Pricing news and trends

AI Startups Claw Back Traveler Refunds When Airline Fares Drop

October 30, 2026
airfare, airlines, fees
Apple Scales Back iPhone 18 Orders as Price Hike Cools Demand
Mobile // October 09, 2026

Apple has reduced its orders of components for the latest iPhones for October by at least 15%, Reuters reported Friday, citing a paywalled article by Nikkei Asia. The cuts include components for Apple’s newly launched iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, according to...

AFL-CIO Think Tank Seeks Ban on Electronic Shelf Labels
Retail // September 11, 2026

The AFL-CIO Tech Institute, a think tank established in 2021 by the AFL-CIO labor union, is calling on policymakers to ban the use of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in grocery stores. The organization made this call in a policy brief in which it said widespread...

States Accelerate Crackdown on Algorithmic Pricing, Raising Compliance Stakes
Legal & Regulation // September 09, 2026

State efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing are accelerating, replacing a handful of isolated restrictions with an increasingly complex patchwork of antitrust, consumer protection and data privacy rules. California, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey have enacted restrictions targeting different pricing practices, while New York lawmakers are...

OpenAI Lets Some Customers Pay Only When AI Performs
Artificial Intelligence // August 31, 2026

OpenAI has reportedly begun giving some major customers a new payment option. Under this system, these clients pay only when the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) does its job, The Information reported Sunday (Aug. 30), citing a source familiar with the matter. The report notes that this previously unreported...

Interviews & Exclusives
TrueCar Prepares Dealers for AI-Driven Changes in Car Buying

February 09, 2026
“I think [our] arrogance and disruption got us into trouble,” Scott Painter tells PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster. It is a rare admission from a founder who spent nearly two decades insisting that the car-buying process was broken and that radical price transparency was the fix. He was right about the diagnosis. But the fix, syndicating […]

Walmart US eCommerce Sales Jump 21%; McMillon Cites 3 Tariff-Proof Factors

May 15, 2025
Walmart’s strengthening position in eCommerce can help blunt at least some of the impact from tariffs and gives some room to offset cost pressures from its supply chain, management told...

Threat of Tariffs Forces 65% of CFOs Into Supplier Showdowns

March 20, 2025
Ongoing global trade battles have caught America’s mid-sized companies in their crossfire. Unlike multinational giants with deep pockets, and small businesses able to pivot quickly, mid-sized firms can frequently find...

Tariff Storm Clouds Loom Over Walmart’s Low-Price Empire

February 20, 2025
As Walmart navigates a shifting trade landscape, the specter of new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration is casting a shadow over the retail giant’s hallmark promise: everyday low prices....

Quick Reads
AI Startups Claw Back Traveler Refunds When Airline Fares Drop

October 30, 2026
Three startups are helping travelers save on airfare when there is a price drop after they’ve already purchased a ticket, Reuters reported Friday (Oct. 30). JetBack, Junova and Refare use artificial intelligence to monitor fares and seek refunds or flight credits when airlines cut prices, according to the report. JetBack charges $100 a year for […]

Apple Scales Back iPhone 18 Orders as Price Hike Cools Demand

October 09, 2026
Apple has reduced its orders of components for the latest iPhones for October by at least 15%, Reuters reported Friday, citing a paywalled article by Nikkei Asia. The cuts include...

AFL-CIO Think Tank Seeks Ban on Electronic Shelf Labels

September 11, 2026
The AFL-CIO Tech Institute, a think tank established in 2021 by the AFL-CIO labor union, is calling on policymakers to ban the use of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in grocery...

OpenAI Lets Some Customers Pay Only When AI Performs

August 31, 2026
OpenAI has reportedly begun giving some major customers a new payment option. Under this system, these clients pay only when the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) does its job, The Information reported Sunday (Aug....