Is the price different because the website knows you?

The same trip or product can look like a different deal on another screen. But does that mean a site singled you out?

In January 2025, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission published initial findings from a study of companies that sell pricing tools. The staff report said those tools may draw on data such as location, browsing or shopping history, and can influence the prices or promotions people see.

That is a real reason to ask questions, not proof that every store secretly charges each visitor a different price. The FTC described an emerging market and hypothetical examples in its initial report; it did not establish how often a particular retailer changes an individual shopper’s final price.

If you compare a price, keep the details equal: exact model or fare, seller, quantity, delivery, currency, location, time, account status and discount eligibility. A different total may come from any one of those. A private browser window does not hide your location or make the comparison conclusive.

Before you buy: check the final checkout total and compare the same offer through another session or seller. Save the details if the difference matters. A mismatch is a clue to investigate, not proof of personal price targeting.

The study concerns the United States and is not a finding about every retailer or country.

Source: U.S. FTC staff’s initial surveillance-pricing study findings.