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[Broadband1]

I've always wondered about this one why do prices usualyy end in .99 instead of .00 Is it just the way we are or is there something to it  

[dave.m]

It is to make sure that staff open the till to put the money in and get the 1p change out. Otherwise a lot of £1 coins would get 'skimmed' away and not rung in.

[dave.m]

What I do HATE and find totally stupid is the .9 of a penny at the petrol pumps. Just who do they think they are kidding?
If they did away with it, the big signs could show the proper price and not a bit of white tape to look like the first 1.

If a litre is priced at 115.9p and the minimun sale at the pump is 2 litres then if you measure exactly 2 litres the cash reading will be £2.31 when it should be £2.318. It cannot 'round it up' as that is illegal.
Undercharging and over measurements are as illegal as overcharging and short measures.
You wouldn't be very popular but you could pump the 2 litres and go and pay then go back to the pump and do it again. After 20 goes, you would have your 40 litres and you would have saved 20 x 0.8p = 16 pence.

Don't even think of doing it on a Bank Holiday weekend. 

dave  8)

[Broadband1]

Did you ever try that dave buying £2 of petrol each time and driving round 20 times for 16pence well in this day and age 16pence can get you ummm...... 16pence worth of sweets 

[oldfogy]

It is to make sure that staff open the till to put the money in and get the 1p change out. Otherwise a lot of £1 coins would get 'skimmed' away and not rung in.

Another reason is to stop assistants from ringing the till with 1p, (if spotted at the time they could say it was a legitimate error) instead of £10 and then remove the balance at a later time.

Also another anti-theft tactic that supermarkets look-out for, is when particular peoples tills are never wrong.
Someone on the fiddle tries to make sure their till is never wrong, thus avoiding suspicion.
Management assume that most people will make a mistake at some time or other, up or down.

Finally (slightly OT)
£xxx.98 = Manager special, possibly scratched etc.
£xxx.97 = Missing parts, such as remote or manual.

[roseway]

It's not just an anti-theft device, it's also a marketing trick. £3.99 somehow seems less than £4.00, and they often put the .99 in much smaller characters to disguise it still more. Estate agents do exactly the same thing with house prices.

[tickmike]

I owned a shop for 11 years and it's like Eric says .
It looks better (cheaper).   It's all in the mind.

[Yorkie]

I have a pot pig that I put my surplus copper into, I emptied it the other day, I have £9 in copper, it weighs a ton, and as it would cost me £3.50 on the bus to take it to a bank I seem to be stuck with it.

[oldfogy]

I have a pot pig that I put my surplus copper into, I emptied it the other day, I have £9 in copper, it weighs a ton, and as it would cost me £3.50 on the bus to take it to a bank I seem to be stuck with it.

That reminds me of the OLD 1d (one Penny)
"or any old currency if it comes to it"

As you may be aware, the Bank Of England is still obliged to take back old currency.
However, you have to post it back as personal deliveries are not accepted, although a good few years ago, it would cost more in postage because of the weight than what you would receive back.

[scottiesmum]

It's not just an anti-theft device, it's also a marketing trick. £3.99 somehow seems less than £4.00, and they often put the .99 in much smaller characters to disguise it still more. Estate agents do exactly the same thing with house prices.

Eric, do you remember when that would have been £3-19/11d       I do too  !!!!

[UncleUB]

Eric, do you remember when that would have been £3-19/11d      I do too   

Me too 

Don't forget the half penny 

[kitz]

I like some of the others think they do it solely for the reason of it appearing to be cheaper....   and how many times do you hear things like "under a tenner" when its £9.99 etc?

The petrol one though is really stupid with the fraction of pence - I really dont see the point.

[Ezzer]

Yorkie, with the price of copper now, take that lot to a scrap merchants not a bank 

Does any one remember the "not the nine o'clock news" sketch where Rowan Atkinson so carefully after filling up at the petrol station makes sure he dosn't add one more drop only for the laughing Cashier to press a button by the till which added a 1/2 pence (Rember those?) on the pump total much to Rowans disgust 

[roseway]

Eric, do you remember when that would have been £3-19/11d      I do too  !!!!

Do you mean to say we don't use that type of money any more?

[Floydoid]

It is to make sure that staff open the till to put the money in and get the 1p change out. Otherwise a lot of £1 coins would get 'skimmed' away and not rung in.

Yep that's a very old practice, years ago all the prices would end in something like 19/11.