A member of the Value Pricing Academy recently asked me: “How do I price quarterly services versus monthly services?”

It’s a great question — and one that’s more common than you might think.

They told me they charge hourly for quarterly clients. But they weren’t sure if they were selling themselves short. Let’s fix that.

Check out the video on this topic here.

The Real Problem: Hourly Billing

The core issue here isn’t the frequency of the work. It’s the pricing model. And more specifically, hourly billing. Let me explain…

Hourly billing has two major problems:

1. It caps your income - You’ve only got so many hours in the day. You can scale by hiring more people, but that brings its own challenges.
2. It rewards inefficiency - If you want to earn more, you just work slower. That’s not fair on the client — and it’s not how professionals should be rewarded.

So, we need to shift our thinking. Hourly billing doesn’t work, not even for quarterly clients.

Step 1: Use Value Pricing Principles

Just because the work is quarterly doesn’t mean the pricing should be. Value pricing still applies.

You’re not selling time. You’re delivering a result. That means you should use a fixed price, agreed up front. No surprises. No time sheets. This builds trust — and positions you as a professional, not a technician.

Step 2: Offer Bronze, Silver, Gold Packages

Clients love choice. When people feel in control, they’re more likely to buy. So even if you’re only doing work quarterly, you should still offer different packages.

Think of it as Bronze, Silver, Gold. Each one includes more value. Each one has a clear fixed price. And the client picks the one that’s right for them. Simple.

Step 3: Charge Monthly (Even for Quarterly Work)

Here’s the key part: just because the work is quarterly doesn’t mean the payment has to be. You should always aim to charge monthly.

Why?

• It’s better for your cash flow
• It’s more predictable
• It helps the client budget too

And you get paid in advance — which is how it should be. You’re not a bank. Don’t finance your client’s business.

Step 4: Use Payment Terms to Influence Behaviour

Pricing and payment terms are different things, but they’re very closely linked. Here’s how you use that to your advantage…

You can offer clients a choice:

• Pay monthly, and get a slightly lower price
• Or pay quarterly, and pay a little more

It’s the same thing you see with software companies. Pay monthly — or pay annually for a discount.

But there’s a twist… You price the quarterly option a bit higher than the price you actually want. Then, the monthly price becomes the “discount”.

It’s the same price you wanted all along — but the client feels like they’re getting a better deal. Win-win.

Step 5: Make Monthly the Default

Once you’ve done that, go one step further. Make monthly the default option in your proposal.

That’s what most clients will choose — especially if you’ve framed it as the better deal.

It gives you the monthly income you need to plan, invest, and grow. And it gives your client a predictable cost they can manage easily. Everyone wins.

Pro Tip

When presenting the proposal, don’t just show three packages. Also give your client a payment choice.

Frame the monthly option as the discount — even if it’s the price you actually want. That way, they get a better deal and you get predictable income.

FAQ

What if the client insists on paying quarterly?

That’s fine — but make sure the price reflects the reduced cash flow. Add a premium for quarterly payment.

Does this work for annual or six-monthly clients too?

Yes. The principle is the same. Charge monthly, even if the work is infrequent.

How do I build my packages?

Start by listing your services. Group them into levels of value. Focus on outcomes, not tasks.

Final Thoughts

If you’re doing quarterly work, don’t fall back into hourly billing. Use the same value pricing techniques you’d use for monthly clients:

• Offer fixed prices upfront
• Create Bronze, Silver, Gold packages
• Charge monthly, not quarterly
• Use payment terms to guide the client’s choice

Quarterly work doesn’t need to mean quarterly cash flow.

Check out the video on this topic here.

If you found this valuable and would like to learn more about value pricing, we offer a free live online training session on a topic you choose every month. You can attend live and ask any questions you have. Click here to register, and we will send you an invitation to the next session.

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Wishing you every success on your pricing journey

The Value Pricing Academy Team