What is SaaS Decoy Pricing?

SaaSのデコイ価格設定は、2つのプランのみを提供するのではなく、3つの選択肢モデルを使用します。3番目の、または“デコイ”プランは、代替の非対称優位価格設定や機能に基づいており、主に参照点として機能します。この構造では、“デコイ”オプションは販売を意図していません。3つのプランがあることで、比較プロセスに別の要素が追加され、買い手の心理的な計算に影響を与え、より高価な“ターゲット”を適切な選択肢として位置づけます。

Many software companies apply this approach as a way to increase Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). The use of a decoy plan offers an additional dataset for individuals assessing the functions and pricing of each option.

This method moves the assessment from pure cost comparison toward review of each option’s configuration and supplied features. When only two plans are available, the lower-priced option may often be chosen. Including a decoy plan sets its price near the established higher tier but includes a significantly smaller set of features.

Key Features of the Decoy Method:

• Asymmetric Dominance: The target plan ranks higher than the decoy in at least one category, such as price or features, while remaining equal on other factors.
• Price Anchoring: A higher-priced decoy can serve as a reference point, leading consumers to perceive mid-tier pricing as more affordable.
• Visual Distinction: Many SaaS pricing pages use three-column layouts, with one plan receiving separate visual treatment through labels or formatting (“Best Value”, “Most Popular”, etc.).
• Feature Gaps: The decoy and target plans may differ in feature availability (for example, the decoy may lack a high-demand feature), but remain close in price.

デコイ効果は、意思決定における比較ベースのパターンとして一般的に説明されています。人々は、各選択肢を単独で評価するのではなく、近くにある代替品と比較して製品を評価することがよくあります。この状況では、デコイ（「支配された」選択肢）が、利用可能なプランのセット内で基準点として機能します。これにより、比較中にターゲットとなる選択肢の見方が変わり、より高価な選択肢を「賢い」選択と認識させる心理的な近道となります。

The inclusion of a decoy can shift attention from the cost itself to the relative differences between options, therefore replacing the “pain of paying” with the “joy of winning. It can also reduce “analysis paralysis” by making one option easier to rule out in comparison with another.

In the SaaS decoy pricing strategy, plans are laid out to provide a comparison framework and influence how users navigate plan selection.

In subscription businesses, a model may include an additional plan positioned between the entry-level and advanced tiers. SaaS companies sometimes notice more users opting for low-revenue plans. By including a decoy plan priced high but offering a similar set of features to a low-tier plan, businesses shift users’ perception of a premium plan as more “rational”.

～における SaaS tiered pricing, businesses often introduce tiers within their plans to organize サブスクリプション options; the main purpose is to create tiers that serve primarily as framing for other prices. This method is particularly effective because the marginal cost of adding a user or feature is low.

When creating a decoy pricing model, first identify the plan that will be the main reference point. This will be your “Target”.