American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Child Benefit Support and Method of Payment: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Belgium
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 2,
no. 2, May 2010
(pp. 163–84)
Abstract
We examine the effects of information and information presentation format on individuals' choice of payment method in a large randomized experiment carried out with the Belgian National Office for Family Benefits. We find that a one-time mailing providing information about method of payment for child benefit support caused a fourfold increase in parents' decision to switch from payment by check to electronic payment. Simple, low-cost supplements significantly raised people's responsiveness to the mailing. Our results suggest that complexity and information (processing) costs pose significant barriers to transitioning to electronic payment methods, and that deliberate efforts to lower these costs can contribute to large behavioral changes. (JEL D83, J13)Citation
Huysentruyt, Marieke, and Eva Lefevere. 2010. "Child Benefit Support and Method of Payment: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Belgium." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2 (2): 163–84. DOI: 10.1257/pol.2.2.163Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
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