PromZ Vak 4 · 2026 · English edition

The psychology behind the price

makes it easier to determine what you can charge. The interesting thing, Romijn notes, is that this is often more than entrepreneurs think, without it costing them customers. This can lie in surrounding factors such as the customer’s need and in what the competition does or does not offer. But there are also characteristics of the brain that can be used. “A well-known tactic is the use of the decoy effect,” says Romijn. “This involves adding an extra choice to two options in order to make one of the original two appear more attractive.”

For example, if a small version of a product costs 5 euros and a large version costs 10 euros, adding a medium-sized option for 8 euros suddenly makes the largest version seem less expensive.

Another psychological principle is anchoring, where one price serves as an anchor that gives people a reference point they did not previously have. Although the principle can be applied in all kinds of sectors, Romijn has seen it in fundraising: “The donation button on an organisation’s website starts with an amount of 50 euros. Below that are the lower amounts. Naturally, everything below it feels better. ‘Then I’ll just give 25 euros,’ you think. Whereas without the anchor of that 50 euros, you might not have paid more than 10 euros on your own.”

Anchoring works well, Glosemeyer also notes. Large numbers have an effect. “There was an interesting experiment in which students had to remember the last two digits of their ID card,” he says. “They were then asked to write down what they would be willing to pay for a mug or a pen. What turned out? People with relatively high numbers on their identity card tended to pay more for the products. That says something about the effectiveness of such an anchor. The principle is also used on menus and by airlines that present the most expensive flights first. Everything that follows then feels more reasonable.”

No Round Numbers

By now, brands and marketers have a whole arsenal of tools at their disposal to influence perception. One fairly well-known tool is so-called charm pricing, where round numbers are avoided and prices instead end in, for example, 99 or 95. The fact that this can sometimes feel like a lower price than it actually is, is partly because one digit acts as an anchor, Glosemeyer explains: “We read from left to right, which means our attention anchors most strongly to the first number, such as the 4 in 4.99. Because the weight lies there, that price seems more attractive than 5 euros. Is this an option for everyone? No. It depends on your positioning. Using round amounts can actually evoke a sense of luxury. HEMA, for example, uses rounded prices,

Sergio Romijn

partly because in its segment it is not the cheapest of the cheap and positions itself as a quality brand.” Another tool companies use is leaving out the euro sign, so that the brain does not immediately link the purchase to money or loss of money. But we also see prices being packaged as a daily equivalent, says Glosemeyer. “For example, if you present the price of contact lenses per eye per day, it suddenly seems as if the consumer is getting a much better deal.”

Discount: Yes or No?

Psychology is, of course, not the only thing that can tempt someone into making a purchase. For established companies, but certainly also for newcomers in the industry, offering discounts can be attractive. Especially if the goal is to gain as much market share as possible in a short period of time. Still, there are drawbacks. “The problem is that it can do more damage than it delivers,” Glosemeyer thinks. “Companies often do not realise how much extra volume they need to make up for the loss in margin. That is hugely underestimated. The problem is also that customers get used to it and continue to expect products to be sold at that lower price. In addition, products may be perceived as less valuable and less premium. What can you do? Only offer a discount if you get something in return. For example, a contract to purchase more over a longer period of time.”