Decoy pricing
Also called: decoy effect · asymmetric dominance
Decoy pricing adds a third option that is clearly worse value than one of the other two, making that one look obviously correct. On a menu it shows up in portion tiers, wine pours, and add-ons — anywhere a guest chooses between sizes of the same thing.
Worked example · Wine by the glass
- 6 oz pour
- $11
- 9 oz pour (the decoy)
- $17
- Half carafe, 12.5 oz
- $19
- Effect
- the carafe reads as the obvious buy
The 9 oz pour doesn't need to sell. It exists so the carafe's per-ounce value is visible without the guest doing arithmetic.
| Choice | The decoy | What it makes obvious |
|---|---|---|
| Wine pours | An awkwardly-priced mid pour | The carafe's per-ounce value |
| Portion sizes | A small that's nearly the price of the regular | The regular is the sensible buy |
| Add-ons | A single premium add-on priced near the combo | The combo |
| Set menus | À la carte totalling just above the prix fixe | The prix fixe |
In every case the decoy's job is to remove arithmetic from the guest's decision, not to hide anything. If a guest who did the math would feel misled, it isn't framing — see price anchoring for where that line sits.
Related terms
Price anchoring
A price is judged against the prices next to it, not in isolation — so menu layout changes what a number means.
Menu price
The price a dish is sold at — set from plate cost, target margin, and what the dish is worth in the room.
Menu engineering
Sorting every dish by popularity and contribution margin to decide what to promote, reprice, rework, or cut.
Charm pricing
Prices ending in 9 or 5 — effective in value-driven formats, actively harmful in upscale ones.