First hand experience here that seems to escape the engineering brethren that have never glimpsed into sales: The same exact product is sold to every customer at a different price. Yes sometimes there is a higher demand which might push price a tad but most of the time there is not. I always enjoy when people on HN complain that so-and-so doesn't publish pricing on their website. Of course not, because then they would lower their revenue. It also removes leverage, sometimes it makes sense to sell something at a lower cost today to negotiate some terms, and then down the road either sell at volume or raise the price. Sometimes you just like someone and give them a discount. Oh its the government? Yea raise the price a LOT. etc etc.