With consumers stubbornly resisting higher prices, companies are trying to figure out how to increase revenue without really raising prices. Increasingly, the solution has been through the addition of fees for what had once been free features. Although some consumers abhor "nickel-and-dime" pricing strategies, small additional charges can add up to a substantial source of revenue.

由于消费者顽强抵制高价格，各公司开始寻找不提高价格增加收入的办法。渐渐地，解决办法变成了对原本免费的项目收取费用。尽管有些消费者痛恨“有角有分”的定价策略，但是小额的收费增加合计起来对企业也是一个相当大的收入来源。

The numbers can be staggering. Fees for consumers who pay bills online, bounce checks, or use automated teller machines bring banks an estimated $30 billion annually. Retailers Target and Best Buy charge a 15 percent "restocking fee" for returning electronic products. Credit card late payments — up by 11 percent in 2003 — exceed $10 billion in total. The telecommunications industry in general has been aggressive at adding fees for setup, change-of-service, service termination, directory assistance, regulatory assessment, number portability, and cable hookup and equipment, costing consumers billions of dollars. By charging its long-distance customers a new 99-cent monthly "regulatory assessment fee", AT&T could bring in as much as $475 million.

这些数字可能让人吃惊。对于使用在线支付、拒付支票或者使用自动柜员机的客户收取的费用每年为银行带来大约300亿美元的收入。零售商塔吉特公司和百思买公司对电子产品收取15%的退货费。信用卡逾期还款费用在2003年提高了11%的情况下，收费总额超过100亿美元。整个电信行业大幅度增加诸如安装、服务变更、服务终止、号码簿援助、协调评估、号码便携以及电缆连接及其设备等项目的收费，这些收费让消费者花费了数十亿美元。AT&T通过向长途电话用户收取一项按月计费的99美分的“协调评估费”进账高达4.75亿美元。

This explosion of fees has a number of implications. Given that list prices stay fixed, they may result in inflation being understated. They also make it harder for consumers to compare competitive offerings. Although various citizen groups have been formed to pressure companies to roll back some of these fees, they don't always get a sympathetic ear from state and local governments who have been guilty of their own array of fees, fines, and penalties to raise necessary revenue.

这种爆炸式的收费增长具有诸多含义。即便这些价格固定不变，它们也可能导致隐性的价格膨胀。这样的价格也使得消费者更难将之与其他竞争性服务进行比较。尽管各种市民群体一直有组织地向这些公司施加压力要求其退回这些收费，但是这种努力并不总能得到州政府以及地方政府部门的响应，因为它们自己也在通过各种收费、罚款以及其他处罚来增加必要的收入。

Companies justify the extra fees as the only fair and viable way to cover expenses without losing customers. Many argue that it makes sense to charge a premium for added services that cost more to provide, rather than charge all customers the same amount regardless of whether or not they use the extra service. Breaking out charges and fees according to the services involved is seen as a way to keep the basic costs low. Companies also use fees as a means to weed out unprofitable customers or change their behavior. Some airlines now charge passengers $50 for paper tickets and $25 for every bag over 50 pounds.

Ultimately, the viability of extra fees will be decided in the marketplace and by the willingnessof consumers to vote with their wallets and pay the fees or vote with their feet and move on. 

企业认为这些额外收费是正当的，因为这是唯一既弥补支出又公平可行且不流失客户的办法。很多人认为，对于增加需要更高成本的服务收取额外的费用合情合理，但是不应该对所有的客户收取同等的费用而不考虑他们是否使用了额外的服务。根据不同服务分开收费被看作是保持低基础费用的办法。企业有时也使用收费手段摆脱那些无利可图的客户或者改变这些客户的消费行为。比如，现在一些航空公司向购买纸质机票的乘客多收50美元，向携带超过50磅行李的乘客加收25美元。

最终，额外收费是否可行还是要取决于市场以及消费者意愿，消费者用钱包投票并决定是否付费，或者他们用脚投票决定去留。

责任编辑：admin