The One-Franc Lesson

When Amazon launched in France, it charged 1 franc (about 20 cents) for shipping instead of making it free. Sales were dramatically lower than in every other country. Same products, same site, same everything — except that tiny fee. The moment Amazon switched France to free shipping, sales surged to match other markets.

Twenty cents shouldn't matter on a $30 book. But it did, enormously. The difference between free and almost-free isn't 20 cents — it's the entire decision-making framework your brain uses. Any charge, no matter how small, switches on cost-benefit analysis. Zero switches it off.