Behavior-Based Pricing in On-Demand Service Platforms With Network Effects
研究两个差异化按需服务平台在存在网络效应时采用行为定价对利润、消费者和提供者剩余的影响，发现短视平台且跨边网络效应较弱时行为定价更有利，且行为定价总是提高消费者总剩余但降低转换者平均剩余。
Many on-demand service platforms have begun to implement behavior-based pricing (BBP). Unlike traditional firms, these platforms have network effects and function as intermediaries that connect providers with consumers, while not charging any fees to providers. In this study, we consider two horizontally differentiated on-demand service platforms and examine how BBP adoption affects the platforms’ profit and consumer/provider surplus under network effects. The results show that network effects and the discount factor play critical roles in determining whether BBP can yield higher profits. When the platforms are sufficiently myopic, and the strength of cross-side network effects is relatively weak, using BBP generates more profits; otherwise, using BBP makes the platform worse off. BBP always creates higher consumer surplus, reduces the average consumer surplus of switchers, and increases the average consumer surplus of repeat consumers. BBP always decreases the surplus of providers serving switchers and conditionally increases the surplus of providers serving repeat consumers. Under asymmetric BBP, platforms will not always engage in poaching the rival's consumers and consumers are worse off with poor services. Using asymmetric BBP can be lose–lose, lose–win, or win–win for platforms and consumers, which depends on the relationship between the perceived value, network effects, and service quality.