Costs and pricing
Part of How to model a lead generation software budget
How to record prospecting software prices and units
Practical guidance on prospecting software pricing: how to record published prices, billing units, credits and tax wording without comparing unlike offers.
Prospecting software prices can describe different things: a seat, a team, a credit balance or a connected account. Keep each amount's displayed currency symbol beside its billing period when recording a quote. Compare the unit and billing period as carefully as the headline amount, and keep tax treatment visible in your budget.
Key takeaways
The prices below cover Saleshandy and Woodpecker, with ZoomInfo included as an example of an export-credit model. Their pricing units are not directly interchangeable, so record what each price covers before comparing totals or planning a budget.
- Saleshandy has monthly and annual-billing prices, with credit allowances shown separately.
- Woodpecker prices a team, additional Lead Finder credits and connected LinkedIn accounts as distinct items.
- Tax wording and usage conditions belong beside each quoted amount.
Published prices from Saleshandy and Woodpecker
The quoted Saleshandy prices include monthly amounts and amounts for annual billing. Woodpecker's examples cover a team price, additional Lead Finder credits and connected LinkedIn accounts. The table keeps each amount with its displayed currency symbol and stated billing period.
| Provider and item | Published price or allowance | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Saleshandy, annual billing | $408/year, $912/year, and $1,788/year | Rates are exclusive of applicable taxes |
| Saleshandy, monthly | $41/month, $99/month, and $189/month | Rates are exclusive of applicable taxes |
| Saleshandy credits | 1,500 per month, 4,000 per month, or 8,000 per month | With annual billing, the respective amounts are 18,000, 48,000, or 96,000 upfront |
| Woodpecker, five team members | $29/month for all five | Compared with $145/month at $29 per seat in other tools |
| Woodpecker, additional Lead Finder credits | Starts at 500 credits for $10 | Additional credits |
| Woodpecker, connected LinkedIn account | $29 monthly per connected LinkedIn account | Prices do not include VAT |
Saleshandy's Starter is a single seat, Pro covers a team of ten, and Scale has no seat limit. One credit reveals a verified email, while six credits reveal a phone number. Read allowances alongside their units, and do not assign a price to a particular allowance without checking that the quote connects them.
Woodpecker's team example is not the same pricing unit as its connected-account amount or Lead Finder credits. Its campaign limit also treats contacting someone multiple times in the same campaign during a month as one towards the limit. Record what each amount buys before comparing it with another provider.
What each pricing model measures
A price comparison is useful only when its unit is clear. The business models overview can help label the structure, but the quote itself should show the included seats, credits, account connections and billing period you intend to use.
| Measure | What the published examples show | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Seats or team | Saleshandy gives seat descriptions; Woodpecker gives a price for five team members | Included users and the price basis |
| Credits | Saleshandy lists monthly or upfront annual credit amounts; Woodpecker prices additional Lead Finder credits | Credit amount, purpose and price |
| Account connection | Woodpecker lists a monthly amount per connected LinkedIn account | Number of connected accounts needed |
| Export activity | ZoomInfo counts one credit for each export and allows credits to be added to any package as needs change | Credits used per export and how credits are added |
Saleshandy's active prospects are contacts that can be kept in live sequences at once. Unlimited active prospects are subject to its Fair Usage Policy. Treat that condition as part of the offer, and check the sequence terms that apply to your planned use rather than assuming the phrase removes every limit.
A credit count is not a money price by itself. Keep credit amounts separate from the cost of a seat or account connection, and record what each credit is used for. That makes it easier to compare like with like and to identify which quoted amounts still need clarification from the provider.
Compare the units before comparing totals
Use a consistent comparison sheet and write down the same assumptions for each quote. The costs and budget guide can sit alongside that sheet, while the checks below keep vendor figures tied to your planned use.
- Record whether the amount is monthly or for annual billing, and retain its displayed currency symbol.
- Record the number of seats, team members or connected accounts covered.
- Record credit quantities, what each credit reveals or counts, and whether credits are monthly or upfront.
- Note tax wording, usage conditions and any Fair Usage Policy stated with the offer.
Do not compare an annual amount directly with a monthly amount without first putting both on the same billing period. Keep the arithmetic visible and label any estimate as an estimate. For a broader procurement review, use the software selection criteria and the commercial contracts checklist.
VAT and direct-marketing checks
Price is one part of a prospecting software buying decision. Make the tax basis clear in the budget, then consider whether the intended marketing activity needs screening or other data-protection checks before a list is used. Assign an owner for each check.
HMRC's VAT rates page gives the standard VAT rate as 20 per cent. Saleshandy's listed rates are exclusive of applicable taxes, and Woodpecker prices do not include VAT. Keep those qualifications beside the quoted amounts, and confirm the treatment that applies to your purchase rather than silently adding or removing tax in a comparison.
The ICO's direct marketing guidance identifies the TPS and CTPS as statutory registers for recording a general objection to live direct marketing calls, which must be respected. Include the relevant screening and data-handling questions in supplier checks, and use the data protection resource when documenting that review.
Keep the comparison useful at renewal
Choose a comparison period and retain the assumptions behind it: expected users, account connections, credit use and billing basis. Revisit those inputs before renewal so that each package is assessed against the work it supports, rather than against a headline amount in isolation.
Keep quoted prices separate from your own estimates. A simple record can show the vendor amount, currency, period, included unit, tax wording and any usage condition. The return on investment method can help connect expected spend with the outcome you are measuring, without treating a credit or seat count as proof of value.
Frequently asked questions
Keep pricing answers tied to the actual offer you are considering. A credit balance, a team price and a connected-account charge should remain distinct in your comparison. Record the displayed currency symbol, included unit and tax wording together whenever you use a price in a budget.
Should the listed prices be recorded as pounds?
Retain the dollar sign shown with the Saleshandy and Woodpecker amounts, rather than relabelling them as pounds. Ask for a written quote that identifies the billing currency. Keep any currency conversion separate from the published price, with its assumptions visible, so the comparison does not imply a pound-denominated offer.
Do Saleshandy's annual credit amounts arrive monthly?
The listed annual-billing credit amounts are 18,000, 48,000 and 96,000 upfront. The monthly amounts are 1,500, 4,000 and 8,000 credits respectively. Keep the billing option beside the allowance, so a monthly amount is not mistaken for the annual upfront total.
What should be checked before comparing VAT?
Keep each provider's tax wording beside its price, then check the treatment that applies to your purchase. The standard VAT rate is 20 per cent, and the two providers' stated tax qualifications differ in wording. Avoid silently treating a displayed price as a tax-inclusive total.
