Real Friends Wouldn’t Mind Paying Full Price

It's one thing to make an attempt at local dialects—and butcher them completely—in the hope of getting secondhand clothes for cheap at Pasar Senen. It's another to abuse the harga teman or homie discount privilege and disrespecting your friends' talents and labor.

The phenomenon of the homie discount is widespread. If you are a business owner, no matter how big or small, it's common for people to pull the friend card and ask for a discount or worse, freebies. At times, It could be awkward, annoying, or straight up hurtful.

Ratu Annisa is a Jakarta-based graphic designer and animator who has been a victim of the homie discount. A few years ago, after Ratu designed a logo for her friends' clothing line, her friends asked her for a harga teman. Considering a company logo is essential to a business, Ratu felt like her hard work wasn't appreciated by her friends.

"I did give them a discounted price, below other 'homie discount', but they insisted on a lower number that I felt insulted," Ratu told VICE. "Once, I explained to them why branding isn't cheap. That shut them up."

Andandika Surasetja, a fashion designer and a clothing label owner, said that he's been lucky enough that his friends don't guilt-trip him into selling his products for cheap. All of his accomplishments in the fashion industry, Andandika said, wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for his friends' support—financially or otherwise.

"True friends wouldn't hesitate recommending and introducing me to other people to widen up my network," Andadika said. "They wouldn't ask for a 'homie discount'."

Giving a reduced price is not always done out of coercion or guilt, though.

When he was still working as a stylist for commercials and magazine photoshoots, he would lower his price quote. He also said that a 'homie discount' can be given to a friend under certain requirements and conditions. For example when a good friend has explained in great length their difficult financial situation.

"It's fair when it's for a best friend and I know his or her capacity well. In that case, a 'homie discount' is fair since it's out of mutual respect," Andadika said. "Unfortunately, people often take advantage of this and turn it into a form of exploitation."

The only positive value of giving a 'homie discount', according to Andadika, is the word-of-mouth marketing that comes with it. Giving a discounted prince is done in the hope that your friend will introduce you to new connections and thus expanding your network of clients.

Sociologist Nia Elvina argued that the 'homie discount' phenomenon is related to Indonesia's collectivist mentality. Nia added that this practice happens across Indonesia, especially at traditional markets. Often, transactions conducted is not purely business alone—they also represent a bond between the seller and buyer.

"Our society values friendship extremely high, so it's never just a pure business transaction," Nia told VICE. "Collectivist values are still well and alive in our society, so a homie discount-based transaction is not seen as a problem, but a lubricant that makes these economical transactions happen in the first place."

Offering goods and services at a discounted price does help at times, which is why Anandika and Ratu won't stop giving the homie discount entirely.

"If it's someone really close to me who understands well my struggles, then I'd gladly give them a discounted price when they ask for help," said Ratu.

The next time you feel like you can pay your friends less for their work, ask yourself: What have you done to deserve a homie discount?