Do online stores show different people different prices?

Some do, but on mainstream US retail it is less common than people fear. When we compared normal sessions with cookie-free sessions in September 2026, Amazon and Southwest showed the same price both ways. Home Depot prices changed with store location, not with the shopper. Regional pricing across countries, for example on Steam games, is common and large.

Does incognito mode get you a lower price?

Not by itself. Incognito starts without your cookies, so it is a good way to test whether your history changed the price, but your IP address and location still reach the site, and most stores show the same price either way.

What does the comparison test miss?

It does not catch prices set by your location, prices set by your device or IP address (both windows share them), prices shown only to logged-in members, or A/B price tests that change randomly between visits.

Can I stop stores from using my data to set prices?

You can reduce what they collect: block third-party trackers and turn on Global Privacy Control, a browser signal that asks sites not to sell or share your data. No tool can guarantee a lower price.

How to check if a website is showing you a personalized price

Short answer: open the same product page in a private window, signed out, with the same delivery location, and compare the price. If it matches, your cookies, account and browsing history did not change the price you were shown. It takes about two minutes.

The clean-window test, step by step

In your normal window, note the exact price, size and seller.
Open a private (incognito) window. Stay signed out. Paste the same page address.
Set the same delivery ZIP code or store in both windows. Many stores price by location, and that is the most common reason two people see different prices.
Compare. Same price: your history did not move it. Different price: check location and seller first, then suspect personalization.

What this test misses

Location pricing. Both windows share your IP address and location.
Device pricing. Both windows share the same device and browser.
Member-only prices. Some prices appear only when signed in, which is a different thing from surveillance pricing.
Random A/B price tests. These can change between two visits by the same person, so repeat the check before drawing a conclusion.

What we found when we ran it

In September 2026 we compared a normal session with a cookie-free session on three large US sites:

Site	Result
Amazon	Same price with and without cookies
Southwest	Same fare with and without cookies
Home Depot	Price changed with store location, not with the shopper

This is a small sample, not a survey. It matches what we have seen generally: most mainstream US stores show everyone the same price, while regional pricing across countries (Steam games, app stores) is common and large. You can check a Steam game's price in 18 countries.

Reducing the data stores can price on

Block third-party trackers on shopping sites.
Turn on Global Privacy Control, a browser signal asking sites not to sell or share your data. Several US states treat it as a valid opt-out.
Compare before big purchases (travel, electronics), using the test above.

None of these guarantees a lower price. They reduce what is collected about you, and the test tells you whether it mattered.

Background: legislators moved on this in 2026. Connecticut and Maryland passed limits on surveillance pricing (LexisNexis, June 2026), and the FTC proposed a policy statement on disclosing data-based pricing in August 2026 (House Oversight). This page is not legal advice.

Run the test in one click

Fair Price Shield's "Check this page for dynamic pricing" opens a fresh, cookie-free background tab, reads its price, and compares it with yours. Your own session is not changed. It also blocks pricing trackers and sends Global Privacy Control by default. It is free.

Get the free extension

On Firefox? Add it from Firefox Add-ons (reviewed and hosted by Mozilla, installs in one click).

Chrome or Edge. The Web Store listing is in review, so for now: unzip the download into a folder you keep, open chrome://extensions, switch on Developer mode, choose Load unpacked and pick that folder. Privacy policy.