A large body of literature examines consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for food quality attributes, but little is known about how visual characteristics such as shade and brightness influence red bean valuation or how these preferences connect to breeding programs. In Costa Rica, no studies jointly analyze consumers, industry criteria, and plant breeding objectives.This study examines how shade and brightness affect consumers’ WTP and whether preferences align with industry and breeding objectives. We evaluate four varieties; Cabécar, Quiribrí, Urán, and a control, varying in shade and brightness. WTP is elicited using the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) mechanism, and industry preferences are assessed through interviews. Results show consumers prefer Quiribrí (39.3%) and Urán (38.7%), with the highest WTP for Urán, the darkest variety. In contrast, the industry prefers lighter varieties such as Quiribrí and emphasizes cooking time and moisture content. These differences reveal a gap between consumer and industry preferences, underscoring the need to align breeding programs with market demand and industry standards.