Your competitor just dropped their pricing 30%. You found out from a lost deal.
Pricing intelligence shouldn't come from lost opportunities. But tracking competitor pricing is harder than tracking product features—many B2B companies hide pricing behind "contact sales," change it frequently, or offer heavy discounts that published rates don't reflect.
Here's how to build a pricing intelligence system that catches changes early enough to respond strategically.
The Three Types of Pricing Intelligence
Effective pricing tracking captures three different data points:
1. Published pricing — List prices on websites and marketing materials 2. Actual pricing — What competitors charge in real deals (with discounts) 3. Pricing strategy — How they structure value, metrics, and packaging
Most teams only track #1. The real intelligence is in #2 and #3.
Tracking Published Pricing
For competitors with transparent pricing:
Automated monitoring (Visualping, ChangeTower):
- Screenshot pricing pages weekly
- Alert on any visual changes
- Keep historical snapshots for trend analysis
Manual documentation:
- Record full pricing structure quarterly
- Note all plan tiers and features
- Capture any promotional pricing
- Document pricing page copy and positioning
What to track:
- Base price per tier
- Pricing metric (per user, per feature, usage-based)
- Included features per tier
- Add-on pricing
- Discounts for annual vs monthly
- Enterprise pricing (if disclosed)
- Free trial terms
For competitors with hidden pricing:
You can't monitor what isn't published, but you can gather signals:
Request quotes as prospect:
- Use test emails/numbers to request pricing
- Ask sales reps in different scenarios (SMB, mid-market, enterprise)
- Note how they position pricing relative to value
- Document typical discount flexibility
Crowdsource from sales:
- Ask your reps what they're hearing about competitor pricing
- Capture pricing from lost deal post-mortems
- Track procurement discussions where competitors reveal rates
Check third-party sources:
- G2, Capterra, TrustRadius reviews often mention pricing
- Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn discussions
- Industry forums and communities
Tracking Actual Pricing (Deal Reality)
Published rates rarely match what customers actually pay. Track real pricing through:
Win/loss interview intelligence:
Ask specific pricing questions:
- "What pricing did [Competitor] offer?"
- "How did their pricing structure compare to ours?"
- "Did they offer discounts? What were the terms?"
- "What was the total contract value vs. our proposal?"
Procurement intelligence:
When you're in competitive evaluations:
- Note competitor pricing that buyers share
- Track discount patterns by deal size
- Identify negotiation tactics they use
- Understand payment terms and contract structure
Customer switching intelligence:
When customers switch from competitors to you:
- Ask what they were paying previously
- Understand their contract terms
- Learn what pricing frustrated them
- Identify what value metrics mattered
Sales rep debriefs:
Create structured debrief template:
- Which competitor?
- What pricing did they quote?
- How did it compare to their list price?
- What discounts were offered?
- What was the contract length?
- What swayed the pricing decision?
Tracking Pricing Strategy
Beyond numbers, understand their pricing philosophy:
Value metric analysis:
- What do they charge for? (users, features, usage, outcomes)
- Why did they choose that metric?
- Does their metric align with customer value perception?
- How does it compare to market norms?
Packaging analysis:
- How many tiers? (3 tiers is standard, more/less signals strategy)
- What features separate tiers?
- Is packaging designed to push upgrades?
- Do they offer à la carte or bundled approach?
Pricing positioning:
- Do they lead with pricing or hide it?
- How do they justify their price point?
- Do they position as premium, value, or budget option?
- What proof points support pricing claims?
Discount strategy:
- Standard discount ranges by deal size
- When they discount heavily vs hold firm
- Seasonal or promotional pricing patterns
- Multi-year contract incentives
Building a Pricing Intelligence Repository
Create a structured system to store and analyze pricing data:
Pricing tracking spreadsheet/database:
| Competitor | Plan Tier | Published Price | Actual Price (Avg) | Metric | Last Updated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competitor A | Starter | $49/user/mo | $42/user/mo | Per user | Apr 2024 | 15% discount common |
| Competitor A | Professional | $99/user/mo | $85/user/mo | Per user | Apr 2024 | 20% for annual |
| Competitor B | Basic | $199/mo flat | $199/mo | Flat rate | Apr 2024 | Rarely discounted |
Track over time:
- Pricing changes (increases/decreases)
- New tier introductions
- Feature moves between tiers
- Promotional periods
- Metric changes
Quarterly pricing review:
- Compare current to previous quarter
- Identify trends (moving upmarket? downmarket?)
- Assess impact on your positioning
- Update battle cards with new pricing intelligence
Using Pricing Intelligence Strategically
Collecting data is worthless without action. Apply pricing intelligence:
Product positioning decisions:
If competitor pricing significantly higher:
- Emphasize value-for-price in messaging
- Position as accessible alternative
- Target price-sensitive segments they're abandoning
If competitor pricing significantly lower:
- Justify premium with proof points
- Emphasize total cost of ownership, not entry price
- Shift conversation to outcomes, not features
Sales enablement:
Battle card pricing sections:
- How to position when price is similar
- How to defend when you're more expensive
- How to capitalize when you're less expensive
- Questions to ask that reframe pricing discussion
Pricing objection handling:
- "[Competitor] is cheaper" → Response script with proof points
- "Can you match their price?" → Value-based response
- "What makes you worth more?" → ROI calculator and case studies
Your own pricing decisions:
Competitive pricing should inform, not dictate:
- Understand market positioning relative to competitors
- Identify pricing gaps (segments underserved by current pricing)
- Validate whether your pricing is defensible
- Find opportunities to capture value competitors miss
Don't just match competitor pricing. Use intelligence to find differentiated pricing strategy.
Pricing Change Response Playbook
When competitors make significant pricing changes:
Immediate assessment (within 24 hours):
- What changed? (increase, decrease, new tiers, different metrics)
- Why might they have changed? (positioning shift, market pressure, new funding)
- Who does this affect? (segments they're targeting or abandoning)
- Impact on our deals? (more/less competitive in which scenarios)
Sales enablement update (within 48 hours):
- Updated battle card section on pricing
- Talk tracks for how to position against new pricing
- Guidance on which deals are more/less winnable now
Strategic assessment (within 1 week):
- Should we adjust our pricing in response?
- Should we sharpen positioning instead?
- Should we target segments they're abandoning?
- Opportunity to capture share or hold position?
Not every pricing change requires response. Sometimes the strategic move is ignoring their change.
Common Pricing Intelligence Mistakes
Mistake 1: Only tracking list prices Real deals happen at discount. Track actual pricing from win/loss and sales intelligence.
Mistake 2: Assuming published pricing is accurate Many B2B companies publish aspirational pricing they rarely achieve. Validate with real deal data.
Mistake 3: Reacting to every competitor price change Constant pricing changes create market confusion. Respond strategically, not reflexively.
Mistake 4: Not tracking your own pricing Track what discounts your team actually gives, not just list pricing. You can't compete effectively if you don't know your own real pricing.
Mistake 5: Forgetting total cost of ownership Entry price isn't total cost. Track implementation fees, add-on costs, usage overage charges, support costs.
Pricing Intelligence Frequency
High-priority competitors (top 3):
- Check published pricing: Weekly (automated)
- Deep pricing review: Quarterly
- Capture actual pricing: Continuously from deals
Secondary competitors (next 5-7):
- Check published pricing: Monthly
- Deep pricing review: Semi-annually
- Capture actual pricing: When they appear in deals
Emerging competitors (watch list):
- Check published pricing: Quarterly
- Deep review: Annually or when they become threat
The Pricing Intelligence Advantage
Pricing is one of the most visible competitive variables. When you track it systematically:
You respond proactively: Competitors can't surprise you with pricing moves. You're prepared.
You sell more effectively: Sales has real intelligence about competitive pricing, not guesses.
You price more confidently: You understand market context and can justify your pricing strategy.
You spot opportunities: Competitors abandoning segments or raising prices create openings.
Pricing intelligence doesn't require expensive tools. It requires discipline—consistent tracking, structured documentation, and strategic application.
Build the system once. Maintain it quarterly. Use it daily.