In this paper, we develop an empirical demand model and an estimation strategy that can account for excess demand, and the unobserved component of product quality. Our methodology allows us to quantify the extent of rationing, price and quality elasticities, and shed light on the potential...

Using multi-year survey data, we conduct a regression model analysis to examine which types of unbanked households are more likely to open a bank account and which types are less likely. We proxy for households’ likelihood of opening a bank account using their prior banking status and interest...

Using data from the United States and Canada, we quantify consumers’ net pecuniary cost of using cash, credit cards, and debit cards for purchases across income cohorts. The net cost includes fees paid to financial institutions, rewards received from credit or debit card issuers, and the...

We use novel datasets from multiple sources to quantify U.S. and Canadian consumers’ net pecuniary costs of making payments at the point of sale across income cohorts. The net costs include merchants’ cost of accepting payments that is passed on to consumers as higher retail prices, payment...