Don't say 'free' on premium or health products

The Low-Quality Association of 'Free'

Shiv, Carmon, and Ariely demonstrated that the price of a product affects customers' expectations of its efficacy - and that this effect applies even when the product is free. In their research, participants who received a product for free rated it as less effective than participants who paid for the same product. The word "free" primes expectations of lower quality.

For most ecommerce contexts, this effect is outweighed by the appeal of getting something for nothing. But in specific categories - premium, luxury, health, professional - where the customer is evaluating quality and efficacy closely, the word "free" can introduce scepticism that undermines conversion.

Language Substitutions That Work

In these categories, substitute "free" with alternatives that communicate no-additional-cost without the low-quality association:

• "Included with every order"
• "At no additional cost"
• "Complimentary" (for premium/luxury)
• "Yours with this purchase"

These phrases communicate the same economic reality - you are not paying extra - without priming the quality concern that "free" triggers.

Where to Apply It

Audit your product pages for any use of "free" in the context of add-ons, upgrades, consultations, or samples. Where your brand positioning is premium or your customer is evaluating health outcomes, replace "free" with one of the alternatives above. For value-oriented, everyday consumer brands, "free" typically remains the highest-converting word - this insight applies specifically to premium and functional health contexts.

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Research: Shiv, Carmon & Ariely (2005), Journal of Marketing Research - placebo effects of marketing actions.