The average commuter passes dozens of massive, brightly lit roadside gas station signs every week. Over a year, a driver will consciously scan or look directly at a gas price sign thousands of times to gauge the market or find the cheapest pump. Yet, despite being one of the most frequently viewed numbers in daily American life, the 9/10 fraction triggers a phenomenon known in consumer psychology as the "Left-Digit Effect". Because drivers are traveling at high speeds and m

How much will it cost to cancel the 9/10 on gas prices? The following article is a little long, but interesting - so I'll give a quick summary: The initial hard dollar cost to get rid on the 9/10 on signs and pumps = $100 to $200 million Since the 9/10 generates about $1.2 Billion each year that represents a one-time cost of only about 60 days revenue, or between 8% and 15% of the one year total. If they round up the companies will gain about $140 million every year - that sh

The 9/10ths Illusion: Why It’s Time to Clean Up America’s Gas Signs Next time you pull up to a pump, take a look at the massive price sign towering over the asphalt. Look past the big dollars and cents down to that tiny, permanent fixture tagging along at the end: 9/10. For roughly a century, fuel retailers have used this psychological pricing trick—tacking on nine-tenths of a cent to make a gallon of gas look just a tiny bit cheaper than it actually is. It’s an outdated reli

It has been nearly 100 years. Why is the silly 9/10ths still here? Yes, the concept of a "no 9/10ths" gas price has been tried before, both at a legislative level and by individual retailers.1 The previous attempts included: Iowa State Ban (1985): The state of Iowa banned fractional pricing for gas, requiring stations to use whole cents. However, the law was repealed just four years later in 1989 because it was unpopular with station owners who felt they lost a competitive ed

That tiny 9/10 of a cent on gas station signs might look like a rounding error, but it adds up to a staggering amount. Based on current U.S. gasoline consumption, that fraction of a penny costs Americans roughly $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion per year. Here is a breakdown of how those "pieces of pennies" turn into a billion-dollar industry: The Math Behind the Billions To understand the scale, you have to look at the sheer volume of fuel the U.S. consumes. Annual Consumption: A

The world is changing rapidly, and so are the ways we consume energy. Yet, gas pricing remains stuck in outdated practices that do not reflect the current market dynamics. As consumers, we have the power to challenge these antiquated systems and advocate for fairer pricing. This blog post will explore the issues surrounding outdated gas pricing, the impact on consumers, and actionable steps we can take to join the fight for change. Understanding Outdated Gas Pricing Gas prici