In this paper, we provide a framework to study the creation and adoption of innovations by payment providers and processors. We identify several motivating factors for banks and nonbanks to invest in payment innovations. In addition, we discuss the evolutionary process of payment innovations...

This paper uses a stochastic cost frontier to examine the scale economies, cost efficiencies, and technological change of three payments instruments--check, automated clearinghouse (ACH) transfers, and Fedwire processing--provided by the Federal Reserve over the period 1990-94. We find evidence...