>> SHE'S WORKING.
>> SHE IS WORKING.
>> THANK YOU, LARA.
NOW TO THE CHANGE COMING TO
WENDY'S.
WENDY'S TESTING SURGE PRICING SO
THE COST OF YOUR BURGER WILL
CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF
DAY.
>> UBER SURGE PRICING AT THE
DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW.
WE HEARD FROM THE MCDONALD'S CEO
WHICH THE COST OF EATING OUT IS
UP 5% FROM A YEAR AGO HAS BECOME
TOO HIGH.
NOW WENDY'S IS TRYING SOMETHING
COMPLETELY NEW.
>> TWO DAY SINGLES.
>> HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
>> Reporter: YOU CAN ASK, BUT
STARTING SOON, DEPENDING ON THE
TIME OF DAY, YOU MIGHT GET A
DIFFERENT ANSWER.
WENDY'S, THE COUNTRY'S SECOND
LARGEST BURGER CHAIN, WITH 6,000
LOCATIONS, ANNOUNCING STARTING
NEXT YEAR MENU PRICES WILL
FLUCTUATE DURING THE BUSIEST
TIMES OF DAY.
MEANING YOU COULD BE PAYING AS
MUCH AS $1 MORE FOR THAT
BACONATOR DURING THE LUNCH RUSH.
>> HISTORICALLY, COMPANIES JUST
SET ONE PRICE THAT WAS CONSTANT
ACROSS TIME.
PRICING ALGORITHMS ALLOW
COMPANIES TO CHANGE PRICES
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
>> Reporter: WENDY'S CEO SAYING
HIS COMPANY WILL SPEND $20
MILLION ON MENU BOARDS THAT CAN
UPDATE PRICES IN REAL TIME,
MEANING SURGE PRICING, WHICH
USED TO BE RESERVED FOR RIDE
SHARE COMPANIES, AIRLINES AND
HOTEL, COULD BE COMING TO A
DRIVE-THRU NEAR YOU.
>> DURING BUSY TIMES THEY CAN
INCREASE PROFITS THEN.
ALSO SOME CONSUMERS WILL WANT TO
SHIFT TO THE LESS BUSY TIMES
WHEN PRICES ARE LOWER.
>> Reporter: BEFORE IT'S EVEN
TAKEN EFFECT THE NEW SURGE
PRICING IS GETTING A FROSTY
RECEPTION ONLINE, WITH ONE USER
ON X WRITING, SURGE PRICING IS
JUST PRICE GOUGING BY ANY OTHER
NAME.
WENDY'S TELLING ABC NEWS IN A
STATEMENT THAT THE DECISION CAN
ALLOW THEM TO BE COMPETITIVE AND
FLEXIBLE WITH PRICING, MOTIVATE
CUSTOMERS TO VISIT AND PROVIDE
THEM WITH THE FOOD THEY LOVE AT
A GREAT VALUE.
AND DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU
SEE OTHER FAST FOOD GIANTS LIKE
MCDONALD'S AND BURGER KING
MAKING SIMILAR MOVES IF THIS
WORKS FOR WENDY'S.
ANYONE WHO WORKED IN FAST FOOD
CAN SEE WHY WENDY'S MIGHT BE
GIVING THIS A TRY BECAUSE THINGS
GET SO BUSY DURING THE LUNCH
RUSH AND THE WORKERS CAN ONLY
HANDLE SO MUCH.
IT IS ALSO HARD ON CUSTOMERS WHO
WANT TO BUDGET.
I'M WONDERING HOW IT WILL WORK
IF YOU'RE STANDING IN LINE.
CAN THE PRICE CHANGE WHILE
YOU'RE WAITING TO GET YOUR
BURGER?
YOU CAN IMAGINE THINGS AREN'T
GOING TO GO OVER SO WELL IN
LINE, PEOPLE PUSHING.
>> OF COURSE IT'S BUSY.
IT'S LUNCH TIME.
>> AND THEY'RE HANDLING THE
DELIVERY ORDERS NOW, LOT OF
THESE PLACES ARE ALSO SENDING
THINGS OUT.
IT'S NOT EVEN JUST THE PEOPLE
WAITING.
IT'S PEOPLE WAITING IN OFFICES
AND HOUSES AND EVERYTHING