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Pay Me Later: Savings Constraints and the Demand for Deferred Payments

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  • Lasse Brune
  • Eric Chyn
  • Jason T. Kerwin

Abstract

We study a simple savings scheme that allows workers to defer receipt of part of their wages for three months at zero interest. The scheme significantly increases savings during the deferral period, leading to higher post-disbursement spending on lumpy goods. Two years later, after two additional rounds of the savings scheme, we find that treated workers have made permanent improvements to their homes. The popularity of the scheme implies a lack of good alternative savings options. The results of a follow-up experiment suggest that demand for the scheme is partly due to its ability to address self-control issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Lasse Brune & Eric Chyn & Jason T. Kerwin, 2021. "Pay Me Later: Savings Constraints and the Demand for Deferred Payments," NBER Working Papers 28611, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28611
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pamela Jakiela & Owen Ozier, 2016. "Does Africa Need a Rotten Kin Theorem? Experimental Evidence from Village Economies," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 83(1), pages 231-268.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bertoletti, Lucía & Borraz, Fernando & Sanroman, Graciela, 2024. "Consumer Debt and Poverty: the Default Risk Gap," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1439, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Derksen, Laura & Kerwin, Jason & Reynoso, Natalia Ordaz & Sterck, Olivier, 2024. "Healthcare Appointments as Commitment Devices," IZA Discussion Papers 17070, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Derksen, Laura & Kerwin, Jason Theodore & Reynoso, Natalia Ordaz & Sterck, Olivier, 2021. "Appointments: A More Effective Commitment Device for Health Behaviors," SocArXiv y8gh7, Center for Open Science.
    4. Eliana Carranza & Aletheia Donald & Florian Grosset & Supreet Kaur, 2022. "The Social Tax: Redistributive Pressure and Labor Supply," NBER Working Papers 30438, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Hisaki KONO & Abu SHONCHOY & Kazushi TAKAHASHI, 2023. "At the Right Time:Eliminating Mismatch between Cash Flow and Credit Flow in Microcredit," Discussion papers e-22-013, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    6. Somville, Vincent & Vandewalle, Lore, 2023. "Access to banking, savings and consumption smoothing in rural India," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    7. Galdo, Jose C., 2021. "Using Bank Savings Product Design for Empowering Women and Agricultural Development," IZA Discussion Papers 14523, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Laamanen, Jani-Petri & Matikka, Tuomas & Paukkeri, Tuuli, 2022. "Once or Twice a Month? The Impact of Payment Frequency on Spending Behavior," Working Papers 147, VATT Institute for Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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