membership price increase

US purchases will have taxes added; the statement is it's VAT (for areas with that) and for countries that just call it taxes, it will be that.

There is a link in the membership page to see the updated pricing for new subscriptions and upgrades after September 1st, but the increase is due to the information at the bottom of the article about the change, not just due to taxes.

https://www.chess.com/article/view/prices-changing

In Australia, the price is going up 62% for the cheapest plan. That's absolutely ridiculous. I wasn't subscribed anyway but I'm not going to now, even while it's "cheaper".

Companies across Australia, for example, have hiked prices of many "low price" items such as groceries and household products by anywhere from 10-50% and it's getting harder to afford things.

The good news is that those pay nothing to play as much as they want will continue to pay nothing to play as much as they want. In addition, as I understand it, current memberships will (for now) remain at the same pricing. 

Meh, its really a donation anyway.  Choose to pay or not.  I played here free when I had little.  I  choose to pay now that I have more.  

Help, cant see the new price?

Try clearing your browser cache. You should see a description about the upcoming change with a link to see the new prices 

Still don't see it, can I see where the text is on your screen?

supply and demand give price...

I WAS paying $49 per year here in the US. Using my little calculator and the announced $4.09 price per month if paid annually, I see that my new annual price is $49.08. Is this for real? Am I missing something? 

If you don't make any changes, your current rate and plan stays the same, not including added taxes.

New subscriptions and upgrades, from September 1st onward, have the new prices and features. You can see the new prices by going to the membership screens and clicking the link in the description of the change. Platinum is higher than what you posted for the US.

And are you envious for those who are smart enough to play without needing lessons or game analysis?

Wits doesn't strike me as someone who is envious. Observant maybe, but not envious. 

If you want to keep Gold, there's nothing you need to do. You'll keep your current pricing.

I just paid my next years gold membership and I received this email . . .

Hello Rich - 

We’re writing to let you know that our prices are increasing starting September 1st. As a current Premium member, your prices are not changing. But if you change your plan after September 1st, the new pricing will be applied. So now is your last chance to upgrade to an annual Diamond membership (if you haven't already) and lock in your low price!

When we started Chess.com almost twenty years ago, we never imagined it would grow to be as big as it is today. We just wanted to create a place that chess lovers from all over the world felt comfortable enough to call home. A safe, friendly environment where people could find friends, play games, share ideas, and celebrate the best game in the world.

Along the way we’ve built a team of incredible people creating amazing things. Things like Game Review, Move Explanations, Puzzle Rush, Insights, Classroom, Leagues, and much more. Content like PogChamps, coverage of the Candidates and World Championship, the Speed Chess Championships, and other fantastic articles and videos. And, we have a lot more exciting, innovative features planned! 

Unfortunately, inflation has grown by more than 35% since we first created our memberships, and expenses like hosting, business services, and employee benefits have gone up significantly in that time. Due to these rising costs in supporting our mission, for the first time in our company’s history, we will be raising premium membership prices starting September 1st. Some prices have also increased recently due to taxes.

Since we are “grandfathering” all of our pre-existing premium members into our current prices, you will keep today’s lower prices for the foreseeable future (though additional taxes may still apply). That said, if you cancel your current membership and sign up again or if you change plans after September 1, the new pricing will be applied. So if you have ever thought about upgrading to an annual Diamond membership, now is the time!

We are excited about the future of chess, and are 100% committed to our mission to build the best online chess community. We appreciate your support as we continue to provide awesome features, amazing content, and massive events for the game we love.

- The Chess.com Team

No, I’m not unhappy about someone else’s good fortune to be able to continue playing as much as they want without paying to do so. 

Perspective. 
My last pricing increase was in 2016. Since that time, labor/personnel costs have risen 25%. Materials and service costs rose 35%. I needed to raise pricing in 2020, but due to you know what, I waited out of a sense of loyalty to the customer. Now in 2022, I raised pricing 15%, still not enough to cover my costs but necessary. I’ve heard all the “gouging and opportunistic” rhetoric i can stomach. I’m considering just retiring and moving on. So, if I find the complaining over small increases to CC membership a bit of an over reaction, (much of it from those who pay nothing for the service) please forgive me. 

That's all true. However, most people can't keep up. They hear numbers and statistics and have no idea what the bottom line is for any given business. So when a company raises prices by 200 to 300% the consumer has no idea if that's about right or not. Some materials have risen more than that. Others have stayed almost the same. So the clever business owner maximizes the narrative. 

Agreed. To be fair, there certainly are those who have and will take advantage of the “supply chain issues”. Whether valid or savvy is debatable. I see the issues from a construction POV and understand how the cost of everything from lumber to appliances to windows have increased ( and not by a little!)… if you can get them. A wise business owner will always look for the “edge”, that’s just simply competition and a good thing at that in my opinion. It can be challenging to maintain consumer confidence in this crazy business. Transparency is critical. Our home motto is “you hide nothing when you have nothing to hide.”