The use of odd-ending numbers in the pricing of five tourism services in three different cultures

Abstract

The study measured the extent to which the 1 through 9 digits were used as price endings by suppliers of five tourism services in three different cultures represented by New York City, Seoul, and Shanghai. Four results emerged. The first confirmed the hypothesis, but the other three results were contrary to expectations. First, 9 and 8-ending prices were dominant in New York City and in Shanghai, respectively. Second, these culture specific endings were complemented by the universality of the 0 and 5- digit endings of prices which were ranked first and second, respectively, in Seoul, second and third in Shanghai, and third and second in New York. Third, 9-ending prices were not used more frequently when they resulted in a lowering of the leftmost digit. Fourth, dominant cultural specific price endings were not used more frequently in lower than in higher priced tourism services.