Distributive and Procedural Justice in Dual Pricing: Shaping Consumer Fairness Perceptions
(A2026-132929)

AUTHORS

Benjamin Boeuf, IESEG School of Management, Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9221 - LEM- Lille Economie Management, F-59000 Lille, France

ABSTRACT

Dual pricing, where international tourists are charged more than locals, is common in tourism. While equity theory explains fairness judgments based on outcome differences, little is known about how these judgments are shaped by pricing structure, particularly price order. This study integrates distributive and procedural justice theories to examine how fairness perceptions are influenced not only by price differences but also by how they are framed across economic contexts. Three experiments (N= 854) with U.S. and French consumers show that dual pricing is perceived as less fair in higher-income countries, regardless of price order. Conversely, in lower-income countries, fairness concerns are reduced when the higher international price is shown first, aligning with tourists’ expectations of local entitlement. This research shows that fairness judgments depend on both price gaps and anchoring, and offers guidance on presenting dual pricing to improve consumer acceptance.