The four mechanisms that give two accounts two prices
A price that differs between accounts has a cause, and there are only four in this sample. Each one is described on its own page, and each one behaves differently: two are set by the operator, one arrives with a condition, and one is chosen by the reader.
- mechanisms
- 4
- quotes explained
- 120
- largest
- stake band 46
- reader-chosen
- 16
On the samples, four mechanisms explain every one of the 120 quotes on one selection: the stake band (46 quotes), the account segment (31), the capped price (27), and the price the reader chose for themselves (16). Two are set by the operator, one arrives with a condition attached, and one is picked by the reader.
Four causes, and why the list is short
The question a reader asks is why their price differs from somebody else's. A list of causes could be endless, so it is worth narrowing to the four that can be seen on a receipt. Each has a visible signature: a stake-banded quote moves when the stake moves, a segment quote follows the account rather than the bet, a capped price is published with its condition, and a chosen price is set by the reader before the bet is placed.
| Mechanism | Quotes | Share | Who sets it | Visible on the receipt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the stake band | 46 | 38.3% | the operator's pricing rule | a different price for the same selection at a different stake |
| the account segment | 31 | 25.8% | the operator's customer policy | a price that follows the account rather than the bet |
| the capped price | 27 | 22.5% | the operator, with a published condition | a headline price with a maximum stake beside it |
| the price the reader chose | 16 | 13.3% | the reader, before placing the bet | a price the reader picked out of a set of prices |
| four mechanisms | 120 | 100.0% | two operator, one conditional, one reader | each leaves its own mark |
The mechanisms are not interchangeable
They differ in what the reader can do about them, and that is the practical point. A stake band can be avoided by placing a smaller bet, though at the cost of the return. A segment follows the account and cannot be changed by anything done on the slip. A capped price has a condition printed beside it and is accepted or refused. A chosen price is a trade: the reader is choosing how much of the price to take and how much size to give up.
- Did the price change when you altered the stake and not before? That is the stake band, not a market move.
- Is the price different on a second account on the same selection, at the same stake, at the same moment?
- Is there a maximum stake printed beside the price you were offered?
- Were you shown more than one price to choose from, with a different ceiling on each?
- Does the price you were quoted follow the account across several different selections?