Tricks from real checkouts and sign-up flows, redrawn without anyone's logo so you can look at them up close. They're live, so poke at them. A few still work on you with the label right next to them.
Specimen 01 Found on flash sales, course launches, hotel deals
The countdown that starts over
shop.example
Summer sale: 60% off everything
This offer ends in
00hrs14min59sec
Reload the page. The deadline moves with you.
How it works
The timer isn't counting down to anything. It starts when you arrive and starts again when you come back. This one resets when it hits zero, if you're patient enough to watch.
Why it works on you
A deadline turns "should I?" into "I'll lose it if I don't." People who are hurrying don't compare prices, which is the whole idea.
The rules
In the EU, falsely claiming an offer is only available for a very limited time is on the list of practices banned outright.
Who profits
The seller. The only real deadline was you closing the tab.
Specimen 02 Found on booking sites, sneaker drops, ticketing
The phantom crowd
stays.example
Seaside double room
2 nights · free cancellation · breakfast
23 people are looking at this right now
Only 2 rooms left at this price!
Total€248
const lookers = Math.floor(Math.random() * 20) + 12; // refreshed every few seconds. That's it.
How it works
A number that suggests other people are about to take the thing you want. Watch it for a few seconds. On this mock it's a random number, and the code is right there.
Why it works on you
Two effects at once. Social proof: if others want it, it's probably good. Scarcity: if it's running out, decide now. Neither one asks you to check.
The rules
In 2019, Britain's competition regulator got the biggest hotel booking sites to stop giving false impressions of how popular a room was and how few were left.
Who profits
Whoever gets the booking before you open a second tab to compare.
Specimen 03 Found on pop-ups, exit offers, unsubscribe pages
Confirmshaming
store.example
Wait! Don't leave empty-handed.
Get 10% off your first order when you join our list.
you@email.com
Are you sure?
Most shoppers take the discount. It only takes a second.
You got out.
Two clicks, and you had to call yourself wasteful twice to make them.
How it works
The "no" is written so that clicking it means insulting yourself. Try saying no to this one. It asks twice.
Why it works on you
Nobody wants to confirm they're the kind of person who wastes money. The offer is weak, so the button borrows your self-image to do the selling.
Who profits
Whoever reports on email sign-ups this quarter. The list grows. Whether anyone wanted to be on it is a different number, and nobody puts that one in the deck.
Specimen 04 Found on checkouts, flight bookings, app installers
The pre-ticked extra
checkout.example
Your order
Wireless headphones€79.00
ShippingFree
Total€91.99
How it works
An add-on you didn't ask for, already in the basket, in the smallest type on the page. Untick it and watch the total drop.
Why it works on you
Defaults. Unticking takes noticing, and your attention is on the thing you came to buy. More in You are your defaults.
The rules
Pre-ticked boxes for extra payments have been banned in the EU since 2014. Plenty of places never got the memo.
Who profits
The seller, and whoever sells them the insurance. Add-ons like this are often where the actual margin is.
Specimen 05 Found on ticketing, food delivery, short-term rentals
Drip pricing
tickets.example
Step 1 of 4
Live concert, standing
1 × ticket€49.00
Total€49.00
How it works
Show a low price first. Add the rest one step at a time, after you've already decided. Click through this one to the end.
Why it works on you
The first number becomes the anchor for the whole purchase. (That's this essay.) And every step you've already taken makes turning back feel like wasted effort.
The rules
In the US, a Federal Trade Commission rule against hidden fees on live-event tickets and short-term rentals took effect in 2025. The price you see first now has to include them.
Who profits
Everyone in the chain except you. The €49 was never the price.
Specimen 06 Found on subscriptions, gyms, newspapers, software
The roach motel
account.example
Signing up took 1 step.
Your plan: Premium
€12.99 a month · renews on the 1st
Before you go…
Stay and get 50% off for the next 3 months. That's just €6.49.
Tell us why you're leaving
Required.
Are you sure?
You'll lose your saved lists, your history and your 214-day streak. This can't be undone.
Almost done
To finish cancelling, please call our team, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 (Central European Time). Have your account number ready.
Great news, you're staying!
That's what the numbers call it, anyway.
How it works
Easy to get into, hard to get out of. Every exit step is another chance to change your mind, and the big button is always the one that keeps you. Try cancelling this one.
Why it works on you
Friction, and loss aversion. Each screen shows you something you're about to lose, and each click costs a little more patience than the last.
The rules
In 2023 the US Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon over how hard it was to cancel Prime. According to the complaint, the cancellation flow had an internal name: Iliad. As in the very long poem about a very long war.
Who profits
The retention dashboard, this quarter. The reviews, next year, go the other way.
Seen one in the wild that belongs in here? Send it in. Screenshots welcome, and I'll redraw it without the logo.
