Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Dynamic pricing: Internet companies use a shopper’s browser history, IP address, online shopping habits to change prices (Video)


Dynamic pricing is the opposite of what one might call static pricing. Dynamic means change and internet companies change their prices according to information collected from an online shopper. When shopping online, internet companies can generally see what computer a person is using, where the computer is located, what other websites the computer user has visited, what action a computer user takes after visiting a website, and how fast someone is buying something.

Ever wondered why if you look up an item on Amazon.com, the same  item all of a sudden appears on advertisements on other internet pages? 

If you are a fast buyer using the same computer, the chance is that you will pay a higher price than a shopper who looks around for the best price. 

As long as a shopper uses the same IP address, most often from the same home, online businesses know what they need to know about a person in order to get the most money.

As San Diego’s 10News video report from July 30, 2013, highlights, in the end -- finding the best price is up to the savvy shopper. However, being aware about dynamic pricing and knowing that online businesses collect information about one’s shopping habits (and much more) might help turn unsuspecting shoppers into savvy and dynamic shoppers.