When prices spike and fees multiply, how you frame them can decide whether buyers accept or revolt.

Here were are in an era of unpredictable tariffs, volatile fuel costs and inflation that even the sharpest political minds struggle to tame. (Read that through the lens of your own political view.)

Surcharges are back in everyday business:

Shipping, “fuel recovery,” “carbon offsets,” “service fees.”

But buyers don’t look straight to the total.

They judge the fairness and transparency of each line.

A 2024 Journal of Consumer Research study found that partitioning socio-moral surcharges (eco, fair-wage, carbon) sometimes boosts acceptance but can also backfire.

The same total price, framed differently, changes willingness to pay and downstream satisfaction.

For product makers, that means if you must add fees, market-test (or at least deeply consider) how you present them.

Explain the “why” in plain language.

Consider bundling minor charges into one headline number or, conversely, breaking out a surcharge when it signals your values.

The framing is not little detail.

It’s your price architecture.

Want to make your product irresistible? That’s what we do as product marketing consultants at Graphos Product, helping innovators turn need-driven ideas into market-ready successes.