Purpose

The freemium pricing model is dominant in digital products such as mobile applications. While limited evaluation of a product such as when a consumer is under time pressure, has been found to increase consumer preference for the free version (“the zero price effect”), this paper aims to explore moderators that attenuate or reverse that effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experiments test the role of anchoring effects induced by time pressure in moderating the zero price effect.

Findings

The studies offer evidence that anchoring effects induced by time pressure can be directed to reduce preference for free versions of products. In addition, these effects are mediated by the perceived performance risk of a product and an upper boundary condition for monetary price level is found.

Research limitations/implications

This research demonstrates exceptions to time pressure’s role in intensifying the zero price effect. Future research could focus on additional moderators of the effect such as the need for certainty and examine time pressure’s effect on in-app purchases.

Practical implications

These findings can be directly applied by marketers of digital products using a freemium pricing model who wants to use time pressure to create urgency with customers without pushing them toward the free version of a product.

Originality/value

This paper finds exceptions to the zero price effect where consumers exhibit a stronger preference for the paid (vs free) version of a product when under time pressure.

中文翻译：

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当时间压力抵消零价格影响时

目的

免费增值模式在诸如移动应用之类的数字产品中占主导地位。虽然已经发现对产品的有限评估（例如，当消费者承受时间压力时）会增加消费者对免费版本的偏好（“零价格效应”），但本文旨在探索减轻或扭转这种效应的主持人。

设计/方法/方法

三个实验测试了时间压力引起的锚定效应在缓解零价格效应中的作用。

发现

这些研究提供了证据，表明由时间压力引起的锚定效应可以减少对自由版本产品的偏爱。此外，这些影响是通过感知的产品性能风险来介导的，并且找到了货币价格水平的上限条件。

研究局限/意义

这项研究证明了时间压力在增强零价格效应中的作用的例外。未来的研究可能会集中在影响的其他主持人（例如确定性的需求）上，并研究时间压力对应用内购买的影响。

实际影响

这些发现可以由使用免费增值定价模式的数字产品营销人员直接应用，他们希望利用时间压力来向客户创造紧迫性，而又不将他们推向产品的免费版本。

创意/价值

本文发现了零价格效应的例外情况，即在时间压力下，消费者对产品的付费版本（相对于免费版本）表现出更大的偏好。