If you’ve ever signed up for a “free” or “affordable” email marketing platform only to get blindsided by add-ons, you’re not alone. Hidden fees are everywhere—whether it’s paying extra to add teammates, surprise charges for sending more emails than expected, or features locked behind confusing tiered plans.

For a busy marketer, that’s a nightmare. You don’t have hours to decode a 12-page pricing chart or worry that your next campaign will trigger an unexpected invoice. You just need clear, predictable pricing so you can focus on results.

That’s where this checklist comes in: a simple way to spot the fine print tricks before you commit—and why Benchmark Email’s no-BS pricing is built to keep things refreshingly straightforward.

The Transparent Pricing Checklist

Here’s what to look for when you’re evaluating email marketing software:

1. Contact-Based vs. Feature-Based Pricing

• Feature-based pricing: Some platforms make you climb expensive tiers to unlock “premium” features like segmentation or analytics—things most marketers consider essential.
• Contact-based pricing: A clearer model charges you only for the size of your list. All features are included.

Red flag: If the starter tier sounds cheap but excludes features you actually need, you’ll likely find yourself upgrading before you know it.

👉 Benchmark Email keeps it simple: one paid plan, with full access to features, priced only by the number of active contacts.

2. Email Send Limits

• Some “unlimited email” claims hide caps buried in the fine print.
• Others let you send freely—but only at higher tiers.

Red flag: Overages charged per email sent (these add up fast).

👉 With Benchmark Email, your paid plan allows 10x your contact list in monthly sends. A 10,000-contact plan means 100,000 sends per month. No sneaky per-email surcharges.

3. Additional User Fees

• Many providers advertise collaboration, but then charge hefty per-user fees to add teammates.
• That $30/month plan? It could double if you add three colleagues.

Red flag: User caps or pricey add-ons for “team access.”

👉 Benchmark Email charges a flat $15 per additional user/month. No inflated “enterprise collaboration” bundles required.

4. Billing Surprises

• Watch for “introductory pricing” that doubles after three months.
• Check whether annual billing locks you in with no flexibility.

Red flag: Discounts that sound too good to be true. They usually are.

👉 Benchmark Email offers monthly billing. No bait-and-switch, no mid-contract hikes.

5. Feature Lockdowns

• Some platforms gate features like reporting, automation, or branding controls until you’re at a premium tier.
• That forces you to pay for things you don’t need just to access one you do.

Red flag: The phrase “available on Pro and above.”

👉 Benchmark Email’s model is refreshingly straightforward: every user—free or paid—gets access to core tools like email creation, segmentation, and reporting. Paid plans simply scale with your contacts.

6. Support Accessibility

• “Priority support” is often bundled into the highest-priced tiers.
• At lower levels, you might be stuck with bots or slow ticket queues.

Red flag: Extra fees for live chat or phone support.

👉 With Benchmark Email, real support is part of the package. Because when you’re under a deadline, help shouldn’t be a luxury feature.

Why Transparency Builds Trust

Trust in your tools is everything. You don’t have the time—or budget—to navigate hidden upsells. Transparent pricing gives you:

• Predictability: Budgeting is easier when you know what you’ll pay each month.
• Confidence: No second-guessing whether using a feature will cost extra.
• Freedom: Scale your campaigns without worrying about surprise invoices.

That’s exactly why Benchmark Email was designed with no-BS pricing as a core principle: one plan, all features, predictable costs.

Key Takeaways

• Hidden fees are the enemy of efficiency. Always check for send limits, per-user fees, and feature lockouts.
• Contact-based pricing models are clearer and fairer than tiered “feature unlock” systems.
• Support shouldn’t cost extra—especially when you’re working against the clock.
• Benchmark Email makes email marketing more straightforward with transparent pricing that grows with your contact list, not your headaches.

Email marketing software shouldn’t feel like signing a phone contract in 2005—full of confusing terms, hidden fees, and upsells.

With the right checklist, you can spot the fine print before it drains your budget. And with Benchmark Email, you can skip the checklist entirely—because transparency isn’t a feature we charge extra for. It’s baked into the product.

Effortless email marketing, zero BS.