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The timing of payment can influence how people experience a purchase. When something is ρáíd for well in advance—such as a vacation or event—the discomfort of spending can fade before the experience begins. Paying immediately before or during an activity can keep the cost more mentally noticeable. Researchers describe this connection between payment and consumption as coupling.
This helps explain why prepaid experiences can sometimes feel almost “free” when the day finally arrives. The money was spent, but the brain may stop attaching the payment to the experience.
© Journal of Consumer Research