Document Type

Discussion Paper

Publication Date

7-2022

CFDP Number

2338R2

CFDP Revision Date

September 2023

CFDP Pages

61

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) Code(s)

D44, D47, D83, D84

Abstract

We consider a general nonlinear pricing environment with private information. The seller can control both the signal that the buyers receive about their value and the selling mechanism. We characterize the optimal menu and information structure that jointly maximize the seller's profit. The optimal screening mechanism has finitely many items even with a continuum of values. We identify sufficient conditions under which the optimal mechanism has a single item. Thus the seller decreases the variety of items below the efficient level in order to reduce the information rents of the buyers.

Included in

Economics Commons

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