hinnasammud

Hinnasammud is a pricing concept used in economics and consumer markets to describe price changes that occur in discrete steps rather than as continuous movements. The term is Estonian in origin, formed from hind meaning "price" and samm meaning "step." In English-language discussions it may be described as price steps or tiered pricing.

Mechanism: Prices are set to move when predefined thresholds are crossed, at regular intervals, or under policy constraints. Steps can be fixed (for example, every incremental increase of a euro) or variable based on index values or market signals. Retailers and regulators sometimes implement price ladders or tiered rates that produce these jumps.

Applications: Hinnasammud appear in public transport fares, energy tariffs, telecom and software subscription plans, and some consumer goods where prices adjust at set intervals or upon crossing thresholds. They are common in regulated markets and in digital platforms that wish to simplify pricing communication.

Implications: The approach can improve predictability and ease budgeting for buyers, and simplify price announcements. Critics argue that price steps can create perceived unfairness, increase price volatility at threshold points, and obscure the magnitude of small changes.

See also: dynamic pricing, tiered pricing, price elasticity, step function, price ladder.