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Size matters: Economies of scale in European payments processing

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  • Beijnen, Christine
  • Bolt, Wilko

Abstract

This paper investigates the existence and extent of economies of scale in the European payment processing industry. It is expected that the creation of a single European payments area (SEPA) will spur consolidations and mergers among European payment processors to more fully realize payment economies of scale. We find evidence for the existence of significant economies of scale using data of eight European payment processors during the years 1990-2005. The analysis also reveals that ownership structure is an important factor to explain cost differences across European processing centers.

Suggested Citation

  • Beijnen, Christine & Bolt, Wilko, 2009. "Size matters: Economies of scale in European payments processing," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 203-210, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:33:y:2009:i:2:p:203-210
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    as
    1. Wilko Bolt & David B. Humphrey, 2005. "Public Good Aspects of TARGET: Natural Monopoly, Scale Economies, and Cost Allocation," DNB Working Papers 036, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    2. Bauer, Paul W & Ferrier, Gary D, 1996. "Scale Economies, Cost Efficiencies, and Technological Change in Federal Reserve Payments Processing," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 28(4), pages 1004-1039, November.
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    4. Bolt Wilko & Humphrey David, 2007. "Payment Network Scale Economies, SEPA, and Cash Replacement," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 6(4), pages 1-21, December.
    5. Bolt, Wilko & Humphrey, David, 2005. "Public good issues in TARGET: natural monopoly, scale economies, network effects and cost allocation," Working Paper Series 505, European Central Bank.
    6. Hancock, Diana & Humphrey, David B. & Wilcox, James A., 1999. "Cost reductions in electronic payments: The roles of consolidation, economies of scale, and technical change," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(2-4), pages 391-421, February.
    7. Schmiedel, Heiko & Malkamaki, Markku & Tarkka, Juha, 2006. "Economies of scale and technological development in securities depository and settlement systems," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 1783-1806, June.
    8. repec:bpj:rneart:v:6:y:2007:i:4:p:453-473 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Patrick van Cayseele & Christophe Wuyts, 2006. "Measuring Scale Economies in a Heterogeneous Industry: The Case of European Settlement Institutions," SUERF Studies, SUERF - The European Money and Finance Forum, number 2006/3 edited by Morten Balling, May.
    10. Guibourg, Gabriela & Segendorff, Bjorn, 2007. "A note on the price- and cost structure of retail payment services in the Swedish banking sector 2002," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(9), pages 2817-2827, September.
    11. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2003_001 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Robert M. Adams & Paul W. Bauer & Robin C. Sickles, 2002. "Scope and scale economies in Federal Reserve payment processing," Working Papers (Old Series) 0213, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bourreau, Marc & Verdier, Marianne, 2010. "Private cards and the bypass of payment systems by merchants," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1798-1807, August.
    2. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2010_003 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Nicole Jonker & Mirjam Plooij & Johan Verburg, 2015. "Does a public campaign influence debit card usage? Evidence from the Netherlands," DNB Working Papers 470, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    4. Li, Shaofang & Marinč, Matej, 2016. "Competition in the clearing and settlement industry," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 134-162.
    5. Arango-Arango, Carlos A. & Bouhdaoui, Yassine & Bounie, David & Eschelbach, Martina & Hernandez, Lola, 2018. "Cash remains top-of-wallet! International evidence from payment diaries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 38-48.
    6. Wilko Bolt & Sujit Chakravorti, 2008. "Economics of payment cards: a status report," Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, vol. 32(Q IV), pages 15-27.
    7. Iftekhar Hasan & Heiko Schmiedel & Liang Song, 2012. "Returns to Retail Banking and Payments," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 41(3), pages 163-195, June.
    8. Bita Shabgard, 2021. "Single euro payment area (SEPA) and banking industry: discriminatory pricing vs. non-discriminatory pricing," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(3), pages 355-383, September.
    9. Docherty, Peter & Wang, Gehong, 2010. "Using synthetic data to evaluate the impact of RTGS on systemic risk in the Australian payments system," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 103-117, June.
    10. Bolt, Wilko & Jonker, Nicole & van Renselaar, Corry, 2010. "Incentives at the counter: An empirical analysis of surcharging card payments and payment behaviour in the Netherlands," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1738-1744, August.
    11. Wilko Bolt & Sujit Chakravorti, 2010. "Digitization of Retail Payment," DNB Working Papers 270, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    12. Bolt, Wilko & Humphrey, David, 2010. "Bank competition efficiency in Europe: A frontier approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1808-1817, August.
    13. Hasan, Iftekhar & Schmiedel, Heiko & Song, Liang, 2010. "Return from retail banking and payments," Research Discussion Papers 3/2010, Bank of Finland.
    14. Maximilian J. B. Hall & Richard Simper, 2013. "Efficiency and competition in Korean banking," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(10), pages 881-890, May.
    15. Li, Shaofang & Marinč, Matej, 2018. "Economies of scale and scope in financial market infrastructures," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 17-49.
    16. Hasan, Iftekhar & Schmiedel, Heiko & Song, Liang, 2010. "Return from retail banking and payments," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 3/2010, Bank of Finland.
    17. Humphrey, David, 2009. "Payment scale economies, competition, and pricing," Working Paper Series 1136, European Central Bank.
    18. Marko Jakšič & Matej Marinč, 2019. "Relationship banking and information technology: the role of artificial intelligence and FinTech," Risk Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(1), pages 1-18, March.
    19. Humphrey, David B., 2010. "Retail payments: New contributions, empirical results, and unanswered questions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1729-1737, August.
    20. Bolt, Wilko & Schmiedel, Heiko, 2009. "SEPA, efficiency, and payment card competition," Working Paper Series 1140, European Central Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    SEPA Payment processing Scale economies Ownership;

    JEL classification:

    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money

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