Electronic billing and payment systems are about to change the way many households pay their monthly bills. These systems are likely to increase consumer convenience and reduce billers' costs. Several factors, however, could slow down the widespread use of electronic billing and payments,...

In the view of most policymakers and economists, competition in retail banking takes place in local markets the size of a single county or metropolitan area. This article presents evidence that the locus of banking competition has in recent years shifted to larger geographic arenas. The author's...

The amount of fee income earned by the banking sector suggests that the significance of payment services has been understated or overlooked. This paper attempts to develop a clearer picture of the importance of payment services to the industry by delineating the payments area broadly and by...

Although many people believe that the payments area is a fairly minor business function within the banking sector, an increasing share of banks' revenue comes from fee services. To understand the full scope of the payments area, the author develops a broad definition of this business line and...

The largest U.S. commercial banks are currently in the process of restructuring their retail operations. This paper describes the innovations that are being adopted, explains the integrated strategies for restructuring, and reviews the policy issues that emerge. We find that banks are...

The author explains that two steps being taken by banks to restructure their branch systems--the substitution of supermarket branches for traditional offices and the expansion of telephone banking through twenty-four-hour phone centers--may adversely affect employment in New York State as well...

The largest U.S. commercial banks are restructuring their retail operations to reduce the cost disadvantage resulting from a stagnant deposit base and stiffer competition. As part of this effort, some banks are opening "supermarket," or "in-store," branches: a new type of banking office within a...