OBJECTIVES: The use of financial incentives and disincentives is being explored as a way to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. However, published methodological research in this area is limited. The objective was to explore the acceptability and pricing of incentives in NHS patients. METHODS: A contingent valuation survey was completed by patients who recently had a (confirmed or suspected) cardiac event and who either smoked, were overweight, physically inactive or abused alcohol. Respondents completed questions on health behaviour, perceived difficulty of behaviour change, minimum incentive required to motivate behaviour change along with attitudinal questions (incentive acceptability, motivation, perceived risk) and items on income and time preference.  RESULTS: The survey was completed by 132 patients (39% Female; Mean age=59). A majority - 65% - did not agree that incentives should be offered by the NHS. There was a trend for males (p=.064) and higher income groups (p=.026) to be less in favour of incentives. Mean incentive levels required to help stop smoking, lose weight, exercise and reduce alcohol consumption were £88, £46, £57 and £30 per month, respectively. This represented 11%, 6%, 10% and 4% of monthly household income, respectively. The minimum required incentive increased with higher levels of perceived change difficulty and decreased with higher reported motivation to change. Mean incentive levels required to stop smoking were: £18, £43 and £116; and for weight loss: £25, £53, and £62 for those perceiving change as easy, moderate and difficult, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary analysis is one of the few to provide incentive pricing data and may prove useful in designing future incentive schemes. Incentive schemes may need to be targeted to the individual, taking into account (inter alia) their income, perceived difficulty of change and motivation levels. Future studies should explore targeted incentive pricing strategies on behaviour change.