Buying without using: Biases of German BahnCard buyers

Schmale Hendrik, Ehrmann Thomas, Dilger Alexander

Forschungsartikel (Zeitschrift) | Peer reviewed

Zusammenfassung

We use a large data set of German railway travellers to analyse the purchasing decision for fare-reducing BahnCards. We expect that this tariff choice is neither completely rational nor irrational, but bounded-rational in a meaningful way. Actually we predict a flat-rate bias, i.e. an under-use of their BahnCards by many customers. However, we estimate that this bias is not too large. The empirical results approve our hypotheses for the most part, especially for the more expensive BahnCard50 (BC50), whereas the under-use of the cheaper BahnCard25 (BC25) is so extensive that it is not worthwhile on average. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Details zur Publikation

FachzeitschriftApplied Economics
Jahrgang / Bandnr. / Volume45
Ausgabe / Heftnr. / Issue7
Seitenbereich933-941
StatusVeröffentlicht
Veröffentlichungsjahr2013 (01.03.2013)
Sprache, in der die Publikation verfasst istEnglisch
DOI10.1080/00036846.2011.613781
Link zum Volltexthttp://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00036846.2011.613781#.VPBEJC42dZ4
StichwörterFlat-rate Bias; Empirical Analysis; Consumer Behaviour; Rail Industry

Autor*innen der Universität Münster

Dilger, Alexander
Institut für Organisationsökonomik (IO)
Ehrmann, Thomas
Institut für Strategisches Management
Schmale, Carl Hendrik
Institut für Strategisches Management