Have you ever noticed this?
When a small product is priced at $50, you immediately think: “Too expensive, not worth it.” But when the same product is shown as $100 slashed down to $50, suddenly your brain says: “Wow, 50% off, I can’t miss this deal!”
That’s exactly how brands manipulate us.
We feel happy thinking we just saved money, but in reality, it’s the opposite. Whether it’s 70% off, Buy One Get One Free, or pricing a product at $999 instead of $1000 — these are all psychological tricks that brands use to increase sales.
Today, let’s expose the most common marketing tactics brands use to manipulate consumer behavior. And at the end, you can share in the comments which one works on you the most.
Charm Pricing – The Trap of 9
Why does everything end in .99 or 9? $9.99, $99, $999… ever noticed?
- A burger on a food app at $4.99.
- A pair of jeans at $39.99.
- A smartphone at $999.
This trick is called charm pricing or odd pricing.
Your brain sees $999 and perceives it closer to $900 than $1000 — even though mathematically, it’s just $1 less. Psychologists call this the Left-Digit Bias: our brain focuses more on the first digit and ignores the rest.
So instead of thinking “$1000,” you process it as “something in the 900s.”
That one tiny digit changes your perception entirely.
Bundling – Buy One, Get One Free
Ah, the magic word: FREE!
“Buy 1, Get 1 Free.” “2 shirts, get the 3rd free.”
You feel happy, right? But guess who’s happier? The brand.
Nothing is actually free. The cost of the “free” item is already built into the pricing. Often, the free product is:
- Old stock
- Least-selling items
- Or lower quality
So you end up buying more than you intended. You walked in to buy one shirt, but you walked out with three. The company cleared its old stock and boosted sales.
Limited-Time Offers – Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
“Flash Sale!” “Only 2 days left!” “Last chance!”
These aren’t just words, they trigger FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
E-commerce sites like Amazon, AliExpress, and local brands like Junaid Jamshed or Ideas regularly use this tactic.
When the clock is ticking, rational thinking shuts down. You just don’t want to miss the “deal.”
In reality, sales are continuous. Summer sale → Independence Day sale → Winter sale → New Year sale. It never ends. The urgency is fake, but it works.
Scarcity Marketing Tactics: How Brands Create Urgency
Ever noticed phrases like “Only 2 left in stock!” or “5 people are viewing this right now” while shopping online? That’s not always reality — it’s a scarcity marketing tactic. By creating a false sense of urgency, brands make customers believe the product is rare and highly valuable. This psychological trick pushes you to take quick action, fearing you’ll miss out. Many e-commerce websites even manipulate stock numbers or show fake demand alerts just to trigger FOMO (fear of missing out). In simple words: scarcity marketing is designed to hack your buying decision by making you think, “If I don’t buy it now, I might lose it forever.
The Decoy Effect: Why You Always Pick the “Middle Option” 🎯
Have you ever noticed how Netflix, Spotify, or Foodpanda Pro always show you three subscription plans — Basic, Standard, and Premium?
- The Basic plan feels too limited.
- The Premium plan looks overpriced.
- The Standard plan suddenly feels “just right.”
That’s no coincidence. This psychological trick is called the Decoy Effect — a marketing tactic brands use to steer you towards the option they actually want you to buy. Another example:
- Phone A: $300
- Phone B: $500
- Phone C: $450 (with fewer features than Phone B)
At first glance, Phone B looks expensive. But when Phone C enters the picture, your brain suddenly sees Phone B as a “better deal.” The truth? Phone C only exists to make you choose the higher-priced option. That’s how brands nudge you into thinking you made the “smart” choice — when in reality, they designed the choice for you.
Anchor Pricing
Anchor pricing is one of the most powerful tactics. A shirt originally priced at $100 is now “on sale” for $60.
You think: “Wow, I saved $40!” But in reality, the actual worth of that shirt might only be $60 — or less.
Brands inflate the “original price” to make discounts look irresistible. Luxury brands like Zara, H&M, Generation, Limelight, Maria B, Khaadi, J. , Bonanza, Sapphire and Maria B do this all the time. We proudly buy thinking we got a steal, but actually, we paid the fair price.
Drip Pricing – The Hidden Charges Game
Online shopping platforms like Daraz, AliExpress, or food delivery apps use this trick.
At first, you see a product at $9.99. Looks cheap. You add to cart, enter your details, and at checkout… surprise!
- Delivery fee
- Service fee
- Convenience fee
Now the price jumps to $14.99.
Since you already invested time choosing, filling forms, and committing mentally, you reluctantly pay more instead of canceling.
Dynamic Pricing
This one is algorithm-driven. Ever booked a ride on Uber, Careem, or Lyft during rush hour or rain? The price doubles or even triples. That’s dynamic pricing. Same with airline tickets, hotel rooms, or food delivery apps. Prices fluctuate based on demand. The more desperate you are, the higher the price you’ll have to pay.
Stay Smart, Stay Sharp
Brands spend millions studying consumer psychology. Every “deal” you see is carefully designed to trigger your brain.
- Charm Pricing tricks your perception.
- Bundling makes you buy more.
- FOMO & Scarcity push urgency.
- Anchor & Decoy pricing manipulate your choices.
- Drip & Dynamic pricing quietly drain extra money.
Once you understand these tactics, you’ll shop with more awareness. Next time you see a “70% OFF, Limited Time Only” banner — pause and think: Is it really a deal, or just smart manipulation?
Which of these tricks have you fallen for? Drop your answer in the comments — and don’t worry, we’ve all been there!
