Wendy’s says new pricing plan is not surge pricing

Don’t call Wendy’s new pricing plan “surge pricing.”

Don’t call Wendy’s new pricing plan “surge pricing.” In a blog post on Tuesday, the fast-food chain explained that its test of new menus with prices that change throughout the day is not meant to cost more for customers. “This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants,” the company statement read. “Digital menuboards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day.” In an email to CNN, Wendy’s was more blunt: “Wendy’s will not implement surge pricing, which is the practice of raising prices when demand is highest. This was not a change in plans. It was never our plan to raise prices when customers are visiting us the most.” But the questions over what to call Wendy’s experiment – surge pricing? Dynamic pricing? Something else? – underscore the PR problem around a pricing system that’s already been used for years in a range of industries, from ride-sharing to airlines to your local happy hour. Surge pricing refers to dynamic pricing, which is a way for businesses to charge more (or less) based on how many people want their products at any given time.