Electronic bill payment and presentment (EBPP) services are a core component of many financial institutions' on-line banking offerings. This paper discusses the laws (state and federal), regulations, and regulatory guidance generally applicable to EBPP services offered through financial...

Small payments of less than $5 have resisted the wave of electronification that has swept consumer payments in recent years. However, a number of innovations — both new technologies and new ways of doing business — have done much to make such electronic “micropayments” less expensive and...

Over the past several years, the emergence and adoption of electronic payment instruments have acutely affected check usage. This transition has been especially evident at the point of sale as debit and credit cards have become pervasive. Today, the rapid growth of online bill payment looks to...

Approximately 42 billion checks were written and collected in the United States in 2000. The vast majority of noncash transactions continue to be settled with paper checks, which despite gains in efficiency and speed, still require costly and time-consuming sorting and transportation. An...

Network externalities exist when the value of a good or service to a potential consumer increases with the number of other consumers using the same product. For a service characterized by network externalities, adoption and use can be below the socially optimal level because consumers or firms...

Does cash still count? Electronic payments in their many forms are a ubiquitous part of our culture and the U.S. economy. Many of us have our paychecks automatically deposited in our bank accounts. We use online bill payment services and frequently shop at our favorite virtual storefronts....