Ask HN: What happens when I click "request for quote" on your SaaS?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

What “Request a Quote” Usually Triggers

  • Submission goes into CRM or a queue (sometimes Slack) as a “marketing website lead.”
  • SDR/BDR qualifies: are you a real buyer, what segment, what role, what budget.
  • Then you talk to an Account Executive / sales rep; larger deals go to more senior reps.
  • Call covers requirements, usage, integrations, security/legal, and whether you fit “enterprise.”
  • Output ranges from an email with a number to a formal PDF quote or multi‑page draft contract.

How Enterprise Pricing Is Set

  • Many use an internal spreadsheet/calculator extending public tiers.
  • Pricing usually follows the public model but with: higher minimums, per‑module fees, usage tiers, or transaction ladders.
  • Discounts depend on volume, contract length, payment terms, and how “sticky” you’re likely to be.
  • Sometimes early SaaS literally “makes prices up” until they learn the market.

Lead Qualification and “Bad Leads”

  • Many website leads: comparison shoppers, no budget, junior researchers, spam, bots, even kids.
  • Some vendors decline to quote if fit is wrong or budget obviously too small, sometimes redirecting to self‑serve.
  • Others explicitly use minimum commitments to push customers to really adopt the product.

SSO and the “SSO Tax” Debate

  • Many SaaS products gate SSO (especially SAML/enterprise IdPs) behind enterprise plans.
  • Defenders: SSO is complex, high‑touch, tied to compliance, and one of the few levers enterprises reliably pay for.
  • Critics: gating OIDC/SSO is a security risk and pure price discrimination; small firms also need SSO and MFA.
  • Some propose: free standard OIDC/“Sign in with Google/Microsoft,” paid for custom/complex SSO projects.

Why Vendors Hide Prices

  • Reasons cited: multivariate pricing, bespoke integrations, legal/security work, and enterprise procurement expecting to negotiate big discounts.
  • Some say public “list prices” had to be removed because procurement wanted 50% off that, not off the real target price.

Customer Frustration and Ethics

  • Many buyers see “request a quote” as a red flag for high‑pressure, opaque, and discriminatory pricing.
  • Complaints: time wasted just to discover a wildly unaffordable number, email spam afterward, and SSO locked behind a saleswall.
  • Others argue the complexity and negotiation culture of enterprise make some form of sales‑led quoting unavoidable.