Nonlinear Pricing and Misallocation

Bornstein, Gideon; Peter, Alessandra

doi:10.1257/aer.20230168

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of nonlinear pricing on markups and misallocation. In a general equilibrium model in which firms are allowed to set a quantity-dependent pricing schedule, markup heterogeneity is no longer a sign of misallocation. Further, we point to a new source of misallocation---high-taste consumers are allocated too much of each good, low-taste consumers too little. Using micro data from the retail sector, we show that nonlinear pricing is prevalent and quantify the model. Welfare losses from misallocation across consumers are substantially larger than those from misallocation across firms under linear pricing.

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