Patriot Software pricing teardown
https://www.patriotsoftware.com/pricingPatriot splits pricing into two clearly priced product lines (Accounting and Payroll), each with a simple two-tier good-better structure and transparent self-serve pricing plus a limited-time promo. The hybrid flat-fee-plus-per-worker model for payroll is well explained via FAQ, but the promotional strikethrough pricing everywhere makes it hard to discern true steady-state cost, and there's no annual billing option.
Tier structure
Accounting Basic
$20/mo ($10 promo)
Accounting Premium
$30/mo ($15 promo)
Basic Payroll
$17/mo ($8.50 promo) + $2/worker paid
Full Service Payroll
$37/mo ($18.50 promo) + $2.50/worker paid
Value metric
flat monthly fee per product line, with payroll adding a per-worker-paid surcharge
How limits scale
Escalation logic
Two separate product tracks (Accounting and Payroll) each offer a Basic and Premium/Full-Service tier, where the higher tier bundles everything in Basic plus added features like estimates, permissions, and full tax filing services.
Psychological anchors
- Strikethrough pricing — Every plan shows a crossed-out 'regular' price next to a promotional half-price rate (e.g., $20 struck through to $10), making the discount feel large and urgent.
- Time-limited promo banner — Site-wide banner ties the discount to '30 days free + 50% off for 6 months' and a national holiday tie-in, creating urgency to sign up now.
- Most Popular badge — Accounting Basic and Basic Payroll are labeled 'Most Popular' in the feature comparison tables, nudging users toward the lower-cost entry tier rather than upsell.
- Good-better tier framing — 'Everything in Basic, PLUS...' language on Premium/Full Service tiers frames upgrades as strictly additive, lowering perceived downgrade risk.
- Free trial as entry anchor — 30-day free trial removes upfront commitment friction before the discounted pricing kicks in.
What this page is optimizing for
Self-serve conversion — prices are fully visible, CTAs are instant ('Create Account', 'See a Demo'), and the page is structured around low-friction signup rather than sales contact, though the accountant partner program hints at a secondary channel-sales motion.
Red flags
- Promotional strikethrough pricing on nearly every number makes it unclear what the actual long-term price will be after 6 months.
- No annual billing discount option is shown, unusual for a SaaS pricing page and a missed expansion lever.
- Per-worker payroll fees and add-on fees (Time & Attendance, HR) are also shown with confusing promo/strikethrough pricing, adding cognitive load.
- Two 'Most Popular' badges across two separate product families dilute the signal of the tactic.
- Additional state filing fees ($12/month per state) and e-filing fees are buried in FAQ rather than the pricing table itself.
Best-practices scorecard
What works · 4
- Visible prices — All four tiers show explicit monthly prices plus per-worker add-on costs directly on the page.
- Value metric matches usage — Payroll's flat fee plus per-worker-paid charge scales fairly with business size and is explained in the FAQ.
- Tier differences are scannable — Feature comparison tables clearly mark 'Everything in Basic, PLUS' plus detailed feature-by-feature tables below.
- FAQ or objection handling — Dedicated FAQ section addresses per-worker fees, payment methods, multi-state filing, and mixing products.
Half measures · 3
- Clear recommended tier — 'Most Popular' badges exist but appear on the entry-level tier, which is unusual and slightly undercuts upsell intent.
- Trust signals present — Mentions of 'tax filing reliability guaranteed' and USA-based support build trust, but no customer logos, ratings, or review counts are shown on this page despite a separate Reviews nav link.
- Clear CTAs per tier — Two global CTAs ('Create Account', 'See a Demo') sit above the tiers, but individual plan cards lack their own dedicated buttons.
What's missing · 1
- Annual discount offered — No annual billing toggle or discount is present; only a temporary promotional discount.