Preparing for 2026: An Update on Our Pricing & Business Model

As we approach 2026, we are making some key changes to our pricing structure to ensure Baluu remains a sustainable, robust platform for years to come.

We know that pricing changes are sensitive, and we don't take them lightly. Our goal with this update is to be completely transparent about what is changing, why it is necessary, and how we are protecting our existing partners.

When is this happening?

To give you ample time to prepare, these changes will not go into effect until March 1, 2026.

1. The VAT Update (UK Partners Only)

For the past few years, Baluu has absorbed the cost of VAT on transaction fees for our UK partners. As a small, growing company, absorbing this tax is no longer sustainable if we want to continue investing in the features and stability you rely on.

• Current (2025): The 3% commission is inclusive of VAT.

• New (Effective March 1, 2026): The commission will be exclusive of VAT.

  • Example: If your rate is 3%, it will now be 3% + VAT.

2. Introducing a "Minimum Fee"

We are introducing a small minimum fee per transaction across all plans.

Why?

We have noticed a trend where very low-value bookings (often used as deposits) result in transaction fees so small that they don't cover our underlying costs. We lose money on server bandwidth, email delivery, and processing power for these specific transactions.

To fix this without raising the headline commission rate, we are adding a minimum floor (e.g., 50p on the Standard plan) to ensure every booking covers its own cost.

3. The New "Subscription Saver" Model

We want to keep our standard transaction rate at a maximum of 3%. However, for businesses processing higher volumes, we are introducing a new tiered subscription model designed to lower your fees significantly.

These plans include a "Volume Cap." This means you get the discounted rate for a set number of bookings each month. If you exceed that cap, the additional bookings simply revert to the Standard rate.

The New 2026 Plans:

Example: If you are on the Growth Plan, your first 150 bookings are charged at 2.5%. Your 151st booking (and beyond) will be charged at the Standard 3% rate.

Important Note: Free transactions (bookings with a price of £0) do not count towards your monthly cap. Your cap is reserved strictly for paid bookings where you get the benefit of the lower fee.

4. Future Updates: Optional Add-ons

We are also working on exciting new tools to help you communicate and grow, such as integrated SMS notifications and WhatsApp messaging. Pricing for these optional add-ons will be announced separately closer to their release date.

Further down the line, we will also be introducing limitations on automated notifications sent for "non-transactional bookings." These are bookings where no payment occurs, such as those made via a free price selection, a 100% discount code, or manually adding an attendee internally.

We are currently modeling usage patterns to find the right balance for this policy. Our goal is to ensure platform sustainability and prevent misuse of system resources, while ensuring we do not impact partners who have a healthy mix of paid and free transactions. We are still fine-tuning these thresholds and will provide a full announcement with specific details once finalized.

5. Important: Protection for Existing Partners

We value loyalty above all else.

• Legacy Subscription Protection: If you currently have an active subscription with "Old Pricing," your subscription price will stay exactly the same. These new plan prices apply only to new subscriptions or plan changes made after March 1st.

Moving Forward

These changes are designed to secure the future of Baluu so we can keep building the features that help you grow. If you have any questions about which plan is right for you, please reach out to our support team via the Feedback Portal.

Thank you for being part of our journey.