Public website pricing: show it or not?
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Show prices on your website whenever the product or service is the same for every customer. Show “starting at,” along with what is included and what changes the amount, when prices vary within a range. Omit prices only when each proposal truly differs, and even then publish a numerical example. “Request a quote” without any price reference is not a strategy; it is a reason many visitors close the page.
Hiding prices protects nobody. Competitors find out with one message. Customers who lack a number imagine the worst, or contact you, take up your time, and disappear when they hear it. Showing prices filters people before the conversation so you speak only with those whose budgets fit. That is why Avila Ops publishes its prices: websites starting at R$ 79/month, email at R$ 10 per mailbox, and online stores with R$ 79, R$ 119, and R$ 349/month plans.
When should you show a price, give a range, or omit it?
| Offer type | What to publish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standardized product or service | The price | Haircut R$ 60; professional email R$ 10 per mailbox/month |
| Service with predictable variation | “Starting at,” with inclusions and the variable | Company website starting at R$ 2,490, up to five pages; a store with product entry costs a different amount |
| Custom service | Range or real example, plus what determines the price | “Bathroom renovations we completed ranged from R$ 8,000 to R$ 15,000; finishes have the biggest impact” |
| Unique proposal (project, lengthy consulting engagement) | Billing format and one case | “We charge by phase; a 40 m² project cost R$ X in 2026” |
The fourth row is the only one where “no price” is justified, and it still contains a number. Businesses working with unique proposals that publish a priced example receive fewer quote requests and close more because prospects already know the order of magnitude.
What does the law require about pricing?
Where there is an offer, there is a price. Article 31 of Brazil’s Consumer Protection Code (Law 8.078/1990) says offers must provide correct, clear pricing information, among other characteristics. Law 10.962/2004 and Decree 5.903/2006 detail price display in commerce, including online: a product offered for sale must have a visible cash price without requiring a question. An online store without product prices falls outside the rules as well as common sense.
For services without a ready-made offer, such as a renovation requiring a visit, there is no obligation to publish a public price list. The obligation begins when you advertise “complete bathroom renovation” as an offer; then the price or calculation basis must appear.
The displayed price is binding. “Starting at R$ 2,490” means an actual configuration exists for R$ 2,490 and is described. “Starting at” with a minimum price nobody can actually buy is misleading advertising under Article 37.
How do you show prices without losing margin?
Write the limit next to the number. Prices without limits lead to “but I thought that was included.” What solves it:
- A short list of what is included. “Five pages, domain, email, hosting.”
- One line explaining exclusions. “Customer supplies text and photos; product entry is a separate service.”
- What changes the amount. “Each additional page, R$ X. Stores require a different plan.”
Public pricing then becomes a filter and a contract at the same time. People contacting you have already read the limits, and the conversation starts with what is outside rather than what is inside. The guide to digital presence costs demonstrates this format: avilaops.com/guias/quanto-custa-criar-uma-presenca-digital-profissional.
A photography studio had “request a quote” on every page and received 30 requests per month, closing three. It published three packages with prices, inclusions, and exclusions. Requests fell to 12 per month; bookings rose to five. Fewer conversations, more sales, and the photographer stopped writing the same proposal 27 times.
What to do now
Classify what you sell into the table’s four rows. For each, write the number, inclusions, and exclusions. Publish it on the service page, not hidden in a table at the bottom. Many refusals disappear before the conversation starts; the rest are covered in declining work gracefully. If you are unsure how to price your work, describe your business and the assessment is on us: avilaops.com/jornada or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Doesn’t showing prices drive away customers who would pay more?
It drives away those who would pay less, which is what you want. Those willing to pay more compare inclusions, and that is where limits written beside prices work in your favor.
Can I show different prices on the website and WhatsApp?
Advertised prices are binding. Discounts during conversations are allowed; prices higher than published are not. If the website says R$ 100, the customer is entitled to R$ 100.
Is “starting at” allowed?
Yes, provided a real offer exists at that amount and is described alongside it. “Starting at” without describing what that price buys may be considered misleading advertising.
Connections, made clear
From idea to published page, with a review.
An editorial workflow to keep content clear and organised.
- GoalDefine who the page is for and what it should communicate.
- ContentPrepare the copy, images and information.
- PreviewCheck the presentation before publishing.
- ReviewValidate content, links and next steps.
- PublicationPublish and keep the information up to date.
- Goal. Define who the page is for and what it should communicate.
- Content. Prepare the copy, images and information.
- Preview. Check the presentation before publishing.
- Review. Validate content, links and next steps.
- Publication. Publish and keep the information up to date.
Goal
Define who the page is for and what it should communicate.
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