研讨论文

《Trial, Buyout, and Dynamic Pricing under Private Learning with Operating Costs》

主讲人

王岑文（中央财经大学中国公共财政与政策研究院研究生）

内容简介

Digital platforms often grant upfront access with an option to upgrade later, while users learn privately whether the service fits and the platform pays ongoing operating costs. We study optimal dynamic pricing under private good-news learning: a matched user receives a Poisson “confirmation” signal, whereas a mismatched user simply never does. Under full commitment, the platform’s problem collapses to choosing a single trial cutoff time; conditional on that cutoff, payment timing can be rearranged without changing profit, yielding a canonical “free trial then buyout” implementation. We then study limited commitment: within an experiment region, equilibrium features a free trial (zero usage prices) and no early departures, and the platform follows an optimal-stopping rule that mirrors the full-commitment cutoff. The results clarify when free trials are not just marketing, but an optimal response to private learning and operating costs. This equivalence offers a simple, testable lens for trial design and upgrade timing.

点评老师

张志祥、尹训东

时间

12月26日 (14：00-15：30）

地址

学术会堂712

活动对象

创新发展学院学生

人数规模

30人

主办单位

创新发展学院

撰稿：王岑文

审稿：尹训东

编辑：沈嘉怡

审核：林艺茹