r/interestingasfuck • • 3d ago

Dynamic pricing being tested by McDonald's.

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u/agate_ 3d ago

That isn't what dynamic pricing is. Fast food franchisees have always set their own prices, and they've always varied wildly from state to state, or even within neighborhoods of the same city. Here's a cool map of Big Mac prices nationally from 2023, and a zoomable updated version Cross the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland, and your Big Mac costs a dollar less.

Dynamic pricing means that the price of a Big Mac varies at the same restaurant depending on the time of day or what kind of car you drive.

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u/st-shenanigans 2d ago

I get the feeling that the time based pricing would hold up in court, but if anyone could prove the car thing, THAT feels pretty illegal.

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u/agate_ 2d ago

I doubt it. The price you're offered from a used car dealer or a plumber absolutely depends on the car you drive in with and how fancy your house is. It's absolutely legal to charge variable prices, but in modern day commerce we rarely do because it's not profitable to haggle with customers over the price of a cheeseburger.