Different online ordering prices

[y_p_w]

I used to use order at some places via an app because the prices were better. Not an app exclusive or discount, but that the prices were lower for the same items. I don’t know how that works, whether each location sets its own prices or maybe corporate has standard pricing if the individual location doesn't change it.

However, I heard of 85 cent special for a small Blizzard at DQ, which requires the mobile app, with a code or online ordering. Also a minimum $1 purchase. I happened to be near one and they even had a sign out in front. But I was trying to figure out how I was going to get to the $1 minimum. I thought I researched that they had dips (for chicken tenders) at 35 cents, but I was fiddling around with the app to see what the pricing might be, but couldn't find it on my phone's version of the app. In the end I saw their menu board had small soft drinks for $1.99, so I showed them the code, where it also has a number for entry if they couldn't scan it. But I was told they had no way to enter it and I could only get that deal through an online order. But the online price for the small soft drink was $4.99. Medium and large were $5.99 and $6.99. Didn't seem worth it so I gave up. I got a snapshot of it.

However, I've never seen this level of disconnect between online prices and in-store prices.

 

[dnewton3]

Well, it's the online version of "end cap" specials.
They entice you with some specials, but to get the total up, you have to pay full price on other things.
This isn't a coincidence by any means.

Kinda like the min spend of $35 on Amazon for free shipping. Often you'll find an item or two you're interested in, but you need to bundle other items in to make the juice worth the squeeze ...

 

[y_p_w]

Well, it's the online version of "end cap" specials.
They entice you with some specials, but to get the total up, you have to pay full price on other things.
This isn't a coincidence by any means.

Kinda like the min spend of $35 on Amazon for free shipping. Often you'll find an item or two you're interested in, but you need to bundle other items in to make the juice worth the squeeze ...

Still - this was a participating location that was advertising this special in-store. They're supposed to be able to offer this as long as there's $1 worth of menu-priced spending. And $4.99 for a small soft drink seems a bit off, especially when it's $3 more than the menu board price.

I played around with location on the app to see if maybe it was different. I found one location that was showing $0.00 for a soft drink but didn't have a size listed. Then another had $1.99/$2.19/$2.59 for small/medium/large. Another location was more expensive. I'm not sure if this might a series of programming errors (especially $0.00 with no listed size) or perhaps franchise management that didn't provide any pricing inputs and there was some ridiculously high default price.

 

[goblin]

/Old grumpy man mode on/

I see you're in SF. If you make minimum wage, you're making $0.33 per minute. If you spent more than three minutes fiddling around with this, you're down one buck. This is without the hidden costs of the app profiling you and sniffing your info (let's say just for fun that you stole someone else's phone to do all this).

/Old grumpy man mode off/

And now that I told people what to do with their own time in the most snarky way - let me go spend another few hours on forums on that foggy Sunday evening