MARKET POWER AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY IN NETWORK INDUSTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM PAYMENT CARDS WITHIN MULTIPRODUCT BANKING

Theoretical contributions on network industries have been numerous. However, there is a lack of sufficient empirical evidence which would assist related policymaking. This is the case of payment cards markets. This paper employs a unique database to analyze changes in market power and consumers' willingness to pay resulting from the introduction of payment cards in a multiproduct banking technology. Our findings indicate that any rise in bank market power from payment cards is associated to a greater increase in consumers' willingness to pay. Any antitrust intervention which does not take into account such welfare effects could be misguided.