At this point, I don’t even want to risk it. There are just too many scary stories — and I once stayed in a place loaded with cameras! Luckily, I was savvy enough to spot them.
Travel costs change depending on your IP
Gemini
Last month, my friend Anna was getting ready for a dream trip to Italy. Flights were booked, hotels lined up, but when she went to rent a car in Milan, the price came back at nearly $1,400 for the week. She texted me: “Kim, this is ridiculous.” I texted right back: “Open your VPN, set your location to Milan, and try that booking again.”
A few clicks later, the rental dropped to $800. Same car. Same dates. Same rental site. Mamma mia!
That’s not luck. It’s location-based pricing. And it’s happening everywhere.
🇮🇹 They’re Rome-ing around
You’d be shocked how many companies change prices based on where you appear to be. Hotels, car rentals, even subscriptions and online shopping sites are using your IP address (your digital location) to tweak what they charge you.
This practice is so common, the FTC published a report this year warning about companies’ “surveillance pricing.” This means they use your precise location and personal data to set individualized prices.
- A study by Nord tested this exact scenario. It found a one-week car rental in Italy was 11.43% cheaper when booked from an Italian IP address ($541) compared to a U.S. one ($611).
- An investigation by SFGATE found booking sites showed “substantially higher” prices to San Franciscans. For one Manhattan hotel on Expedia, Bay Area users were quoted $829/night while people from Phoenix and Kansas City saw a price of $318/night for the exact room.
- A YouTube Premium subscription can cost $13.99/month in the U.S. but under $2/month when purchased from an IP address in India.
It’s not just your location. It’s your device type, cookies, currency settings and even your browsing history. These companies are watching and adjusting accordingly.
🧳 Don’t get ripped off
Now, don’t get sneaky. Always follow the terms of the site and the region you’re booking from.
The next time you are buying something big like a trip, try this. Turn on your VPN. Search from a few different locations, especially in the country you’re traveling to. Compare prices. You might be shocked.
Anna was. And that $600 savings? It paid for her Amalfi Coast tour.