Price laddering.
Price laddering means selling the same kind of service — say, Instagram followers — at three different price points, each backed by a different mix of upstream providers, instead of one flat price for everyone.
Why one price doesn't fit every customer
Some customers want the cheapest possible delivery and don't care about quality. Others will pay a premium for engagement that looks organic. A single-provider panel can't serve both well — one provider mix is either too expensive for the price-sensitive buyer or too low-quality for the premium buyer. Splitting by provider mix lets you serve both from the same catalog.
How the tiers actually differ
Each tier is a separate public service in your catalog, mapped to a different blend of upstream providers. Budget routes entirely to your cheapest sources. Standard blends cheap and premium sources — a 60/40 mix, for example. Premium routes entirely to your highest-quality sources. The customer just picks a service and price; the provider mix behind it is invisible to them.
Real scenario
The same underlying service — Instagram followers — sold three ways: Budget at $5 per 1,000 using cheap bulk sources, Standard at $10 using a 60% cheap / 40% premium blend, and Premium at $20 using 100% premium sources. Same infrastructure, three products, three margins, three customer segments served from one catalog.