Search Results
Discussion Paper
Why don't consumers use electronic banking products? towards a theory of obstacles, incentives, and opportunities
This paper proposes a framework for describing why consumers use electronic banking products such as electronic bill payment, credit cards, debit cards, stored value, and e-cash. The paper surveys the literature; reports on the results of several studies, and develops a framework for evaluating consumer electronic banking usage. The framework includes three primary factors that explain consumer electronic banking usage: (1) household wealth, (2) personal preferences (e.g., convenience, budgeting, control, incentives, involvement, security), and (3) transaction-specific factors (e.g., dollar ...
Discussion Paper
Competition and innovation in the consumer e-payments market? considering the demand, supply, and public policy issues
Significant debate has occurred over the last several decades regarding whether there is adequate competition and innovation in the non-recurring consumer payments segment of the banking industry. The Department of Justice and some retailers have sued Visa and MasterCard for limiting competition and innovation. There has also been a host of high profile product failures in the consumer e-payment market place (e.g., e-cash and smart card products). Meanwhile, some researchers have suggested that consumers are irrational and unresponsive to marketplace incentives (for instance, see Ausubel ...
Journal Article
Why do consumers pay bills electronically? an empirical analysis
Why do consumers use electronic bill payment services? what do the differences between nonusers, low users, and high users imply about the potential future market these services? How might public policy evolve in the future? Analyzing a unique consumer survey conducted by the Federal Reserve's Retail Product Office, the author finds important differences between nonusers, low users, and high users of electronic bill payment. The analysis suggests that the industry will need to address fundamental customer needs before a broader portion of consumers will adopt these services.
Newsletter
Developing a roadmap to improve the U.S. payment system
On October 22?23, 2012, the Chicago Fed hosted its 12th annual Payments Symposium, where industry leaders convened to evaluate the implications of recent technological changes for the payments industry, including the attendant rise in customer demand for faster, more convenient payment options that are safe and interoperable. Participants proposed a number of ideas that, taken together, could help foster the creation of a roadmap to unify the fragmented payments industry and ultimately improve the payment system.