Loss Leader Pricing Calculator
Whether the attached sales cover the loss.
Net profit per loss-leader sale
$3.19
the strategy pays
Measure the attach rate from real basket data — unmeasured loss leaders are usually just losses.
How the Loss Leader Pricing Calculator works
A loss leader is only a strategy if the attached sales are measured. Unmeasured, it is just a loss — and the most common outcome is a product that attracts buyers who take the deal and nothing else.
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price — check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
When does a loss leader make sense?
When it reliably pulls profitable attached purchases, or acquires customers whose lifetime value exceeds the loss. Both require evidence from basket data, not an assumption that it must be working.
How do I measure whether it works?
Compare average basket value and margin on orders containing the loss leader against those without. If baskets containing it are not meaningfully more profitable overall, it is subsidising buyers rather than acquiring them.
What is cherry-picking?
Buyers who purchase only the loss leader and nothing else. A high cherry-picking rate is what turns the strategy into a straightforward subsidy, and it is the first thing to measure.
Are there rules against below-cost selling?
Several jurisdictions restrict predatory or below-cost pricing, and some regulate it for specific goods. Occasional promotional loss leading is normally fine; systematic below-cost selling to exclude competitors is not.