baratobot

Only 27% of Payday prices were actually cheaper

We check the checkout price of every product we track, every day. Here is what Payday (Oct 15) did to 1,324 of them, compared with each one's normal price in the weeks before.

Actually cheaper (5%+ below normal) · 355
27%
No real change (within 5%) · 872
66%
More expensive than normal · 76
6%
Raised first, then "discounted" · 21
2%

Of 1,324 products with a Payday price and at least 4 days of history. 238 of the 355 real cuts were gone the next day.

Biggest real price cuts on Payday

At least 5% below the normal price, at the cheapest store we track.

Raised before Payday, then "discounted"

The checkout price went up at least 7% for three or more days in a row in the two weeks before Payday, all in the same listing, then came back down for the sale: no better than 5% below where it started.

More expensive on Payday

At least 5% above the normal price on the sale day.

How we measured

  • We check every product we track once a day. The price is the checkout price with the store's own voucher, at the cheapest store we track.
  • A product's normal price is the median of our in-stock checks from 30 to 8 days before Payday, before any run-up.
  • Actually cheaper means at least 5% below normal on the sale day: the same line our price drops use.
  • Raised first means the price was at least 7% above normal for three or more days in a row in the two weeks before, in the same listing that had the sale price, then came down to no better than 5% below normal. Smaller swings are ordinary voucher changes, so we leave them out.
  • Platform vouchers, bank promos and coins aren't included, so some shoppers paid less than these prices.
  • For a product sold in several sizes, we judge the size we've tracked longest.

Questions

Were the Oct 15 2026 payday discounts real?
Mostly not. Of 1,324 products we check daily on Lazada and Shopee, 27% had a checkout price at least 5% below their normal price on Payday. 66% were within 5% of normal, 6% cost more, and 21 went up in the run-up and then came back down for the sale.
How long did the Payday deals last?
238 of the 355 real price cuts (67%) were gone the next day, back up 3% or more.
How does baratobot decide whether a sale price is real?
We compare the sale-day checkout price, with store vouchers, against the product's normal price: the median of our daily checks from 30 to 8 days before the sale. Platform vouchers and bank promos aren't included, so some shoppers paid less.