Trick Pricing

We are smart people.

We don’t get duped very often.

We know a scam when you see when.

We’re even smart enough to know that $9.95 is really $10.00

So why would we treat our customers in such a condescending manner. Do we really think that any of our customers won’t be smart enough to know this?

Now that we have answered this question let’s ask ourselves why you would ever engage in such trick pricing for our customers.

At last, we’re entering the age of ‘authentic capitalism’, and $0.99 cents isn’t fooling anyone. In fact, you’re quite possibly embarrassing yourself on a commercial level and damaging your brand or start up. The threshold price point is the biggest hoax in consumer marketing. My suggestion, is to have honest pricing.  Charge to the dollar. Make it simple and gain respect simultaneously. Our customers won’t mind, really.

Who wants a pocket full of change anyway?

2 thoughts on “Trick Pricing

  1. While I hate the pocket full o’ change myself, my first reaction is similar to Daniel’s. I think it’s the consumer that is proving that, true, we might not be fooled that $9.99 isn’t really $10, but there is something in our head that tells us we’re still in the single-digit dollar amount vs. double. I don’t see this specific example as duping, but rather understanding the psychology of buying.

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