Pricing Manipulation
Fake Discount
A sale price with a very creative memory of the original.
What is it?
A discount is calculated from an inflated, rarely used, or recently increased reference price to create a misleading sense of value.
How it works
The pattern changes the cost of thinking. It makes the preferred action immediate, emotionally charged, or visually dominant, while making the more reflective action slower, duller, or easier to doubt.
Visual Example
A simplified specimen designed to make the pattern recognizable at a glance.
Inflated reference price
visual specimen
Advanced Product Psychology
Reference price: 299€ (it fluctuates magically)
Psychology
Real World Example
- Was 129€, now 59€, despite selling at 59€ most of the year.
- A countdown sale repeats with the same discount every week.
Origin: Ecommerce, retail promotions, travel deals, and online courses.
Ethical Alternative
Use honest reference prices and disclose the period during which the original price was used.
Toxicity Meter
Manipulation dimensions