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Interchange fees and payment card networks: economics, industry developments, and policy issues

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Abstract

In many countries around the world, electronic card-based payments have been replacing older types of payments at a rapid rate. In the United States, use of both debit cards and credit cards has been rising rapidly, while check volumes have been declining. The increased use of electronic payment methods has generated a number of public policy debates. One prominent debate concerns interchange fees. This paper is intended to provide background for understanding the interchange fee debate. The paper describes the operation of a typical payment card system, presents a summary of the economic theory underlying interchange fees, and discusses various developments in the U.S. payment cards industry, as well as legal and regulatory developments abroad. The paper concludes with a discussion and critical evaluation of a number of potential policy interventions.

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  • Ron Borzekowski & Elizabeth K. Kiser & Mark D. Manuszak & Robin A. Prager, 2009. "Interchange fees and payment card networks: economics, industry developments, and policy issues," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2009-23, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedgfe:2009-23
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Zhu, 2016. "Price cap regulation in a two-sided market: Intended and unintended consequences," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 28-37.
    2. Arango, Carlos & Huynh, Kim P. & Sabetti, Leonard, 2011. "How do you pay? The role of incentives at the point-of-sale," Working Paper Series 1386, European Central Bank.
    3. Scott Schuh & Oz Shy & Joanna Stavins & Robert K. Triest, 2011. "An economic analysis of the 2010 proposed settlement between the Department of Justice and credit card networks," Public Policy Discussion Paper 11-4, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    4. Richard J. Sullivan, 2013. "The impact of debit card regulation on checking account fees," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, issue Q IV, pages 59-93.
    5. Zhu Wang, 2013. "Demand externalitites and price cap regulation: Learning from a two-sided market," Working Paper 13-06, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
    6. Börestam, Ann & Schmiedel, Heiko, 2011. "Interchange fees in card payments," Occasional Paper Series 131, European Central Bank.
    7. Zhu Wang, 2012. "Debit card interchange fee regulation: some assessments and considerations," Economic Quarterly, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, vol. 98(3Q), pages 159-182.
    8. Wilko Bolt & Sujit Chakravorti, 2010. "Digitization of Retail Payment," DNB Working Papers 270, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    9. Pidong Huang & Young Sik Kim & Manjong Lee, 2014. "Optimal Allocation of Social Cost for Electronic Payment System: A Ramsey Approach," Discussion Paper Series 1402, Institute of Economic Research, Korea University.
    10. Frans Saxén, 2014. "The No Surcharge Rule and Merchant Competition," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 39-66, March.
    11. David S. Evans & Richard Schmalensee, 2013. "The Antitrust Analysis of Multi-Sided Platform Businesses," NBER Working Papers 18783, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Fumiko Hayashi, 2013. "The new debit card regulations: effects on merchants, consumers, and payments system efficiency," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 98(Q I), pages 89-118.
    13. James J. McAndrews & Zhu Wang, 2008. "The economics of two-sided payment card markets: pricing, adoption and usage," Research Working Paper RWP 08-12, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    14. Hangfei Guo & Mingming Leng & Yulan Wang, 2012. "Interchange fee rate, merchant discount rate, and retail price in a credit card network: A game‐theoretic analysis," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 59(7), pages 525-551, October.
    15. Kay, Benjamin S. & Manuszak, Mark D. & Vojtech, Cindy M., 2018. "Competition and complementarities in retail banking: Evidence from debit card interchange regulation," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 91-108.
    16. Bita Shabgard & Javier Asensio, 2023. "The price effects of reducing payment card interchange fees," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 189-221, June.
    17. Benjamin S. Kay & Mark D. Manuszak & Cindy M. Vojtech, 2014. "Bank Profitability and Debit Card Interchange Regulation: Bank Responses to the Durbin Amendment," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2014-77, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    18. Julian Wright, 2012. "Why payment card fees are biased against retailers," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 43(4), pages 761-780, December.
    19. Arango, Carlos & Huynh, Kim P. & Sabetti, Leonard, 2015. "Consumer payment choice: Merchant card acceptance versus pricing incentives," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 130-141.

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    Keywords

    Electronic funds transfers; Interchange fees (Banking); Credit cards;
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