Pricing page design mistakes that put buyers off

Key takeaways

A pricing page should help a buyer choose quickly and confidently. The design mistakes that put buyers off are too many options, hidden or surprise costs, unclear inclusions, prices without VAT status, comparison tables nobody can read on a phone and no clear next step. Three options or fewer, plain inclusions and a total price usually work best.

• Offer three options or fewer, with one clearly recommended.
• Show what is included and excluded in plain words.
• Say whether prices include VAT, and show any extra fees.
• Make the comparison readable on a phone.

Should you have a pricing page at all?

Whether to show prices is a business decision covered in our guide on showing prices. This article is about design: once you have decided to show prices, packages or ranges, how to present them so buyers can choose rather than leave confused.

• The most common business website design mistakes
• Should you show prices on your website?

Mistake 1: too many options

Five or six packages with small differences force buyers to compare every line. Hick's Law says more choices mean slower decisions. Offer three options or fewer, make the differences obvious and highlight the one most customers choose.

• Too many choices on your website? Cut them to convert

Mistake 2: hidden or surprise costs

Prices that grow at checkout or on the quote, through set-up fees, call-out charges or VAT, damage trust. UK consumer law requires prices to be clear, and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 targets drip pricing, where unavoidable fees are revealed late. Show the total, or show every mandatory fee upfront.

• Dark patterns: conversion tricks that break UK law

Mistake 3: unclear inclusions

Feature lists full of jargon ('Tier 2 support', '5 revisions') leave buyers guessing. List what the buyer gets in their terms, and say clearly what is not included, so there are no surprises later.

Mistake 4: unreadable comparison tables

Wide comparison tables with many columns shrink to illegibility on phones. On mobile, show each plan as a card with its key inclusions, or let visitors compare two at a time. Use ticks with text, not colour alone, to show what is included.

• Tables and price lists on mobile: make them readable

Mistake 5: no next step

Some pricing pages list packages and stop. Each option needs a clear button ('Book this', 'Get a quote for this package'), and the page should offer a route for buyers whose needs do not fit a package, such as 'Not sure? Talk to us'.

• Button design: why visitors miss your website buttons

Mistake 6: no reassurance

Price is where buyers feel most risk. Put reassurance next to it: reviews, guarantees, cancellation terms or a short FAQ about payment. These answer the objections that arise at the moment of choosing.

• Risk reversal: make it safe to enquire

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a pricing page offers five packages in a wide table with prices excluding VAT in small print. Cutting to three packages shown as cards, with VAT status clear and one recommended, makes the choice quicker and avoids surprise at the quote stage.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses
• Website design review: score your own site in 30 minutes

Pricing page checklist

• Offer three options or fewer.
• Recommend one option.
• List inclusions and exclusions plainly.
• Show VAT status and all mandatory fees.
• Use cards on mobile.
• Give each option a clear button.
• Add reassurance beside prices.

Next step

Ask someone outside the business to pick a package from your pricing page and explain why. Note where they hesitate.