Why do I see a different price? Personalized pricing, explained
Same product, different price? What personalized pricing means, what the FTC's Oct 28, 2026 study orders ask nine companies for, and how to check your price.
By Sloane Glitchford, Founder. Checked Oct 30, 2026. Every FTC detail here comes from the FTC's own Oct 28, 2026 press release, quoted or closely paraphrased. The how-to-check tips are our own advice.
What personalized pricing means
In the FTC's words, its new study looks at "the use of personal data to set prices and compensation." It wants to know whether the price for "a ticket, ride share, food delivery or other product or service varies from one person to the next based on factors such as participation in loyalty programs" or analysis of personal data (FTC press release).
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson put the question this way: "Consumers deserve to know whether companies use their web surfing habits or other personal data to estimate the highest price they can charge each consumer." The same study also looks at pay: whether gig workers' compensation is set using their personal data.
What the FTC ordered on Oct 28, 2026
- Who got orders: nine companies, named in the release as "Delta, United, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart."
- What kind of orders: special orders under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act. These are study orders. The FTC says 6(b) lets it "conduct wide-ranging studies that do not have a specific law enforcement purpose."
- What they ask for: the orders "ask these companies to document the inputs, tools and procedures used to adjust or set compensation and pricing."
- Deadline: the companies "will have 45 days from the date they receive the orders to respond."
- Vote: "The Commission vote to approve issuing the special orders was 2-0."
What it doesn't mean. An order to hand over information is not a finding about any company. The release doesn't say that any of the nine sets personalized prices, and neither do we. It's a study, and the release doesn't give a date for any results.
The earlier FTC study, and how this one differs
The release says the FTC "issued a study on personalized pricing in mid-2024 and released staff findings days before President Donald J. Trump took office." It says that study "examined only middlemen consultancies rather than the businesses that actually set prices for services and products offered to consumers." The new orders go to the companies themselves instead (FTC press release).
Other reasons you might see a different price
A different price doesn't have to be personal. These are the everyday reasons we see most (our own guidance, not from the FTC):
- Timing. Sales start and end, and a price can change between the time you look and the time you check out. See price glitch vs flash sale.
- Store vs store, or store vs website. The same item can cost different amounts at different stores, or in the app and on the website. See why the same product has different prices at different stores and our price match policies page.
- Memberships and coupons. Member prices, loyalty coupons and app-only offers can make your total different from someone else's. See the Walmart+ and Sam's Club bundle.
- Mistakes. Sometimes the price is just wrong. See what a price error is.
How to check if your price is different
- Look at the same item logged in and logged out, or in a private browser window.
- Check on a second device, or ask someone else to look on their phone.
- Compare the app, the website and the shelf price in the store.
- Screenshot each price with the time you saw it.
- Run it through our deal verification checklist.
A gap on its own doesn't tell you why the prices differ. Any of the everyday reasons above can cause one.
Charged more than the listed price?
That's a different problem. See what to do if you're overcharged at checkout. If a price looked too good to be true, see do stores have to honor price errors.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, "FTC Launches Personalized Pricing and Compensation Inquiry," Oct 28, 2026. Read Oct 30, 2026, 12:18 UTC from the Internet Archive copy captured Oct 29, 2026, 17:59 UTC, because ftc.gov didn't load for us.
Links on this page are plain links, not affiliate links. This page explains a government study. It isn't legal advice.
Sloane Glitchford, Founder
Quick answers
Which companies got FTC orders?
Delta, United, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart, according to the FTC's Oct 28, 2026 press release. These are Section 6(b) study orders that ask for information. Getting one isn't a finding that a company personalizes prices.
How long do the companies have to respond?
The FTC says the recipients have 45 days from the date they receive the orders.
Does a private or incognito window get me a lower price?
There's no guarantee. A private window is a way to compare what you see logged in and logged out, not a way to get a discount.
Is personalized pricing the same as surge or dynamic pricing?
Not quite. Surge or dynamic pricing usually means a price that moves with demand or time for everyone shopping at that moment. The FTC's study asks whether prices vary "from one person to the next" based on things like loyalty programs or personal data.