General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat's the magic in $19 per month?
Kids in desperate circumstances, dogs and cats in desperate circumstances, Hospitals that do great medicine and don't charge bother patients, wildlife guardians, and many others, when asking for our financial support, ask for $19 a month.
Tonight it was the ACLU asking for $19 a month.
Please don't take this as quarreling with any of the organizations who ask for our subscription of $19 a month. The question, simply, is . . . . . . What's the magic in $19 per month?
House of Roberts
(5,171 posts)for Ukrainian Jews.
Sneederbunk
(14,291 posts)BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)For all his failing side hustles
Wounded Bear
(58,660 posts)kind of like how gas prices always figure out to .9 cents per gallon.
haele
(12,657 posts)In American currency, there are cultural "steps" in which a purchaser will pause for a moment to consider if they're getting a deal.
Americans love deals.
So, $19 sounds like a "deal" when one would normally expect to pay $20. The charity is more likely to get donations at $19 (especially with internet/online donations) than they would at $20.
It's not nefarious or anything, simple psychology.
Haele
Marthe48
(16,963 posts)My older brother mentioned it. My Dad and Mom owned a grocery store and I think we all learned a little about the psychology of spending.
Stinky The Clown
(67,799 posts)Its just that seemingly every ad asking for money uses this same number.
GGoss
(1,273 posts)And actually influences buying decisions.
Mr.Bill
(24,294 posts)that $20 is a threshold where it gets more difficult to get people to donate money, or buy gimmick/gadget products. It's an amount that most people have in hand and would part with easily compared to amounts over $20. Part of the same mentality in retail that prices many things in a number ending in nine.
Ferrets are Cool
(21,106 posts)Rebl2
(13,510 posts)Who knows.
brooklynite
(94,579 posts)Are you saying that every group that reaches out to you wants $19?
Mr.Bill
(24,294 posts)but products they are selling. Sometimes if they are selling something worth more than $20, they will break it into payments of $20.
brooklynite
(94,579 posts)Mr.Bill
(24,294 posts)Usually these kinds of commercials run in the off hours when commercial time is cheaper.
ornotna
(10,801 posts)At least that's what I've been told. And told, and told.........
MiniMe
(21,716 posts)Those and the Medicare rip off plan. They used to go through the end of the medicare sign up season, which is Nov or Dec. They never stop now. Grrrr.
Raine
(30,540 posts)they always ask that for products too like those bulb head ones ..... but wait you get two!