Platform Pricing: Strategy and Regulation
Explore strategic behavior of platforms and scrutinize the key policy actions governments implement.
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Overview
Learning outcomes
Key Topics
Schedule
Who is this Course for?
Admissions
Fees
FAQ
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Course overview
Platforms play a leading role in this transformation, and for this reason, we will explore their strategic behavior while scrutinizing key policy actions implemented by governments. This exploration will be conducted using a combination of theoretical tools (e.g., basic microeconomics and game theory), alongside pertinent case studies, including but not limited to Amazon, Airbnb, Apple, Booking.com, Google, and Microsoft. Furthermore, our analysis will extend to how the digital economy disrupts conventional business models while simultaneously creating new opportunities.
This course is particularly suitable for advanced graduate students with a solid background in economics as well as practitioners eager to align their insights with the latest academic research on platform strategies.
By the end of the course, participants will understand how digital platforms operate, including pricing in two-sided markets and the role of network effects. Learn to assess dominant positions, vertical restraints, and policy interventions, while exploring future challenges driven by AI and digitalization.
Faculty
Who is this course for?
This course would be ideal for:
- Advanced graduate students with a solid background in economics
- Practitioners eager to align their insights with the latest academic research on platform strategies
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Change grasp to understand the fundamental principles of platform pricing
- Translate theoretical principles of platform pricing into practical knowledge
- Influence decision-making processes within their organizations
- Shape policies governing the digital economy
- Evaluate both theoretical and empirical analyses
- Present their findings effectively to diverse audiences
Key topics for Platform Pricing: Strategy and Regulation course
Take a look at what will be covered during the course.
Platform Business Model and Pricing
- Characteristics of the Platform Ecosystem
- Network externalities
- Business models of digital goods and services
- Pricing in two-sided markets
Required Reading:
- de Cornière, A., Mantovani, A. and S. Shekhar (2025). Third-degree price discrimination in two-sided markets, Management Science, 2025, vol. 71(4), 3340- 3356, https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/epdf/10.1287/mnsc.2023.02788
- Van Alstyne, M., Gu, G. and D. Finger (2023). Why Customers Leave Platforms — and How to Retain Them. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/08/why-customers-leave-platforms-and-how-to-retain-them
Supplementary readings
- Armstrong M. (2006). Competition in two-sided markets, The RAND Journal of Economics, 37(3), 668–69. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1756-2171.2006.tb00037.x
The Verge (2021). A guide to platform fees.
https://www.theverge.com/21445923/platform-fees-apps-games-business-marketplace-
Case Studies
- Airbnb
- Amazon Apple
- B&Q
- Fortnite
- Home Depot
- Netflix
- Spotify
- TaskRabbit
- Uber
- Waze
- Waymo
Competition Policy Implications of Digital Platforms
- Abuse of dominant position
- Dominant position in online markets
- Price Parity Clauses
- Regulatory Interventions
Required Reading
- Farronato, C., Fradkin, A., Hagiu, A. and D. Lomax (2024). Understanding the
Tradeoffs of the Amazon Antitrust Case, Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2024/01/understanding-the-tradeoffs-of-the-amazon-antitrust-case - Gomes, R. and A. Mantovani (2023). Should platform fees be capped? TSE Reflect.
https://www.tse-fr.eu/should-platform-fees-be-capped - Gomes, R. and A. Mantovani (2025). Regulating Platform Fees under Price Parity.
- Journal of the European Economic Association, vol. 23(1), 190-235.
- Lasio, L., Ma, P., Mantovani, A., Reggiani, C. and N. Duch-Brown (2025). Online Travel Agencies and Beyond: The Role of Sales Channels for Hotels and
Consumers, NET Institute Working Paper 25-07.
https://www.netinst.org/Peiyao_25-07.pdf - Llanes, G., Mantovani, A. and F. Ruiz-Aliseda (2019). Entry into Complementary Good Markets with Network Effects, Strategy Science, 4(4), 262-282.
- Ma, P., Mantovani, A., Reggiani, C., Broocks, A. and N.Duch-Brown (2025). The Price Effects of Banning Price Parity Clauses in the EU: Evidence from Global Hotel Chains. Economic Journal, forthcoming.
https://ideas.repec.org/p/oxf/wpaper/1043.html - Mantovani, A., Piga, C. and C. Reggiani (2021). Online Platform Price Parity Clauses: Evidence from the EU Booking.com case. European Economic Review, 131, art. 103625.
- Peitz, M. (2022). The prohibition of price parity clauses and the Digital Markets Act. Competition Policy International. Provided by the instructor.
Supplementary Reading
- Eisenmann, T., Parker, G. and M. Van Alstyne (2011). Platform envelopment.
Strategic Management Journal, 32(12), 1270–1285.
Farronato, C., Fradkin, A. and A. MacKay (2023). Self-preferencing at Amazon:
evidence from search rankings. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 113, 239–243.
Case Studies
- Amazon
- Apple
- Booking.com
- Dropbox
- Epic Games
- Grubhub
- Intel
- Microsoft
- Netflix
- Spotify
Pricing and Non-pricing Strategies in the Sharing Economy
- The sharing economy
- Reviews system
- The cases of Uber and BlaBlaCar
- Airbnb
Required Reading
- Luca, M., Pronkina, E., and M. Rossi (2022). Ensuring Your Products Aren’t Used for Discrimination. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/10/ensuring-your-products-arent-used-for-discrimination
- Rossi, M. (2018). Asymmetric Information and Review Systems: the Challenge of Digital Platform, in Ganuza, J.J. and G. Llobet, Economic Analysis of the Digital Revolution, 47-74.
- Zhu, F. and M. Iansiti (2019). Why Some Platforms Thrive and Others Don’t. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/01/why-some-platforms-thrive-and-others-dont
Supplementary Reading
- Berasategui, I. (2022). The Price of Trust, Women's Participation and Ethnic Sorting in p2p Markets. Evidence from BlaBlaCar. Working Paper.
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/halwpaper/hal-04465770.htm - Edelman, B., Luca, M. and D. Svirsky (2017). Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from a Field Experiment. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 9(2), 1-22.
- Garcia-López, M. À., Jofre-Monseny, J., Martínez-Mazza, R. and M. Segú (2020). Do short-term rental platforms affect housing markets? Evidence from Airbnb in Barcelona. Journal of Urban Economics, 119, art. 103278.
- Lambin, X. and E. Paliko (2022). Fighting discrimination with reputation: The case of online platforms. Working Paper. https://emilpalikot.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/reputation_discrimination-2.pdf
Case Studies
- Airbnb
- BlaBlaCar
- eBay
- Etsy
- Gojek
- Lyft
- TripAdvisor
- Uber
- Yelp
- Zipcar
New Challenges
- Cloud computing
- Health platforms and data sharing
- Agentic AI revolution and platformization of LLMs.
- The regulation of AI.
Required Reading
- Bezos, J. (2020). How Amazon think about competition. Harvard Business Review. Read here
- Biglaiser, G., Crémer, J., de Corniére, A., & Mantovani, A. (2025). Cloud computing: Regulatory challenges in the age of hyperscalers. Concurrences, N° 8-2025, art. 127473. (Provided by the instructor)
- Biglaiser, G., Crémer, J., & Mantovani, A. (2026). The Economics of the Cloud. Annual Review of Economics, forthcoming. Last available version: Read here
- Biglaiser, G., Crémer, J., & Mantovani, A. (2024). Into the cloud. TSE Reflect. Read here
- Carballa-Smichowski, B., Lefouili, Y., Mantovani, A., & Reggiani, C. (2025). How should firms share their data? TSE Reflect. Read here
- Carballa-Smichowski, B., Lefouili, Y., Mantovani, A., & Reggiani, C. (2025). Data sharing or analytics sharing? TSE Working Paper, n. 25-1615.
- Microsoft Research (2025). The Agentic Economy. Read here
Supplementary Reading
- Bergemann, D., Bonatti, A., & Smolin, A. (2026). Menu Pricing of Large Language Models. Read here
- Bostoen, F., & Krämer, J. (2025). Is the DMA ready for Agentic AI? CERRE Report. Read here
- Demirer, M., Fradkin, A., Tadelis, N., & Peng, S. (2025). The Emerging Market for Intelligence: Pricing, Supply, and Demand for LLMs (No. w34608). National Bureau of Economic Research. Read here
- Fudenberg, D., & Tirole, J. (2000). Customer poaching and brand switching. RAND Journal of Economics, 31(4), 634-657.
- Gans, J., Hervé, M. and M. Masri (2023): Economic analysis of proposed regulations of cloud services in Europe, European Competition Journal, 1-47.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17441056.2023.2228668
Hao, K. (2018). Should a self-driving car kill the baby or the grandma? MIT Technology
Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/10/24/139313/a-global-ethics- study-aims-to-help-ai-solve-the-self-driving-trolley-problem/
Case Studies
- Amazon Web Services
- Apple
- ChatGPT
- Databricks
- DoctoLib
- FitBit
- Google Cloud
- Platform
- IBM
- IONOS
- Microsoft Azure
- OpenAI
- Oracle
- OVH
- Snowflake
Group Presentations or Research Proposals
Two Possibilities
1. Group Presentations
- Ideally, a topic will be covered by two groups, each taking a different perspective: one in favor, one opposing
- The aim is to generate debate about real-life scenarios
2. Research Proposal (Individual or in Group)
Suggested Topics for Presentation:
- Amazon Antitrust Cases
- Regulators versus Amazon: wearing the shoes of Amazon
- Regulators versus Amazon: wearing the shoes of regulators and antitrust authorities
- Apple Antitrust Cases
- In favor of Apple’s closed ecosystem and its commission fee structure
- Key antitrust cases brought against Apple, including the lawsuit by Epic Games
- Google Antitrust Cases
- In favor of Google’s search, advertising, and monetization strategies
- Regulatory intervention against Google’s dominance and self-preferencing practices
- Booking.com Antitrust Cases
- In favor of Booking.com’s business model and platform agreements with hotels
- Regulatory interventions against Booking.com, focusing on price parity clauses and other practices that limit hotels’ pricing freedom and competition
- Platform Regulation towards Sharing Economy Platforms
- In favor of an unregulated/limited approach towards Airbnb and Uber
- In favor of strict regulation against Airbnb and Uber
- Regulation of Cloud Computing: the case of Microsoft
- In favor of the cloud computing system developed by Microsoft
- Regulatory intervention against Microsoft’s cloud computing practices
- Self-Preferencing and Algorithmic Bias in LLMs
- In favor of platform-driven AI services: exploring efficiency and innovation when LLMs become platforms
- Antitrust concerns when dominant AI platforms favor their own models or integrated services over competitors
- Agentic AI and Autonomous Digital Agents
- In favor of agentic AI systems and autonomous agents
- Regulatory and antitrust concerns about agentic AI
List of References
There is no compulsory textbook. However, useful textbooks and articles are:
Books
- Agrawal, A., Gans, J. and A. Goldfarb (2022). “Power and Prediction: The Disruptive
Economics of Artificial Intelligence”, Boston: Harvard Business Review Press. - Belleflamme, P. and M. Peitz (2021). The Economics of Platforms, Cambridge University
Press. - Belleflamme, P. and N. Neysen (2023). Platform Strategies: A Guidebook for
Entrepreneurs in the Platform Economy, Routledge. - Ganuza, J.J. and G. Llobet (2018). Economic Analysis of the Digital Revolution, available at:
https://www.copenhageneconomics.com/dyn/resources/Filelibrary/file/2/172/1539951378/economic_analysis_of_the_digital_revolution.pdf
Articles
Very important articles are:
- Goldfarb, A. and C. Tucker (2019). Digital economics. Journal of Economic Literature, 57(1), 3-
43. - Hagiu, A. and J. Wright (2025). Artificial intelligence and competition policy. International
Journal of Industrial Organization: art. 103134. - Jullien, B., Pavan, A., and M. Rysman (2021). Two-sided markets, pricing, and network
effects. In Handbook of Industrial Organization 4(1), 485-592. Elsevier.
Rysman, M. (2009). The economics of two-sided markets. Journal of Economic Perspectives,
23(3), 125-143. - Tirole, J. (2023). Competition and the industrial challenge for the digital age. Annual Review
of Economics, 15, 573-605.
Why join our Summer School?
All BSE Summer courses are taught to the same high standard as our Master’s programs. Join us to:
Network with like-minded peers
Study in vibrant Barcelona
Learn from world-renowned faculty
Admissions and Requirements
Please make sure you are eligible to apply before submitting your application.
Requirements
- A strong background in Economics or a field closely related to the course topic (Statistics, Law, etc.)
- Postgraduate degree or current Master’s/PhD studies related to the course topic
- Relevant professional experience
Requirements for Platform Pricing Strategy and Regulation
- Basic knowledge of Industrial Economics is recommended
Schedule
Here is your schedule for this edition of BSE Digital Economy Summer School, Platform Pricing Strategy and Regulation course.
Credit Transfers (ECTS)
To be eligible for credit transfer, students must complete a final project.
The research proposal should be 3–4 pages long, 1.5 spaced, in font size 11, and include the following sections:
-
Research Question: Clearly state the main question your paper will address.
-
Motivation: Explain why this question matters and its policy relevance.
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Literature Review: Summarize the key existing studies and describe how your work builds on or differs from them.
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Methodology: Outline how you plan to address the research question, including your proposed empirical strategy and/or theoretical model.
Consult the Summer School Admissions page for more information about this option.
Certificate of Attendance
Participants who attend more than 80% of the course will receive a Certificate of Attendance, free of charge.
* Reduced Fee applies for PhD or Master’s students, Alumni of BSE Master’s programs, and participants who are unemployed.
FAQ
Need more information? Check out our most commonly asked questions.
Is accommodation included in the course fee?
Unfortunately, accommodation is not included in the course fee. Participants are responsible for finding accommodation.
Are the sessions recorded?
Sessions will NOT be recorded; however, the materials provided by the professor will be available for a month after the course has finished.
How much does each Summer School course cost?
Fees for each course may vary. Please consult each course page for accurate information.
Are there any discounts available?
Yes, BSE offers a variety of discounts on its Summer School courses. See more information about available discounts or request a personalized discount quote by email.
Can I take more than one course?
Yes! you can combine any of the Summer School courses (schedule permitting). See the full course calendar.
Are there any evening activities during the course?
Yes, a social dinner is held once a week for all participants, and it is free to attend.
Mix and match your summer courses!
Remember that you can combine Banking Summer School courses with courses in any of the other BSE Summer School programs (schedule permitting). Maximise your learning this summer and take advantage of our multiple-course discount.
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