This topic seems to be all over the place and I'm quite frankly a bit appalled from some of the posts here that stop just shy of claiming something that's really not appropriate. With all due respect, theorizing on the kind of person that would be a Kagi customer and assuming their wealth or lackthereof as if that's an important factor in making these decisions is useless to this discussion.
In any case, as a Brazilian and recent Kagi client, I just want to ask for clarification on a few things just to know if the suggestion is even viable. I understand regional pricing (as in, charging potentially less than the cost in the company's original currency, which is USD, in order to charge the aproximate value in the original currency to another) is not possible, at least not as things stand with Kagi as a small-scale company. That's fine and dandy and understood.
However:
a. I think this should be a long term goal no matter what, if Kagi's mission statement is to be believed and has any chance of ever breaking away from strictly niche use. If it ever grows to a certain point, it should then be worried about how to make it as accessible and simple to pay for as possible for every country in the world. I'm not sure if the very idea was shot down or if this has been communicated and I've missed it, but I genuinely believe it should be a clear part in a roadmap, even if only for the far-future and in the best of scenarios. It puts people at ease and makes customers feel like their needs are being listened to and that you want their business. That's probably of particular importance when you run a premium search engine and are trying to convince people to pay for something that has been historically "free".
b. Is it possible to at least allow for other countries to pay on their own currency, even if the price is basically a direct conversion from USD? The simple fact you'd not need an international credit card or not have to worry about paying conversion fees and taxes over international processing that can vary from month to month makes A LOT of difference. I'm not sure how viable this is, because certainly there are costs associated with setting up a branch in different countries and complying with whatever financial regulations are necessary in order to charge the local currency, but it is possible and some companies do it in the case of Brazil. Perhaps this could be a gradual rollout where you prioritize regions outside the USA/Europe that have more customers or that you believe have potential to attract more customers with such a move.
I am absolutely sure that the simple fact that people can pay for a subscription in their own currency, even if the price is steeper due to the current economic climate, makes customers much more likely to dip their toes.
