What Is a Pricing Strategy? + How To Choose One for Your Business

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Explore different pricing strategies, what they offer buyers and sellers, and the steps to making the best pricing decision for your business, products, and brand.

[Featured image] Five coworkers discuss pricing strategy.

What is a pricing strategy?

Price, one of the 4Ps of marketing, refers to how much a business charges for a product or service. A pricing strategy is the process and methodology used to determine prices for products and services. 

As we’ll explore in this article, different pricing strategies work for various products and business models. The right pricing strategy can enable several things for a business: 

  • Convey value to customers.

  • Attract customers.

  • Inspire customer trust and confidence. 

  • Boost sales. 

  • Increase revenue.

  • Improve profit margins.

Types of pricing strategies 

You’ll find several common pricing strategies for products and services, from value-based pricing to price skimming. The first step in selecting a strategy is to examine the different types, review pricing strategy examples, and understand how they differ. 


Pricing strategy
Pricing strategy definition
Pricing strategy example

Skimming pricing strategy (also called pricing skimming or skim pricing)
Setting new product prices high and subsequently lowering the price as competitors enter the market
Innovative electronics sold initially at high prices to attract early adopters and later sold at lower prices

Competitive pricing strategy
Pricing products based on the price of competitive products rather than cost or target profit; usually cheaper than competitors
Rental properties that lower the rental price to match or beat a competitor’s price and gain market share

Dynamic pricing strategy
Pricing that varies based on marketing and customer demand
Liftshare services with price surges during periods of peak usage

Value-based pricing strategy
Pricing a product based on how much the customer believes it’s worth
A coffee company with strong brand loyalty amongst its customer base pricing coffee higher than competitors

Penetration pricing strategy
Entering a market at a low price and increasing prices over time
A media streaming service that offers a low starting subscription price

Economy pricing strategy
Pricing a product low because of low costs of production, marketing, and advertising, and relying on high sales volume to generate profit
Airlines that offer economy seating at the lowest price tier

Premium pricing strategy
Pricing a product deliberately high to encourage favourable perceptions of the brand based on the price
Designer eyewear sold at a premium price that's much higher than competitors

Cost plus pricing strategy
Adding a fixed percentage on top of the cost of producing a product, regardless of consumer demand or competitors’ pricing
Clothing brands that sell garments for 50 per cent more than what it costs to manufacture them

Freemium pricing strategy
Offering a product for free alongside paid versions with more features
Software as a service (Saas) and file hosting apps that provide free (basic) and paid (premium) versions

Project-based pricing strategy
Pricing each finite service or project on a case-by-case basis according to the value of the outcome instead of on the time spent to complete it
Wedding and party planners who quote prices based on the details of individual events

How to choose your pricing strategy 

Now that you know the different pricing strategies, your next step is choosing one for your business. Streamline your process and make an empowered decision with our pricing strategy guide. 

1. Determine your value metric.

A value metric refers to how a company determines the value of one product unit for sale. For example, if you sell footwear, you would determine the value of one pair of shoes. If you sell a monthly service subscription, you would determine the value of the services and features a customer can access during a one-month period. 

To establish your value metric, identify the basic unit of your product or service. What would this be if you were to sell just one unit of your product or service to one customer? 

2. Evaluate pricing potential.

Pricing potential refers to the approximate price you can charge for your product or service. To evaluate your product’s or service’s pricing potential, consider operating costs, consumer demand, and competitive products. 

3. Review your customer base.

Another important consideration regarding pricing strategy is how your current customer base has responded to prices thus far. How much have they been willing to pay for products and services? Have any price changes discouraged or boosted sales? 

Use these insights to refine your buyer personas. 

4. Determine a price range.  

Price range refers to prices for a product or service that fall within what a customer and seller find appropriate. To determine the price range, ask yourself these questions: 

  • What is the minimum price you can charge for a product or service while still making a profit based on the cost of production, marketing, and advertising? 

  • What is the maximum price you can charge for a product or service without alienating your target customers? 

5. Review competitors’ pricing.

Another factor in effectively pricing your offerings is competitors’ pricing. Make a list of competitive products and their pricing. Then, decide whether to beat competitors’ prices (set your products at a lower price) or communicate more value than competitors and price your products higher. 

6. Consider your industry.

Different pricing strategies work for various industries, so it’s a good idea to investigate the most common ones used in your industry. For example:  

  • In the SaaS industry, freemium pricing with different price tiers for purchasing more features is a common strategy for offering customers a path to upgrade as their software needs increase. 

  • In the restaurant industry, luxury brands might use premium pricing to create an image of higher quality.  

  • In the service provider industry, designers, consultants, and other providers might use project-based pricing to customise the service outcomes and the price for individual customers.  

7. Consider your brand.

In addition to your industry, your brand and business model are critical factors in pricing your offerings. A brand identity can affect consumers’ perception of the brand and the quality of the offerings, so make sure your pricing strategy corresponds to the brand.   

For example, a brand that focuses on affordability could choose economy pricing, while a brand that offers innovative products could succeed with a price-skimming strategy. 

If you are still working to build brand equity, penetration pricing could make it easier to enter a market and build a customer base. 

8. Gather feedback from customers.

Customer feedback can be invaluable when considering pricing an existing or new product. Survey current and potential customers with questions such as: 

  • What do you think is an appropriate price for this product? 

  • How much would you be willing to pay for this product?

  • If this product were on sale for [example price], how likely would you be to buy it?

  • At what point would you think the price is so low you’d question its value?

  • At what point would you consider the price too expensive? 

9. Experiment with pricing. 

Conduct a few live experiments to gather data on your products' performance at different prices. For example, you could use an A/B test to introduce a product at two different prices to separate audiences and determine which is favoured. You could also position your products next to competitive products in your marketing messaging to determine how consumers respond. 

Live experiment results combined with customer feedback can provide insights for successful product launches. You may even be able to reduce the trial and error that often comes with introducing offers to the marketplace. 

10. Consider pros and cons of different pricing strategies. 

As you approach selecting a pricing strategy, it’s a good idea to review its pros and cons. For example, cost-plus pricing can offer simplicity in that you mark up a price after factoring in the cost of production. On the downside, it can mean ignoring how customers respond to the price. 

You may find that combining pricing strategies brings you closer to one that works for your business. 

Improve your pricing strategy with Coursera 

Online courses can be a great way to learn about pricing strategies, marketing, business operations, and career opportunities. Explore the options below: 

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