How “cheap” became the most expensive word in marketing
Hey cost detectives—
The most expensive things in life are rarely the ones on the label.
They’re the hidden prices: the fees, the trade-offs, the fine print that turns a bargain into a bleed. And no matter how modern the trick looks on your app screen, hidden pricing is older than capitalism itself.
We’ve always been paying more than we thought—we’ve just become worse at noticing.
A short (and dirty) history
Back in Ancient Rome, merchants would water down wine or slip base metals into coins. Customers thought they were getting a deal; in reality, they were swallowing less alcohol and more disappointment. The hidden price wasn’t a line item—it was a diluted experience.
Fast-forward to the Middle Ages: markets looked regulated, guilds posted fixed prices, but shoppers were still nudged into “extras”—obligatory tips, mysterious tithes, service charges that appeared after the handshake. The ticket to enter the market was one price; the privilege of leaving with your goods was another.
The Industrial Revolution perfected the art. Railroads in the 19th century sold you the promise of a ticket, but then slipped in baggage fees, comfort surcharges, and fuel adjustments. Airlines in the late 20th century turned it into an Olympic sport: you bought the seat, but the food, the bags, even the act of choosing where to sit became premium upsells. Hidden pricing grew from the shadows into a fully-fledged business model.
Today, digital platforms have turned it into a science. Free trials that turn into auto-renewals. Delivery apps that add “regulatory fees” nobody can explain. Streaming services dangling introductory offers only to double the price a year later. Even the supermarket shrinks your chocolate bar while keeping the same packaging. Hidden prices no longer hide behind counters—they hide in plain sight, banking on the fact you won’t bother to add it all up.
Why hidden prices work so damn well
The psychology is embarrassingly simple.
Humans anchor to the first number they see. If the hotel room says €89 a night, that’s what your brain clings to, even if you know breakfast, Wi-Fi, and “resort fees” will inflate it. Economists call this “drip pricing”—you commit, drip by drip, until the true cost emerges when it’s too late to back out.
Once you’ve invested time, energy, or emotion, you’re less likely to walk away, even if you feel tricked.
And here’s the kicker:transparency doesn’t always win.
If Airline A lists €300 all-in, while Airline B flaunts €199plus asterisks, guess which one gets the click?
The market doesn’t punish opacity; it rewards it.
Which is why hidden prices are not an accident—they’re a feature.
The modern zoo of hidden costs
Open your banking app: withdrawal abroad? Fee.
Late payment? Fee.
“Maintenance”? Feefor existing.
Book a flight: cleaning fees, security fees, fuel surcharges.
Order online: service charges, platform fees, convenience fees that feel anything but convenient. Even shrinkflation—when your pack of biscuits quietly loses two cookies—is a hidden price, just camouflaged as packaging design.
What unites them is the same mechanic: advertise a low visible price, then offload the real margin into invisible corners. It’s smoke and mirrors, but digital, automated, and legal.
A guide to spotting what isn’t meant to be seen
So how do you defend yourself?
First: assume the headline price is a decoy. It almost always is. Read the terms before you hit “accept.” Simulate the full journey to checkout—airlines in particular are masters of piling on fees step by step.
Watch for time bombs: free trials, introductory offers, subscriptions that never end. Learn the language of deception: “service,” “processing,” “regulatory,” “maintenance.” These aren’t neutral—they’re disguises.
And above all, trust your skepticism. If it looks too cheap, it is. The hidden price is waiting for you at the end of the funnel.
The bottom line
Hidden prices aren’t bugs of the system—they are the system.
From watered wine to €30 resort fees, the methods change, but the principle is eternal: show the consumer what they want to see, charge them for what they don’t.
The irony? In a marketplace saturated with tricks, transparency is no longer just good ethics. It’s a marketing advantage.
Brands that dare to reveal the full cost up front will feel radical in a world addicted to illusion.
Until next time, stay sharp.
Alex
At Kredo Marketing, we help businesses grow without gimmicks. Transparent strategies, no hidden costs. Because trust is worth more than tricks.
