Imagine shopping online, finding something you need, and paying the listed price. Then you find out someone else, shopping from a different phone, could have bought the exact same item for significantly less.
That’s what happened to one Walmart shopper, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. It’s raising a question more Americans are starting to ask: Are retailers using technology to decide how much each shopper should pay?
One Walmart Shopper Found a $110 Price Difference
In the Wall Street Journal report, Nick Nadeau, a 38-year-old shopper, described buying a hard drive through Walmart’s app.
The price on his phone was $369. But when he checked his wife’s phone, the same hard drive was listed for $110 less.
Nadeau suspected his browsing history or other stored information might have influenced the price he saw. He ultimately purchased the hard drive at the lower price, but the experience left him questioning how online prices are determined.
Walmart told the Journal that an error caused the discrepancy, which it has since corrected, not that it used the shopper’s personal information to set a higher price.
Still, the situation highlights something many consumers may not have considered. Just because a price appears on your screen doesn’t mean everyone else sees the same number.
Could AI Be Changing What You Pay?
Retailers have been adjusting prices based on demand, competition, and other factors for years. Anyone who has booked a flight, reserved a hotel, or ordered a rideshare during a busy period has probably seen prices change from one moment to the next.
But personalized pricing takes things further.
Instead of changing prices for everyone, businesses can use information about individual shoppers to decide which prices or discounts they see. That information might include their location, shopping history, browsing behavior, or previous purchases.
A 2025 Federal Trade Commission investigation found that pricing technology companies had access to detailed consumer information that could be used to tailor prices and promotions.
That doesn’t mean every major retailer is secretly charging customers different amounts. But the technology exists, and consumer advocates are questioning how widely it’s being used.
Major Retailers Say They Aren’t Doing This
Walmart, Kroger, and McDonald’s are among the companies that have pushed back against concerns that they use personal information or sudden demand to raise prices.
According to the Journal, Walmart’s chief executive recently reassured customers that the company doesn’t use someone’s income, shopping history, or immediate needs to charge them more for a product.
Kroger has also distinguished between personalized discounts offered through loyalty programs and changing an item’s regular price for individual shoppers.
The distinction matters. Two people might pay different amounts because one has a digital coupon or loyalty discount, even when the product’s regular price is identical.
A price difference alone doesn’t prove a retailer is using AI to charge one shopper more.
Why Shoppers Are Becoming Suspicious
With grocery bills, household expenses, and everyday purchases already stretching budgets, consumers are paying closer attention to prices.
And online shopping makes it harder to know exactly why something costs what it does.
Prices can vary by store location, delivery method, third-party seller, promotional offer, or even when an item is purchased. Add artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated pricing software, and the process can feel even less transparent.
Regulators Are Paying Attention
The Federal Trade Commission is also examining the issue.
In August 2026, the agency proposed an enforcement policy statement warning that companies could violate consumer protection laws if they secretly use personal data to set individualized prices in misleading or unfair ways.
The FTC isn’t proposing a complete ban on personalized pricing. Instead, it focuses on whether businesses are transparent with customers about how their information affects what they pay.
Several states have also introduced or enacted measures addressing certain types of data-driven pricing.
What Shoppers Can Do Before Buying
For larger purchases, consider checking the price on another device or in a private browsing window. You can also compare prices while signed into your account and while signed out.
Make sure you’re comparing the same product, seller, store location, and delivery options. Sometimes what looks like a personalized price difference is actually a different promotion or fulfillment arrangement.
It’s also worth checking competing retailers before you buy, especially for electronics, appliances, and other expensive items.
None of these steps guarantees you’ll find personalized pricing, but they may help you find a better deal.
