Technique · Influence
Premium first (expensive-first order)
Present the most complete plan or product first, then the smaller options. By contrast, the middle and entry options look more reasonable, and some buyers stay with a higher tier than they would reach by trading up from the bottom.
Plain label: top-tier-first price orderAlso known as: selling down, top of the line first, suit before sweater, descending price order, contrast principle
How it works
What people see second is judged against what they saw first, so a lower price after a high one feels smaller than it is, and a high price after a low one feels larger. Starting at the top and letting buyers step down uses that contrast; starting at the bottom makes every step up look expensive. The top option must be a real offer for a real segment, or the order reads as a trick.
In the book. The contrast principle: the second of two items looks further from the first than it really is (Ch.1, pp.9-11). Clothing stores sold the suit first, and a billiard-table dealer doubled the average sale by starting at the top (Ch.2, pp.34-35). INF-T-FN-06 (Influence Ch.1, p.10) INF-T-RC-19 (Influence Ch.2, p.34)
In a product [S]. Order plans and products from most to least complete, keep the cheaper options one tap away, and mark the plan that fits.
Evidence Evidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.. Order effects on price choice are well documented; their size depends on how far apart the tiers are.
Evidence warning
Book figures are single, older observations; test the order on your own pricing page and read revenue per visitor, not plan mix alone.
What the research says
A billiard-table store raised its average sale from about $550 to over $1,000 in the week it showed the $3,000 table first and let buyers browse downward (one store, one week, 1970s prices).
Influence Ch.2, pp.34-35 (Brunswick)
Clothing salespeople were trained to sell the suit before the sweater, so the sweater's price seemed small.
Influence Ch.1, p.10
In lab and field studies, price lists ordered from high to low led buyers toward higher-priced options than ascending lists.
Suk, Lee & Lichtenstein, Journal of Marketing Research, 2012
Before you start
- At least one segment already has product-market fit.
How to build it
- Web
- Order plan cards from the most complete (left, or top on mobile) to the entry plan, keep the recommended plan marked, and test against the current order.
- E-commerce
- For shoppers who arrive without a price filter, default the category sort to premium items first, with a one-tap "price: low to high".
- B2B
- Open the proposal with the full platform and its price, then show the modular options, each priced on its own.
What can go wrong
- A top tier that exists only as an anchor and is never sold reads as bad faith.
- Combining the order with hidden fees produces refunds that erase the gain.
- For very price-sensitive segments, a high first number can raise bounce.
Pairs well with
- Pairs with in-t-fn-11: mark the plan that fits, even when it is not the most expensive.
- Pairs with in-t-rc-16: after a decline of the top plan, offer one honest smaller option.
In practice
Where it shows up
Limits
What we don’t claim
- Left Brain and Right Brain are a metaphor for extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, not a claim about neuroscience.Actionable Gamification Ch.13, pp.342-343
Sources
Influence · Robert Cialdini
Ch.1, p.10 · Ch.2, p.34
The influence of price presentation order on consumer choice · Journal of Marketing Research, 2012
Evidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.
Source IDs: INF-T-FN-06INF-T-RC-19
Book content is paraphrased, never quoted at length. Last verified October 24, 2026.
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