Child Benefit Support and Method of Payment: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Belgium
通过比利时国家家庭福利局的随机实验，发现邮寄支付方式信息使父母从支票转向电子支付的比例增加四倍，低成本补充材料能显著提高响应率，表明降低信息处理成本可促进行为改变。
We examine the effects of information and information presentation format on individuals' choice of payment method in a large randomized experiment carried out with the Belgian National Office for Family Benefits. We find that a one-time mailing providing information about method of payment for child benefit support caused a fourfold increase in parents' decision to switch from payment by check to electronic payment. Simple, low-cost supplements significantly raised people's responsiveness to the mailing. Our results suggest that complexity and information (processing) costs pose significant barriers to transitioning to electronic payment methods, and that deliberate efforts to lower these costs can contribute to large behavioral changes.