"Toyota has been paying incentives as high as $1,000 per car to sell the Camry," he said.

A less obvious way to hold a sale is for the manufacturers to pay incentives to dealers, instead of to consumers.

Pay incentives (bonuses) are often linked to results in reaching the objectives.

In August, the company decided to pay incentives of up to $1,500 per Accord to its dealers, to share with customers as the dealers saw fit.

The measure also prohibits insurers from paying doctors financial incentives aimed at encouraging them to limit patient care.

But Honda will sometimes subsidize leases or pay incentives to dealers, which can indirectly lower a customer's price.

Other Japanese luxury franchises also survey customers constantly and pay incentives and prizes for high customer satisfaction.

Improved equipment, maintenance and scheduling and perhaps pay incentives could improve litter collectors' performance.

In his suit, Mr. Spitzer said some of the same insurance companies paid incentives to encourage the broker to send them business.

Then they devise procedures for managing the cost of care, typically by paying group members bonuses or other incentives for keeping patients healthy and satisfied.