{"items": [{"author": "Danner", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617101516492", "anchor": "fb-617101516492", "service": "fb", "text": "This just make the transaction more explicit, as long as you can handle it, it's a great solution. Some people don't like being reminded that their time is worth money.", "timestamp": "1371750572"}, {"author": "Jeff&nbsp;Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617102075372", "anchor": "fb-617102075372", "service": "fb", "text": "One possible outcome is that people in the $2 line use threats or social pressure to keep anyone from using the $3 or $5 lines.", "timestamp": "1371750866"}, {"author": "Arthur", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617102729062", "anchor": "fb-617102729062", "service": "fb", "text": "Mary is more likely to get away with this by creating a small cosmetic difference in pizza served in each line to \"justify\" the different pricing.", "timestamp": "1371751320"}, {"author": "Kelly", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617104126262", "anchor": "fb-617104126262", "service": "fb", "text": "I expect that there is either something illegal about this, or the PR would be so horrible it would quickly make up for the increased profits. I too have thought of schemes like this for retail and amusement parks (or in general, other time/money tradeoff situations). I really like the idea, but there is some stigma about actually charging more for things for convenience.", "timestamp": "1371752257"}, {"author": "Kelly", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617104285942", "anchor": "fb-617104285942", "service": "fb", "text": "For example: why isn't there a discount offered for using self checkout at grocery stores?", "timestamp": "1371752359"}, {"author": "Max", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617104365782", "anchor": "fb-617104365782", "service": "fb", "text": "This is a pretty common scheme in reality.  Lots of places offer premium boarding, or fast-pass tickets.  I wandered through a barbecue event last week that had lines down the block, but you could buy premium passes to cut the lines.  I didn't see any hostility to those who paid.", "timestamp": "1371752422"}, {"author": "Kelly", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617104575362", "anchor": "fb-617104575362", "service": "fb", "text": "there are many other things you can not pay a premium to cut the line with: Organ transplant lists, for one.", "timestamp": "1371752512"}, {"author": "Noah", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617104725062", "anchor": "fb-617104725062", "service": "fb", "text": "That's basically what coupons are, yeah?  There's certainly no stigma towards not using coupons - quite the opposite actually.", "timestamp": "1371752593"}, {"author": "Hassan", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/109686970531250960199", "anchor": "gp-1371754211734", "service": "gp", "text": "This is basically the way things are done in my industry (immigration). Almost everyone involved has an option to rush your application for an additional fee. That ranges from the people who do translations and educational evaluations, to the lawyers, all the way up to the immigration service itself.", "timestamp": 1371754211}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617119211032", "anchor": "fb-617119211032", "service": "fb", "text": "Lots of amusement parks have a flash pass or speed thing that lets you use a much shorter line.  You pay before getting in the line instead of at the front, and there are big metal railings to keep you from cutting lines.", "timestamp": "1371763284"}, {"author": "Paul", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617120897652", "anchor": "fb-617120897652", "service": "fb", "text": "...and isn't this what E-Z Pass is all about?", "timestamp": "1371764141"}, {"author": "Jeff&nbsp;Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617121047352", "anchor": "fb-617121047352", "service": "fb", "text": "@Paul: E-Z Pass is different: you're paying the same toll price (or sometimes less).", "timestamp": "1371764209"}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617124086262", "anchor": "fb-617124086262", "service": "fb", "text": "Also, the more people use E-Z Pass, the faster things are for the people who don't use it.", "timestamp": "1371766016"}, {"author": "Arthur", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617124645142", "anchor": "fb-617124645142", "service": "fb", "text": "EZ Pass isn't really cheaper -- you're technically charged the same per toll but the fact that you have to carry a minimum balance means that at any given point in time they have more of your money than they would otherwise.", "timestamp": "1371766361"}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617124774882", "anchor": "fb-617124774882", "service": "fb", "text": "I'm pretty sure that I get a discount for using EZ Pass.  I pay like $1 instead of $1.25 or something like that.", "timestamp": "1371766414"}, {"author": "Arthur", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617125059312", "anchor": "fb-617125059312", "service": "fb", "text": "This is plus the fact that in many states EZ Pass charges an annual fee for your account.<br><br>The end result is that the total amount of \"extra\" money you're out per toll goes down dramatically depending on how often you use toll roads -- having one therefore incentivizes using toll roads, to a greater degree than just making it more convenient.<br><br>(It's worth exploring how programs that require you to load a minimum balance into some kind of \"wallet\" basically cause you to give them more money than you otherwise would -- they wouldn't do it if it didn't affect their cash flow.)", "timestamp": "1371766592"}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617125129172", "anchor": "fb-617125129172", "service": "fb", "text": "I think the main reason to do it is because if you did each transaction as a separate credit card transaction, the fees would get huge.", "timestamp": "1371766660"}, {"author": "Eric", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617125169092", "anchor": "fb-617125169092", "service": "fb", "text": "@Noah, exactly.  Coupons are also a price discrimination mechanism, but in reverse of this.  Most people pay the rack price, but those who are willing to spend the time clipping coupons get a lower price.  Everybody wins: The store reaches more price sensitive customers and make more sales, while people who otherwise couldn't afford the goods now can.  I think this is why there isn't any dislike of couponers - most people can get behind rewarding time and effort with a lower price, but it feels more divisive or unfair to allow people to pay their way out of waiting.<br><br>Planet Money had an interesting discussion of coupons in the context of daily deal sites: http://www.npr.org/.../groupons-secret-everybody-has...", "timestamp": "1371766693"}, {"author": "Heidi", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617154141032", "anchor": "fb-617154141032", "service": "fb", "text": "Some have suggested that you take the extra money per slice and donate it to charity to reverse negative PR.", "timestamp": "1371781379"}, {"author": "Eli", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/617101177172?comment_id=617227074872", "anchor": "fb-617227074872", "service": "fb", "text": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_discrimination I'll just leave this here.", "timestamp": "1371791123"}]}