Software prices change. Salaries rise, hosting costs move and products improve.
The issue for a veterinary practice is not whether a PMS supplier should ever increase its price.
It is whether the contract gives the supplier a broad right to raise the price while the customer remains locked into the service.
That is where the details differ sharply between veterinary software contracts.
Merlin: the greater of CPI or 5%
Merlin has the most striking public price-escalation clause we found.
For qualifying contracts lasting more than 12 months, clause 9.2 allows MWI to adjust fees annually by the greater of the increase in CPI or 5%, with the required notice.
That means a year in which CPI is below 5% can still produce a contractual 5% increase.
There is then a separate provision allowing MWI to increase fees to reflect certain increases imposed by suppliers.
Source: Merlin Terms and Conditions, clauses 9.2 and 9.3
The concern is not simply the number 5%.
It is the combination of a minimum escalation mechanism and a contract the practice may not be free to exit immediately. Part 2 covers those exit costs.
A practice should understand both provisions together.
Lupa: CPI for standard-tier annual increases
Lupa takes a more restrained approach in its public terms.
Its standard-tier pricing can be increased annually in line with CPI, subject to 30 days' written notice. Pricing can also change at the start of a renewal term with notice.
Source: Lupa Terms and Conditions, section 4.4
A CPI-linked mechanism is easier for a customer to forecast than a provision containing a contractual minimum increase above inflation.
It does not make every future Lupa price predictable: renewal pricing remains a separate issue. But the annual in-term mechanism is comparatively clear.
Provet: price change with a route out
Provet's terms show another customer-friendly safeguard.
Provet can change subscription charges with notice. But if the customer rejects the price change, the terms provide a mechanism to terminate the affected service before the new pricing takes effect.
Source: Provet Terms of Service, section 5.1.5
That matters because it aligns two commercial rights:
The supplier can change the price. The customer can decide the new price no longer works.
A price-change clause becomes much more problematic where the supplier has freedom to increase the charge but the practice remains responsible for months or years of future fees.
Animana: price modification with notice
IDEXX's Animana-specific terms allow IDEXX to modify prices with at least one month's notice.
Source: IDEXX Offering-Specific Terms, Animana section 5.2
The significance of that clause cannot be assessed in isolation. Animana also has a minimum initial term and renewal mechanics, while IDEXX's general software terms contain provisions concerning remaining fees after early cancellation.
The practical question is therefore not merely "can the price rise?"
It is:
If the price changes during my commitment, what contractual right do I have to reject it and leave without paying the balance?
That answer should be obtained from the complete contract stack, including the Order Form.
Covetrus UK/EMEA: annual increases with 90 days' notice
The public Covetrus EMEA Master Service Terms say Covetrus may increase pricing once each year during the term by giving at least 90 days' written notice.
The public clause does not specify a CPI cap.
Source: Covetrus EMEA Master Service Terms v6, clause 14(b)
The same master terms also contain a general 90-day termination right for either party, although individual Order Forms and Statements of Work can contain their own provisions.
Source: Covetrus EMEA Master Service Terms v6, clause 15(a)(iv)
This is why headline comparisons can be misleading. A broad price-change right may be less concerning where the customer can exit. A modest increase can be more problematic where the customer cannot.
Four things matter more than the headline percentage
When reviewing PMS pricing clauses, ask four questions.
1. What is the formula?
Is the rise tied to CPI, subject to a fixed cap, based on supplier discretion or set at the start of each renewal?
A transparent formula is easier to budget for.
2. How much notice do we receive?
A practice with multiple sites or thousands of records cannot change PMS overnight. Thirty days and ninety days can have very different practical consequences.
3. Can we reject the increase?
This is the most important protection.
If a supplier materially changes the commercial bargain, the practice should ideally have an opportunity to leave without paying a penalty for rejecting the new price.
4. Can other increases be layered on top?
Look for separate rights to pass on third-party charges, supplier increases, messaging costs, payment costs, integration fees or other variable expenses.
A CPI clause may not be the whole story.
Ask for a five-year illustration
There is a simple procurement test that makes these clauses easier to understand.
Ask every supplier:
"Assume today's licence price is £1,000 per month. Show us the maximum contractually permitted charge in years two, three, four and five, assuming CPI is 2%."
Then ask:
"At each increase, can we terminate without paying future subscription fees?"
Those two answers reveal much more than a sales promise that pricing is "transparent".
Predictability matters more than cheapness
A low introductory price can be attractive.
But a PMS is not a disposable app. Practices can remain on the same system for many years, and migration itself creates operational cost.
That gives the incumbent supplier significant commercial leverage after implementation.
A good pricing contract should therefore make increases understandable and give the customer a fair response when the supplier materially changes the bargain.
Price rises are normal.
Being trapped while the price rises does not have to be.
Contract analysis, not legal advice. Order Forms and negotiated agreements can alter the standard position. Sources reviewed on 2026-08-20.