I have a strange question about pricing..!

[KillerRay]

Why in the world does every store/person never end their prices with a zero?

I always see $59.99 or $59.98 or it always end in some number from 1 - 9 and never 0?

Wouldnt it be easier to put a zero instead of another number!! O.o

Does it reduce the tax or make it look cheaper or something? :p

Anyone got a answer to this strange question!

[Hyperion]

I've always thought it's for pyschological manipulation... to a very insigificant extent. $55 sounds better than $56, regardless of the other digits after the dot, I suppose.

[Bangel]

I've always thought it's for pyschological manipulation... to a very insigificant extent. $55 sounds better than $56, regardless of the other digits after the dot, I suppose.

I'm pretty sure that's the point.

[Pudding]

Well, it's pretty much what Hyperion said. Somebody told me that it was a result of a minor price war in the 1880's.

I've also heard that it's a way to make the cashier open the register for every transaction, so it's harder to pocket a bill. I'm not sure if it would be all that effective, though.

[Archimedes]

Why in the world does every store/person never end their prices with a zero?

*Puts hand up ashamedly*

I'm guilty as charged.

[_jade_em_]

Yeah, it just sounds cheaper like that even though it isn't xP Think about something that's priced for $200. And then think how much better it would sound if it were $199.

[Archimedes]

Yeah, it just sounds cheaper like that even though it isn't xP Think about something that's priced for $200. And then think how much better it would sound if it were $199.

Hey I had that exact situation the other day! Same amount! Albeit different currency. Well not necessarily a different currency - your high security asylum cell wouldn't happen to be in Australia, would it?

[Asparagus Queen]

It's purely to make the customer think they're getting a better deal. Like it was said, $199 sounds a lot cheaper than $200. And $1.99 sounds cheaper than $2.00

Even gas stations do that. Most gas stations advertise gas for $2.399. The last 9 is so little on the sign though, that most people ignore it, and say "Can you believe I had to pay $2.39 for gas the other day?" and not $2.40 like they practically paid.

Cents that you see that aren't nice retail endings (nice being ones that end in 9's or 5's), are often codes for the store. At a lot of major retail stores/chains, discontinued items end in a specific amount. I couldn't find anything online for Walmart, but I think their discontinued item's price is 86 cents. Sale items also have 'special' prices sometimes too, depending on what store you go to.

[_jade_em_]

Yeah, it just sounds cheaper like that even though it isn't xP Think about something that's priced for $200. And then think how much better it would sound if it were $199.

Hey I had that exact situation the other day! Same amount! Albeit different currency. Well not necessarily a different currency - your high security asylum cell wouldn't happen to be in Australia, would it?

Nope, not Australia xP

[Alex]

Yep, it's 'cause people automatically think it's cheaper. It's like when they say a car's only $19,990. It seem so much cheaper than $20,000 - even though you'd probably end up paying more than $20k with taxes and registration, etc ;P

[Ixistant]

I've also heard that it's a way to make the cashier open the register for every transaction, so it's harder to pocket a bill. I'm not sure if it would be all that effective, though.

DingDingDing! We have a wiener!

That's correct. If it wasn't '£x.99', then the cashier could easily take the money and just pocket it. But because the person is due change, the cashier has to open the till and register the transaction.

[Asparagus Queen]

See, that doesn't work too well here in the US at most retail places. You HAVE to open the register whether they're due change or not. If you type in cash, the register just pops open automatically. So it doesn't matter how much the total is. The cashier could give the change, the cust could walk away, and the cashier is standing there with the register open ready to take a $50 bill out, regardless of how much the previous transaction cost.

[Ixistant]

See, that doesn't work too well here in the US at most retail places. You HAVE to open the register whether they're due change or not. If you type in cash, the register just pops open automatically. So it doesn't matter how much the total is. The cashier could give the change, the cust could walk away, and the cashier is standing there with the register open ready to take a $50 bill out, regardless of how much the previous transaction cost.

Yea, but the ransaction is registered, either on computer or on receipt. If money goes missing, they can check how much money is supposed to be in the register and then question everyone who was on duty the day the money went missing.

[Asparagus Queen]

Right. So how is it easier to steal money if it's a nice even number? Either way the cashier has to ring up the transaction. Are you saying that if it's an even number, the cashier doesn't ring up the transaction?

[KillerRay]

Right. So how is it easier to steal money if it's a nice even number? Either way the cashier has to ring up the transaction. Are you saying that if it's an even number, the cashier doesn't ring up the transaction?

If its an even number. I think the cashier can just use a calculator and fake that the thing is broken and the customer hands him the bill and he puts it in his pocket :p