Competitive Non-linear Pricing and Bundling

S-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Studies
Year: 2010
Volume: 77
Issue: 1
Pages: 30-60

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We examine competitive non-linear pricing in a model in which consumers have heterogeneous and elastic demands and can buy from more than one supplier. It is an equilibrium for firms to offer a menu of efficient two-part tariffs, where the discount for one-stop shopping is such that the elasticity of "demand for two-stop shopping" equals two. Compared with linear pricing, non-linear pricing tends to raise profit but harm consumers when: (i) demand is elastic, (ii) there is heterogeneity in consumer demand, (iii) consumers incur shopping costs when buying from more than one firm, and (iv) a consumer's brand preference for one product is correlated with her brand preference for another product. Non-linear pricing is more likely to lead to welfare gains when (iii) and (iv) hold, but (ii) does not. Copyright , Wiley-Blackwell.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:restud:v:77:y:2010:i:1:p:30-60
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24