Hidden costs
1
Purpose
The purpose of hidden costs is to extract as much money as possible from users without them knowing.
2
Psychological principles
This deceptive pattern relies on the psychological fallacy of sunk costs.
3
Prevention
Look for pre-checked boxes at online checkout and be prepared to abandon ship if something looks off.
The hidden costs pattern hides extra fees or products
The hidden cost deceptive pattern hides important information about the price of a product until the user has already invested their time. This makes them more likely to purchase because they have already done so much work to get there.
This usually comes in the form of extra fees or charges that are automatically added to the purchase.
Behind the pattern
This deceptive pattern relies on the psychological fallacy of sunk costs. This fallacy suggests that the more time we invest in something, the more likely we are to invest more time, money, or other resources.
By revealing extra costs at the very end, users have already invested their time, and as a result, are more likely to go through with the purchase.
How to protect yourself
Look for pre-checked boxes. If a box is pre-checked on any check-out screen, it could be there to opt you into other products or services.
Examine each line in your expected total. Look for any uncommon charges or high fees.
Abandon ship. While it’s easier said than done, be prepared to abandon your cart if something seems suspicious.