Variable pricing is a marketing approach that permits different rates to be extended to different customers for the same goods or services. The approach is often employed in cultures where dickering over the price of goods is considered the norm, or potential buyers are allowed to participate in an bidding situation, such as in an auction. Even in countries where fixed pricing is the standard, variable pricing may come into play when the customer is committing to the purchase of large volumes of goods or services. When this is the case, the customer must usually comply with specific criteria in order to enjoy pricing that varies from the standard cost.