An Introduction to the Economics of Payment Card Networks
Robert M. Hunt
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Review of Network Economics, Vol. 2, June 2003
Abstract:
Open payment card networks typically coordinate the activities of thousands of financial institutions that issue cards, millions of retail locations that accept them, and several hundred million consumers that use them. This coordination can include the collective setting of certain prices and other controversial network rules. Such practices have recently come under the scrutiny of antitrust authorities in the U.S. and abroad. This article provides a brief overview of the economics of the payment card industry, explaining some of the differences from the textbook model of competitive markets. Such differences are important factors for the antitrust analysis of payment card networks.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 17
JEL Classification: G21, L31, L42
Accepted Paper Series
Suggested Citation
Hunt, Robert M., An Introduction to the Economics of Payment Card Networks. Review of Network Economics, Vol. 2, June 2003. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=451880 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.451880
