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Offering a sale price attracts more buyers through Anchoring Bias. When buyers see a higher "Regular Price" next to a lower "Sale Price," their brains instantly register the difference as a financial "win," making the item feel like a steal.

Here are the key statistics to prove it works:

35% higher conversions: Displaying a "Was/Now" price comparison increases actual purchases by up to 35%.
24% sales boost: Ending your sale price in a 9 (like $49 instead of $50) increases sales by an average of 24%.
20% to 30% sweet spot: This discount range triggers the strongest buyer urge to purchase without ruining your profit margins.
Urgency trigger: Sale prices imply a limited time, using "Loss Aversion" to force buyers to act before they miss out.

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SALES PRICE - THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND (the long version if you are interested)

There is substantial statistical and psychological evidence supporting the strategy of offering a sale price lower than a "regular" or "anchor" price.

The Psychological Effect: Why Sale Prices Work

You can explain to the seller that buyers rarely evaluate a price in isolation. Instead, they rely on context clues to determine if a price is "good."

Anchoring Bias: The most powerful effect at play is "anchoring." When a buyer sees a higher "Regular Price" (the anchor) next to a lower "Sale Price," they emotionally perceive the difference as a personal gain or "win." Even if the sale price is what the item is actually worth, the presence of the higher crossed-out number makes the lower price feel like a steal.
The Left-Digit Effect: Our brains process numbers from left to right. A price of $99 is perceived as significantly lower than $100 because the first digit is a 9 rather than a 1. This "charm pricing" tricks the brain into rounding down to the lower tier (e.g., seeing $49 as "forty-something" rather than "fifty").
Urgency & FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): A sale price implies a temporary opportunity. This triggers "loss aversion"—the psychological pain of losing out on a deal is often a stronger motivator than the pleasure of gaining the item itself, pushing buyers to act quickly.

Statistics to Back Up the Claim

Here are specific percentage statistics you can show the seller to prove that this strategy is beneficial:

35% Higher Conversion Rate: Research indicates that effectively presenting discounts (using a "Was/Now" pricing model) can improve conversion rates (the percentage of viewers who actually buy) by up to 35%.
24% Sales Boost from "Charm Prices": Studies on "charm prices" (ending in 9, such as $49 or $99) show they can boost sales by an average of 24% compared to nearby "rounded" prices (like $50 or $100).
The "Sweet Spot" is 20-30%: Data suggests that discounts between 20% and 30% typically drive the highest conversion rates while still maintaining healthy profit margins. This range is often enough to trigger the psychological "deal" feeling without devaluing the product.
Add-to-Cart Increase: Even small discounts matter. Data shows that for every 1% increase in discount, the "Add-to-Cart" rate climbs. A 10% discount, for example, can lead to a nearly 1% increase in shoppers placing items in their cart, which is a significant lift at scale.

Strategic Advice for the Seller

To maximize these results, use the "Rule of 100":

For items under $100: Use a percentage discount (e.g., "20% Off" sounds bigger than "$5 Off").
For items over $100: Use a dollar amount discount (e.g., "$50 Off" sounds more impressive than "15% Off").
Source: This rule is derived from psychological principles on how humans estimate magnitude.