Apparently I’ve reached peak “dad energy” because I just wrote an entire blog post… about refund policies. 🤦♂️
I used to think refunds were just part of doing business. Someone’s unhappy, you process the refund, you move on. But over time, I started to notice a pattern: every refund is a story.
When we started paying attention to them at StellarWP, we lowered our collective refund rate from around 8–9% to closer to 5%. That’s a huge difference, not just for revenue but for understanding the people behind the numbers.
This week I wrote about why a “no questions asked” refund policy might not be serving your business—or your customers—the way you think. If you’ve ever wondered how to balance generosity with insight, this one’s for you.
I’d love to hear your own experiences with refunds and insights; just hit reply and we can chat about it.
Last week on WP Product Talk, we went deep into stage-based pricing with Ionut Neagu of Themeisle. The line that keeps ringing in my head: “Pricing is part of your positioning and your offering.” In other words, it isn’t a spreadsheet exercise. It’s how you signal fit, create satisfaction, and earn recommendations.
He walked through concrete levers by stage: use time-boxed discounts or a limited lifetime cohort at launch to earn real users and feedback; tighten or retire those offers as the product matures; and, when you’re nearer end-of-life, consider a one-time plan to align incentives. He also made a point I don’t hear often: an “unlimited” plan can protect market share with agencies because they already hold the license, so they default to you on the next build. Two more gems: polish and trust signals on your site can move buyers up a tier without changing price, and you should experiment on pricing when product NPS is high—then check the data again in six months. If you’ve tried any of these, hit reply and tell me what worked.
Next week I’ll be in Portland for WordCamp US, co-leading a masterclass with Katie Keith on what top WordPress product companies do differently. It’s the kind of session I wish I’d had 10 years ago when I was figuring this stuff out the hard way. If you’ll be there, I’d love to connect in person.
If you can’t make it to WCUS, I’d still love to hear from you. Just hit reply and let me know what’s on your mind when it comes to refunds, pricing, or product growth.
~ Matt
If you missed any previous article, here’s the easiest way to catch up.
WordPress adds your Customizer CSS inline. I wanted it in a proper stylesheet—so I built a tiny plugin to do exactly that.
AI (and Cursor) wrote the code—but making TLDRWP a great WordPress plugin took experience, taste, and user insight.
By providing your email address, you consent to getting an email from me and subscribing to my blog newsletter.
By providing your email address, you consent to getting an email from me with the Product Pitch Template in it and subscribing to my newsletter.
