Survey template

Pricing sensitivity survey (Van Westendorp)

Asking 'what would you pay?' gets you a lowball. The Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter asks four oblique questions about what feels too cheap, cheap, expensive, and too expensive — then the crossovers reveal a defensible price range.

Best for: Founders and PMs setting or revisiting a price point with real demand data.

The questions

1. 01At what price would this product be so expensive you would not consider buying it?Short textVan Westendorp 'too expensive' — the upper bound of the acceptable range.
2. 02At what price would it start to feel expensive, but you'd still consider it?Short text'Expensive / getting pricey' — the point of price resistance.
3. 03At what price would it feel like a good deal — a real bargain?Short text'Cheap / good value' — where the purchase feels comfortable.
4. 04At what price would it be so cheap you'd question its quality?Short text'Too cheap' — below this, low price signals low quality and kills trust.
5. 05What were you using or doing to solve this before you found us?Long textAnchors price perception to the alternative they're mentally comparing against.
6. 06Roughly how much do you (or your team) already spend on this problem each month?Short textExisting spend is the strongest reality-check on stated price ranges.
7. 07Who would actually approve this purchase?Single selectJust me / My manager / Finance or procurement — buyer changes what 'expensive' means.

How to run it well

• Keep the four price questions in exactly this order — too expensive, expensive, cheap, too cheap — so each answer frames the next; reversing it skews the curves.
• Always ask for a specific currency amount, not a range; you need clean numbers to plot the crossover points.
• Plot the four cumulative curves: the 'too cheap' / 'too expensive' crossover is your optimal price point, and the 'cheap' / 'expensive' crossover marks the indifference price.
• Only survey people who match your real buyer — a free-tier tourist's price sensitivity will drag your range down.
• Pair the price questions with the 'current spend' answer; if stated ranges sit far below existing spend, people are sandbagging.

FAQ

How is Van Westendorp better than just asking 'what would you pay?'

A direct 'what would you pay' invites a strategic lowball. The four indirect questions triangulate perception from multiple angles, and the crossover points give you a defensible range rather than a single anchored guess.

How many responses does a Van Westendorp survey need?

Aim for at least ~50 qualified responses for the four curves to read cleanly; 100+ is better. Fewer than that and the crossover points jump around too much to trust.

What do the crossover points actually tell me?

The intersection of the 'too cheap' and 'too expensive' curves is the Optimal Price Point — where the fewest people reject on price either way. The 'cheap'/'expensive' intersection is the Indifference Price, often near what the market leader charges.

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