{
  "id": 19695407,
  "title": "Secret to selling small plates at restaurants: Nonrounded pricing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/secret-to-selling-small-plates-at-restaurants-nonrounded-pricing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-12T19:40:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-11-secret-small-plates-restaurants-nonrounded.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management suggests that the key to selling small plates at restaurants lies in nonrounded pricing. According to the findings, small plate prices ending in a nonrounded number, such as .99, increase the likelihood of customers perceiving the price as fair and making the purchase. Conversely, rounded prices ending with .00 are perceived as unfair, reducing the intention to order a small plate. The research, conducted by Stephanie Liu and Xi Yu, reveals that the psychological mechanism driving this effect is perceived fairness. By changing the price of a small plate from $5.00 to $4.99, restaurants can make customers feel better about their purchase and encourage them to order the smaller portion. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer psychology and behavior to help consumers make better decisions and improve business outcomes.",
  "summary": "Oh, what a difference a penny can make in the likelihood that restaurant customers will order a small plate.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nonrounded prices (e.g., .99) increase perceived fairness and purchases of small plates",
    "Rounded prices ending in .00 are perceived as unfair, reducing small plate orders",
    "Changing price from $5.00 to $4.99 can encourage customers to order smaller portions"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}