助推消费者偿还信用卡债务的虚假成功
The Semblance of Success in Nudging Consumers to Pay Down Credit Card Debt
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy · 2025 · [{"name": "Benedict Guttman‐Kenney", "affiliation": ["Rice University"]}, {"name": "Paul Adams", "affiliation": ["Innovations for Poverty Action", "Innovations for Poverty Action"]}, {"name": "Stefan Hunt", "affiliation": ["Keystone College"]}, {"name": "David Laibson", "affiliation": ["Harvard University Press", "Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center"]}, {"name": "Neil Stewart", "affiliation": ["University of Warwick"]}, {"name": "Jesse Leary", "affiliation": []}]
中文摘要
我们在一项关于信用卡的实地实验中检验了一种助推。该助推将持卡人「每月自动恰好偿还信用卡最低还款额」这一自动还款登记选项加以隐匿。六个月后，该助推使仅恰好偿还最低还款额的持卡人比例下降了 23%。然而，该助推并未显著降低信用卡债务。受助推的持卡人往往选择仅略高于最低还款额的自动还款金额。该助推降低了自动还款登记率，从而增加了逾期未还款。该助推还减少了自动还款登记者的手动还款。持卡人经常缺乏流动性现金最能解释我们的结果。（JEL C93, D12, D91, G21, G51）
Abstract
We test a nudge in a field experiment on credit cards. The nudge shrouds the autopay enrollment option for cardholders to automatically pay exactly the credit card minimum payment each month. After six months, the nudge decreases the fraction of cardholders who only pay exactly the minimum by 23 percent. However, the nudge does not significantly reduce credit card debt. Nudged cardholders often choose autopay amounts that are only slightly higher than the minimum payment. The nudge reduces autopay enrollment, which increases missed payments. The nudge reduces manual payments by autopay enrollees. Cardholders frequently lacking liquid cash best explains our results. (JEL C93, D12, D91, G21, G51)