Hidden Costs
Hiding fees until the final step, increasing stress and cognitive load for users.
Altruheuristics
Biology
- Stress: Lots of time was invested to find the best deal and the user in put in a state of uncertainty.
- Flow: Price changes at the last step.
- Trust: Sudden changes, especially in relation to money is illusive as information is being withheld.
CBT Distortions
- Jumping to Conclusions e.g. Did I do something wrong? Why didn’t I see this before?
- Personalization e.g. Feel guilty for not seeing this.
- Blaming: Wasted my time my fault now I have to do it again.
Biases
- Loss Aversion
Circ’s Principles
- Calmness: Provide all information required upfront before the journey.
- Transparency: Reduce anxiety by removing uncertainty and explaining algorithm updates.
Mental Health
- Chronic Anxiety: Avoid the state of uncertainty and provide reassurance.
Traditional Heuristics
Jakob Nielson Principles
- Visibility: The price text is usually small making it less prominent.
- User Control: There is no control over the price change.
- Match Real World: Asking for money at the end and not upfront breaks real world interaction as it’s considered illusive.
Gestalt
- Continuation: The pricing change is a surprise as it’s always larger with the additional fees and the user expects the price to remain exact.
Don Norman Principles
- Visibility: The price text is usually small making it less prominent.
- Feedback: No feedback about the price change is given before or after.
Graphic Design
- None
Deceptive Patterns
- Hidden Costs: After investing time and effort, the user discovers unexpected fees and charges when they reach the checkout.