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Scale economies, cost efficiencies, and technological change in Federal Reserve payments

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  • Paul W. Bauer
  • Gary D. Ferrier

Abstract

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 of substantial scale economies and cost inefficiencies in the ACH and Fedwire services. Check processing also exhibits substantial cost inefficiency, but constant returns to scale. Technological progress is found to be sizeable for ACH and Fedwire; check processing is found to have experienced technological \"regress,\" probably because of a decrease in processing volume over the sample period.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul W. Bauer & Gary D. Ferrier, 1996. "Scale economies, cost efficiencies, and technological change in Federal Reserve payments," Financial Services working paper 96-01, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedcfs:96-01
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Khiaonarong, Tanai, 2003. "Payment systems efficiency, policy approaches, and the role of the central bank," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 1/2003, Bank of Finland.
    2. Gilbert, R. Alton & Wheelock, David C. & Wilson, Paul W., 2004. "New evidence on the Fed's productivity in providing payments services," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(9), pages 2175-2190, September.
    3. W. Scott Frame & Larry D. Wall & Lawrence J. White, 2018. "Technological Change and Financial Innovation in Banking: Some Implications for Fintech," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2018-11, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    4. Harimaya, Kozo, 2018. "The effects of consolidation on bank cost savings: Evidence from Japanese regional banks," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 41-49.
    5. David B. Humphrey & Robert Hunt, 2013. "Cost Savings from Check 21 Electronic Payment Legislation," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(7), pages 1415-1429, October.
    6. Yingzhuo Yu & Cesar Escalante & Xiaohui Deng & Jack Houston & Lewell Gunter, 2011. "Analysing scale and scope specialization efficiencies of US agricultural and nonagricultural banks using the Fourier flexible functional form," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(15), pages 1103-1116.

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    Keywords

    Payment systems; Checks; Clearinghouses (Banking); Fedwire;
    All these keywords.

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