How to spot software price increases in a client's books

A software price increase shows up in the ledger as the same vendor, on the same rhythm, at a higher amount. To find one, line up each recurring vendor's charges by date and look for the month the amount stepped up. Then decide whether it was a price change, a plan change or more users, because only the client can tell you which.

Most clients notice a price increase when the card statement looks wrong. A firm that spots it first, with the dates and amounts ready, turns a surprised email into a short agenda item.

Why this comes up so often now

Price changes reach the accounting stack too. QuickBooks Online published plan price changes effective August 1, 2026, applied at each subscription's next billing date (Firm of the Future, Intuit's accountant blog). Clients get changes like that from many of the tools they pay for, and they often learn about them from the charge, not the notice.

The ledger already holds the evidence. Every renewal and every monthly charge posts with a date and an amount.

Step 1: build a vendor-by-month view

Export the transactions for the accounts where software is paid. In QuickBooks Online that is usually Transaction Detail by Account on the software or dues and subscriptions account, plus Uncategorized Expense and every card. In Xero, run Account Transactions on the same expense accounts so the description shows.

Put vendors in rows and months in columns, with the amount in each cell. Group processor descriptors such as "PAYPAL *" or "SQ *" under the real product first, or one vendor will look like three.

Step 2: find the step

For monthly tools, scan each row for the month the amount changed and stayed changed. For annual tools, compare this year's charge with last year's for the same product. A one-month bump that drops back is usually a prorated charge or a one-off add-on, not a price increase.

Write down four facts for each step: the vendor, the old amount, the new amount and the first month at the new amount.

Step 3: separate price, plan and quantity

The books show that the amount went up. They do not show why. Three causes look the same in the ledger:

• The vendor raised the list price.
• The client moved to a different plan tier.
• The client added users or capacity.

Do not guess. Put the question to the client and note the answer in the client file. If the vendor published a price change, link it in your note.

Step 4: bring it to the client as a short list

Fictional example (made-up client, made-up tools):

• Meetline: old monthly $45.00, new monthly $54.00, first month at new amount March. Question: Plan change or price change?
• Taskboard Pro: old monthly $96.00, new monthly $120.00, first month at new amount June. Question: Did you add people in June?
• FieldRoute Planner (annual): old monthly $1,080.00, new monthly $1,260.00, first month at new amount Renewed in May. Question: Was the renewal reviewed?

A list like this answers the "why is our software bill higher" question before it is asked. It also sets up the next useful question: is there a cheaper annual term, or a plan that fits better?

Make it monthly, not a year-end scramble

A price change found in month two is a quick note. Found at year-end, it is ten months of the higher amount and a harder conversation. Price checks work best as part of close, on the same accounts every month.

That is where a scheduled review helps. ShadowLedger does a first pass from the payments. It takes a QuickBooks Online or Xero export, or a CSV from other books, and flags charges that repeat, possible duplicate vendors, amounts that changed, and renewals you can see from the charges. In the report, fixed rules calculate every figure. AI only suggests vendor names, flagged for review. On the Firm plan you can connect QuickBooks Online or Xero directly, connected clients are re-scanned weekly (on the Pro plan too), and past scans are kept for 13 months, so the findings are ready when you sit down for the monthly review. The white-labeled report goes to the client under your firm's name.

Built from payments in the ledger, no seat or login data needed.

What this check is not

It is not an audit of the client's contracts, and it does not tell you whether a tool is worth the new price. It shows what was paid and when the amount changed. The judgment stays with the firm and the client.

To try it on one client, run the free CSV audit on one company's export. It needs no card. For a book of clients, the Firm plan is $15 per client per month with a 4-client minimum ($60 a month), and the Firm trial runs 14 days. See security and the DPA for data handling.

Related reading: reading vendor names and memo lines, raising software spend at year-end and finding duplicate subscriptions in QuickBooks Online.

FAQ

How do I find software price increases in QuickBooks Online?

Run Transaction Detail by Account on the accounts where software is paid, group lines by product, and lay the amounts out by month. A price increase is the month a vendor's amount steps up and stays up. For annual tools, compare this year's charge with last year's.

Can the ledger tell me why a software bill went up?

No. The ledger shows that the amount changed and when. A list price rise, a plan change and added users all look the same. Ask the client which one it was and note the answer.

How often should a bookkeeper check for price increases?

Monthly, as part of close, on the same accounts each time. A change caught in the first month is a short note. Caught at year-end, the client has paid the higher amount for months.

Does a higher amount always mean a price increase?

No. A one-month bump that drops back is usually a prorated charge or a one-off add-on. Look for an amount that steps up and stays up across later charges.