Developing a roadmap to improve the U.S. payment system

On October 22–23, 2012, the Chicago Fed hosted its 12th annual Payments Symposium, where industry leaders convened to evaluate the implications of recent technological changes for the payments industry, including the attendant rise in customer demand for faster, more convenient payment options that are safe and interoperable. Participants proposed a number of ideas that, taken together, could help foster the creation of a roadmap to unify the fragmented payments industry and ultimately improve the payment system.