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Are there any downsides to citizens to enact legislation requiring something like 1 price no matter the payment source? I.e. the same price whether you pay onli

Are there any downsides to citizens to enact legislation requiring something like 1 price no matter the payment source? I.e. the same price whether you pay online, in-person, or whether you pay with a phone or through the web? I could see some differences with in-person versus online, or with difference prices for various locations, but why not charge the same whether you're using a phone or website? Maybe someone should create an app or some other technology that identifies the lowest cost payment method (web or mobile) and then sends that data as your user agent so you can get the lowest price.

Kirby64 3y ago
Increased cost to consumer, less margin for sellers, and perverse incentives. Amazon already does this with anything covered by Amazon fulfillment (you’re not allowed to have a lower advertised price anywhere else). This just means that more people are funneled to the easier method, because if it all costs the same why would they care? So Amazon gets more money, the seller gets less overall (worse margins on fulfillment orders), and Amazon’s monopoly is entrenched further.
- ericmay 3y ago
  How would this increase costs? If I go to your website and a shoe costs X, and you see that I'm on a mobile phone so you raise prices X+y, and legislation dictates that you can't raise the price due to my browser profile, costs would go back to X. Maybe you could argue that costs rise for everyone because pricing is equal, but I don't see a problem with that, and there's a limit due to elasticity. I'm not talking about one guaranteed price, just that on a given website you can't charge more if I use Firefox, or if I'm browsing your site from an iPad.
  - Kirby64 3y ago
    Thats not an equivalent comparison though. Has nothing to do with browser profile, it has to do with using the services associated with the App Store. They’re more than just a payment processor, much like Amazon is more than just a payment processor. Right now you’re free to offer a discounted rate off the App Store, but you just can’t advertise it on the App Store app. In comparison, Amazon won’t even let you offer a lower price, which is worse for consumers. Likewise, forcing all prices to be the same raises prices uniformly since other vendors can’t offer a worse service (Eg slower shipping, in the case of Amazon) at a discounted price.
    - ericmay 3y ago
      Well, on the App Store side some companies do generally charge more if you are using something like an iPhone without including the payment processing fees as an extra factor. On the web some companies will alter their pricing if your browser profile is Safari for example. I think there is a clearer case here for not allowing discrimination based on web browser in pricing online. I don't on the face disagree with your assessment on Amazon pricing, though the App Store is a little bit different and we should clearly separate it out here.

Kirby64 3y ago

Increased cost to consumer, less margin for sellers, and perverse incentives. Amazon already does this with anything covered by Amazon fulfillment (you’re not allowed to have a lower advertised price anywhere else). This just means that more people are funneled to the easier method, because if it all costs the same why would they care? So Amazon gets more money, the seller gets less overall (worse margins on fulfillment orders), and Amazon’s monopoly is entrenched further.

ericmay 3y ago
How would this increase costs? If I go to your website and a shoe costs X, and you see that I'm on a mobile phone so you raise prices X+y, and legislation dictates that you can't raise the price due to my browser profile, costs would go back to X. Maybe you could argue that costs rise for everyone because pricing is equal, but I don't see a problem with that, and there's a limit due to elasticity. I'm not talking about one guaranteed price, just that on a given website you can't charge more if I use Firefox, or if I'm browsing your site from an iPad.
- Kirby64 3y ago
  Thats not an equivalent comparison though. Has nothing to do with browser profile, it has to do with using the services associated with the App Store. They’re more than just a payment processor, much like Amazon is more than just a payment processor. Right now you’re free to offer a discounted rate off the App Store, but you just can’t advertise it on the App Store app. In comparison, Amazon won’t even let you offer a lower price, which is worse for consumers. Likewise, forcing all prices to be the same raises prices uniformly since other vendors can’t offer a worse service (Eg slower shipping, in the case of Amazon) at a discounted price.
  - ericmay 3y ago
    Well, on the App Store side some companies do generally charge more if you are using something like an iPhone without including the payment processing fees as an extra factor. On the web some companies will alter their pricing if your browser profile is Safari for example. I think there is a clearer case here for not allowing discrimination based on web browser in pricing online. I don't on the face disagree with your assessment on Amazon pricing, though the App Store is a little bit different and we should clearly separate it out here.