Translation Quality as a Cue: Effects on Fair Price Perceptions and the Moderating Role of Consumer Traits

This study investigates how translation quality in product descriptions influences consumers’ perceptions of fair price. While prior work has examined linguistic framing, the strategic role of translation quality in product descriptions remains underexplored. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we argue that poor translation weakens argument clarity, increases cognitive effort, and shifts attention to peripheral cues—ultimately reducing fair price evaluations. Moreover, we examine how individual traits moderate this effect. Specifically, we argue buying impulsiveness and shopping procrastination shape whether consumers process product information through the central and peripheral processing routes. The results of an experiment conducted in offline and online shopping channels find support that poor translation leads to lower fair price perceptions, and this effect is weaker for impulsive consumers and stronger for procrastinators. The study underscores the importance of translation linguistic quality and tailored communication strategies for diverse consumer profiles in cross-border marketing.