what they paid and the date and time of their appointment, or when you'll confirm it. If nothing shows up, they'll write back to ask if it went through, and that back-and-forth is exactly the time you were trying to save.
The costliest mistake: asking for too much before you get paid
Copying a big retailer's checkout form, an account, a billing address, a phone number with a separate country code, a terms checkbox, to sell a $20 or $30 service. Every extra field is one more reason to put it off for later, and later never comes back. Ask only for what you need to book the appointment or send the order, and nothing more.
What you walk away with
  • A price calculated from your costs and your hourly rate, not copied from the competition
  • A flat price if the service is always the same; “starting at” only if it truly varies, with a real minimum
  • The number stated plainly right on the page, with the variable named if the price changes
  • A payment that asks for just one piece of contact info, with confirmation as soon as it's paid

In Yodai the store comes with the Free plan, with a catalog, a cart and orders. See how to create your online store for free.

NextA custom quote doesn't belong in your catalog: it gets its own payment link