Use "free" with care, because it is stronger than a low price

Hummingbirds, plate 161 from John Gould's A Monograph of the Trochilidae (1849-1861).

Zero is not just a low price. It changes how people decide.

The study. Researchers from MIT and Toronto sold chocolates to students and visitors. They changed the prices of a Lindt truffle and a Hershey's Kiss.

The finding. At 15 cents for the truffle and 1 cent for the Kiss, 73% chose the truffle. When both prices went down by 1 cent, to 14 cents and free, 69% chose the free Kiss.

Why it matters. The difference in price stayed the same. But a free item made people forget the comparison. Free removes the fear of a bad choice. This makes free a very strong tool.

The takeaway. Use free items, free shipping or free trials to bring buyers in. Choose carefully what you give away for free.

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