A pricing scheme

[benlehman]

Nathan proposed this to me as a pricing scheme for Drifter's Escape. Sadly, I've already done a lot of selling of the books at the present price point, but it's worthwhile to think about for future endeavors.

The pricing scheme is as such:
Two paypal buttons. One $10 + SH, one $20 + SH. The $10 button is labeled "reduced rate for poor people." The $20 button is labeled "standard rate for middle class and wealthy people."

So, I'll ask you: What are your thoughts on this? Why? Would this excite you or turn you off? Which button would you pick and why?

Comments

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Huh. The intention isn't "pay more as money for me," but "The 'real price' is $20 and (self-identified) poor people get a discounted rate." Clearly that doesn't come across. Is that message more or less palatable to you?

yrs--
--Ben

[marcus-sez-vote.livejournal.com]

In that case, I'd suggest a paypal button for $20 and then a note that you are willing to work with people depending on their personal circumstances. Identifying the "real price" and then the "hardship rate" as you mention in a comment above would be more palatable, especially when you clearly describe the hardship rate. On the one hand I'd worry that with a $10 paypal button everyone would click that one because it's cheaper. On the other hand, if people are forced to e-mail and get into a dialogue about the price, they may be too embarrassed/intimidated to do it.

Not sure if that really helps, but there you go.

Be well.

[opticalbinary.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Even though we're on foodstamps, I'd feel weird clicking that button. I mean, this is for hypothetical dude who does this, not for you: you already have a good idea of our financial issues because we're buds. But like, if Dude I Did Not Know did this? I would never click the $10 button, because I would feel weird about you getting my name from PayPal and knowing I'm poor, and not knowing anything else about me. There'd be some guy out there who only knows "Elizabeth is a chick who is poor and interested in reading about hobos."

I don't know if that makes sense.

[unrequitedthai.livejournal.com]

Whereas, I'd click the $10 button because I don't really give a damn whether my Paypal button is telling the truth or not; it costs me half as much, and that means like what, an extra two lattes? Sweet!

[unrequitedthai.livejournal.com]

The logic here is that, if I can get the same item at two different price points with equal amounts of effort, there is no reason I will choose the higher price point, and I'd find it insulting to my intelligence for a seller to believe I would.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Are you saying "the existence of this is a turn-off" or "I would always pay the lower rate, regardless of my circumstances"?

The former means that the idea needs work, or discarding. I don't really care about the latter. Presumably there will be a share of liars and freeloaders.

[unrequitedthai.livejournal.com]

Both. Frankly, I find the very idea of having a 'hardship rate' for an obvious luxury product to be somewhere in the area between insulting and ridiculous.