# Preselection

> A dark pattern that sets a default the person did not choose, such as a pre-ticked paid add-on or the most expensive plan, and relies on them not changing it.

- Category: Growth & Metrics
- Canonical: https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/preselection

Preselection is setting a default the person did not choose and relying on them not to change it. A paid add-on already ticked at checkout, data sharing already switched on, the most expensive plan already selected on the pricing page.

It works because defaults are sticky: a checked box is accepted far more often than an unchecked one is checked, as the [checkbox](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/checkbox-ui) entry puts it. That stickiness is the reason good defaults matter and the reason preselection is one of the most common [deceptive design](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/dark-patterns) patterns, listed in the catalogues as [preselection](https://deceptive.design/types/preselection/).

## What it looks like in SaaS

- **Pre-ticked add-ons at checkout.** "Priority support (+$49/month)" already checked.
- **The priciest plan as default.** The plan selector opens on Enterprise or the highest self-serve tier.
- **Annual billing pre-selected.** Annual chosen by default, with the monthly option below the fold.
- **Inflated seat counts.** The seat field pre-filled with a number higher than the team that signed up.
- **Data sharing on by default.** Product analytics, marketing emails or third-party sharing switched on in onboarding.
- **Auto-renew add-ons.** A one-off purchase set to recur unless unticked.

## Helpful default against preselection

| | Helpful default | Preselection |
|---|---|---|
| Commits to | Nothing, or a setting easy to change | A cost, consent or data sharing |
| Who benefits | Mostly the user | Mostly the company |
| If asked directly | Most people would choose it | Many would decline |
| Visible | Clearly, where it is set | Easy to miss |
| Example | Time zone from the browser | Paid support add-on ticked |

The test is the one the [checkbox](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/checkbox-ui) entry uses: would the person choose this if asked plainly? If yes, the default helps. If many would decline, the default is doing the deciding for them.

## Why teams ship it

Attach rates and average revenue per account respond immediately. Ticking the add-on raises its attach rate overnight, defaulting to annual raises cash collected upfront, and defaulting the seat count raises the first invoice. Each is a one-line change and each shows up on a dashboard within days.

## Why it backfires

**The revenue comes back as refunds.** People who did not notice the add-on notice the invoice. Some ask for refunds, some dispute, and some simply cancel the add-on and keep a grudge.

**It distorts the data.** An add-on with a high attach rate from preselection looks like a product people want. Pricing and roadmap decisions built on that number are built on a default, not on demand.

**It undermines consent.** Data sharing switched on by default is not a choice anyone made. Where a law does require consent, a default rarely counts: in California, the [CCPA as amended by the CPRA](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1798.140) defines dark patterns and states that agreement obtained through them does not constitute consent.

**It is addressed in consumer law.** In the EU, [Article 22 of the Consumer Rights Directive](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/83/oj) requires express consent to any extra payment beyond the main price, and entitles consumers to reimbursement where consent was inferred from default options they had to reject. That covers consumer contracts; for a B2B product, scope depends on the buyer.

## The honest alternative

**Paid extras start unticked.** If an add-on is worth buying, say why next to it and let people tick it.

**Recommend without selecting.** Mark the plan that suits most teams of a given size as "Recommended" and explain why, without opening checkout on it.

**Show billing choices side by side.** Monthly and annual at the same level, with the saving stated.

**Pre-fill from facts.** Seat count from the number of people actually invited, not a round number.

**Privacy-protective defaults.** Optional data sharing and marketing email off until switched on, with a plain description of each.

**Confirm the order before charging.** A summary that lists every line item, so nothing is a surprise.

## In practice

A checkout includes "Premium support" pre-ticked at a monthly fee. Its attach rate is high and it is reported as one of the product's best add-ons.

A support review shows a steady stream of tickets asking what "Premium support" is and why it is on the invoice. The team unticks it by default and adds one sentence about response times.

Attach rate drops sharply. Refunds on first invoices drop too, and the customers who now tick the box use the service. The team learns what demand for the add-on actually is, which is what the pricing discussion needed in the first place.

## Where teams get it wrong

- **Treating attach rate as demand.** A default is not a decision.
- **Opening on the top plan.** The pricing page becomes a test of attention.
- **One billing period buried below the other.** Side by side, or it is a default in disguise.
- **Consent on by default.** No one agreed to it.
- **No order summary.** The invoice becomes the first time anyone sees the line item.

## Related terms

- [Dark Patterns](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/dark-patterns)
- [Checkbox UI](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/checkbox-ui)
- [Drip Pricing](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/drip-pricing)
- [Toggle Switch](https://www.themasterly.com/glossary/toggle-switch)

## Learn more

- [UI/UX design for B2B SaaS](https://www.themasterly.com/services/ui-ux-design)
- [What is growth design?](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/what-is-growth-design)

## FAQ

**What is preselection?**

Setting a default the person did not choose and relying on them not to change it: a pre-ticked paid add-on, data sharing switched on, the most expensive plan selected on the pricing page. Defaults are accepted far more often than they are changed, which is why they are so effective and so easy to misuse.

**Are all defaults dark patterns?**

No. Good defaults are one of the most useful things a design can offer: a sensible time zone, a recommended notification setting, the plan most teams of a given size choose. A default becomes a dark pattern when it commits the person to a cost, a consent or data sharing they would decline if asked directly.

**Are pre-ticked boxes for paid extras legal?**

In the EU, Article 22 of the Consumer Rights Directive requires a trader to get the consumer's express consent to any extra payment, and where consent was inferred from a default the consumer had to reject, the consumer is entitled to a refund. It applies to consumer contracts, so B2B scope varies.

**What about pre-selected consent for data sharing?**

In California, the CCPA as amended by the CPRA states that agreement obtained through dark patterns does not constitute consent. That matters wherever the law requires consent; much of California's data-sharing regime is opt-out instead, so check which applies.

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