Duncan Douglass spoke during this conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. As consumers and merchants increasingly adopt electronic payments, the pricing of these services has generated substantial scrutiny around the world. Some public authorities have directly intervened in the payments market. Others have relied more heavily on the private market to develop payments pricing strategies. Moreover, innovative vehicles and business models may increase competition, resulting in greater choice to payment system participants. However, these products may not provide the same benefits as traditional debit and credit cards. This conference addressed these issues, as well as the following topics...
Evaluating the role of public intervention
Comparing perspectives on market-based solutions
Offering incentives to affect payments behavior
Leveraging technology to increase competition
Developing future payment pricing strategies
May 14-15, 2009
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago / Chicago, IL