Lifetime dealsBy Day Zero
How to price a lifetime deal for pre-launch software
Price a pre-launch lifetime deal low enough that early believers say yes quickly and high enough to cover what each lifetime user costs you. A year or so of your planned subscription is a good place to start.
In short
- Start from roughly a year of your planned subscription price.
- Price below what you'll charge after launch: early backers wait and take more risk.
- Check what a user costs you each year, and cap usage or seats if you need to.
- On Day Zero every lifetime deal is $10–$150.
There's no formula for lifetime-deal pricing, but a few rules make it easier. The price has to feel like a reward for being early, and it has to cover what a lifetime user will cost you.
Start from your subscription price
If you plan to charge $10 a month, a lifetime seat around $79–$129 is roughly a year of that. Early backers get a clear deal, and you don't give away years of revenue.
Discount for the risk
A pre-launch deal is worth less than one on a finished product: backers wait for it and accept that it may change. Price it below what you'll charge after launch, and call it a founding price.
Check your costs
Estimate what one active user costs you each year in hosting, AI or API usage, and support. If a lifetime seat would cost you more than its price within a few years, raise the price, cap usage in the deal or sell fewer seats.
One price is simpler
Some founders sell the first seats cheapest and raise the price as seats fill. It rewards the earliest backers but makes the offer harder to explain. One price for a limited number of seats is easier to say yes to.
Pricing on Day Zero
On Day Zero, every lifetime deal is $10–$150, whether the product is built or still being built. You're paid the price minus card processing (4% + $0.40) and a 7% Day Zero margin, or a 0% margin on sales from your own link or widget. On a $39 sale from Day Zero's own pages that's about $34. Backers pay no fees, and listing is free.
Questions
Should I offer several lifetime-deal tiers?
Before launch, one tier is easier to explain and to support. Day Zero campaigns have one lifetime deal per product.
Can I raise my prices after launch?
Yes. Your regular pricing after launch is up to you. Founding backers keep what their lifetime deal included.