Discount framing (% vs £)
The same discount feels bigger as a percentage on cheap items and as a cash amount on expensive ones.
Four of the eight page areas.
Four ways to use it, and one to avoid.
- Show the saving as money off (£ off) on higher-priced products, roughly £100 and above.
- Show the saving as % off on low-priced products.
- Show both where space allows.
- Test on your own range, as the evidence comes from lab studies of intentions.
- Avoid: savings that aren’t measured against a genuine previous selling price, or that mislead.
Lab studies and online grocery data both show the frame matters.
Money-off framing gave higher perceived value and purchase intentions for products priced over $100.
Lab experiments found money-off framing gave higher perceived value and purchase intentions for products priced over $100, with percentage framing tending to do better on cheaper items. A meta-analysis confirms that deal presentation changes perceived savings. In purchase data from 3,827 customers of an online grocer, percentage-off coupons led to bigger spends and baskets than money-off ones, though this was not a randomised test.
Four sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Any saving must be measured against a genuine previous selling price and must not mislead (CTSI pricing practices guidance, revised August 2025).
This is simply a pointer to check, not legal advice. Seek legal advice before you put this principle into action.