To raise rates with existing clients, decide the new rate first, tell each client in writing before it applies, name the date or project it starts with, and confirm that work already agreed keeps its current price. The conversation with a current client is different from quoting a new one: the client already knows the work, so the message needs to be clear and specific, not a sales pitch.
This applies to freelancers who bill the same clients repeatedly, whether hourly, per project or on a retainer. It does not cover changing a price in the middle of an agreed job. The beginners post already says to raise rates when proof builds; this article covers how to tell the people who are already paying you.
Decide the new rate before you write
The message should not be the place where the number gets worked out. Settle it first, then write.
For writing work, the guide on how to price new writing covers per-word, hourly and per-project methods.
For website work, use the website project pricing guide to set the new project fee.
The rate calculator tool gives a floor based on your own costs and hours. Treat it as a minimum, not a target.
Check that the new rate is the same one you already quote to new clients, or close to it. If new clients pay more than existing ones for the same work, that gap is often the clearest reason to have the conversation.
When a rate conversation is worth having
Some moments make a rate change easier to explain:
