In theory, banks that conduct all their business over the Internet will have low overhead expenses. If these saving materialize, Internet banks could use them to fuel fast growth while still earning normal profits. This article analyzes a small sample of "pure lay" Internet banks launched during...

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...

The Internet is often referred to as the world’s largest mall. About half of all adults in the United States have made a purchase online. Worldwide, online shopping is considerably greater—and cybershopping is expected to continue to grow as more households become connected to the Internet...

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...

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...

This article updates the information published in an article by Loretta Mester in the March/April 2000 Business Review and last updated in the Third Quarter 2009 issue.