This paper analyses market competition between two different types of credit card platforms: not-for-profit associations and proprietary systems. The main focus is on the role of the interchange fee set by not-for-profit platforms. We show that when the interchange fee is set so as to maximise...

Over the last decade, consumers have tripled their use of credit cards as more merchants have increased their acceptance of them. This increase suggests that incentives in today's marketplace favor greater credit card use by consumers and acceptance by merchants. In this paper, we study the set...

This paper establishes a theoretical framework to characterise the optimal behaviour of individuals who receive income periodically but make consumption decisions on a more frequent basis. The model incorporates price uncertainty and imperfect credit markets. The simulated numerical solution to...

This teaching case study looks at milestones in the UK credit card market. It then focuses on how a long-standing market leader maintains a position of advantage and develops its business in a fast-moving industry undergoing significant change. There are many different strategic options open to...

Despite existing security standards and security technologies, such as secure hardware, gaps between users’ demand for security and the security offered by a payment system can still remain. These security gaps imply risks for users. In this paper, we introduce a framework for the management...

Central bank spending on the operation of inter-bank funds transfer systems may range from below one million to nearly a billion US dollars annually. This paper examines how such costs are incurred and recovered to pursue payment systems efficiency in different countries and under alternative...

The hypothesis put forth is that the U.S. dollar's role as a vehicle currency in global foreign exchange markets is linked to the low cost of payments-related intraday credit. After reviewing the types of intraday credit facilities extended to participants on payment systems settling the major...

This paper analyses the effects of innovations in retail payment systems on the conduct and implementation of monetary policy. Recent innovations in retail payment systems (access products and electronic money products) are placed in the context of historical institutional change in the...

In this study, the interaction between the competition-cooperation nexus and regulation in retail payment systems is analysed by applying the main lessons from the theory of network industries. This is justifiable on the grounds that the payment systems industry inherently has many...

The challenges of payment transactions in electronic commerce were initially underestimated, as is now clear in the light of technological progress and stricter legislation, meaning traditional business models are increasingly coming up against their limits. Only secure, user- friendly and...