General: Article Archives

Nearly 80 percent of noncash payments are now electronic

January 2011

The 2010 Federal Reserve Payments Study has reaffirmed this country’s continued shift from paper to electronics. According to the most recent study, about 20 billion more electronic payments were made in 2009 than in 2006, which represented a 9.3 percent annual increase and accounted for close to 80 percent of noncash payments. Learn more about how the study results dramatize the nation’s progress over the past decade toward a more efficient and reliable electronic payments system.
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Embracing processing innovations in this new era of electronic payments

November 2010

The payments industry has evolved dramatically in recent years with a notable shift from paper to electronic processing. The Federal Reserve Banks, our customers and all industry participants are experiencing the benefits of a more efficient, reliable and secure payments system. Read how we are reshaping our service offerings in this new era of payments in which image exchange, cross-border payments and same-day ACH payments are possible.
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Protecting consumers with new credit card rules

August 2010

In June, the Federal Reserve Board approved a final rule to protect credit card users from unreasonable late payment and other penalty fees. The provisions of the Federal Reserve’s Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act addressed in this rule will generally take effect on August 22, 2010. Check out the array of consumer resources linked from this article.
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Knowledge is power! Online tools help protect your customers’ credit rights

April 2010

Earlier this year, Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) was amended to protect consumers who use credit cards from a number of costly practices. And, to help consumers boost their credit card knowledge, the Federal Reserve Board recently launched a Consumer’s Guide to Credit Cards Web site. Be sure to check out all of the robust, interactive tools.
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2010 Payments Study: Examining the nation’s payments usage

February 2010

The Federal Reserve Banks will conduct another series of studies to determine the current volume and composition of check and electronic payments. The 2010 study is a continuation of an ongoing effort by the Fed to measure trends in noncash payments in the U.S.
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2010 Focus: Deliver value and drive payments system efficiency

November 2009

Learn about the strategic investments in technology, new service offerings and improved processes the Federal Reserve Banks have put in place to deliver value to customers and increase efficiency over the long term. As the electronic payments environment continues to expand and evolve throughout 2010, the focus is on delivering innovative solutions for financial institutions of all sizes.
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Summing it up: Innovative payment solutions

November 2008

The financial services industry continues to reinvent the payments environment by taking strong steps to electronify the way payments are made and processed. As the electronic payments environment grows in magnitude and impact, the Federal Reserve Banks remain committed to offering innovative payment solutions for financial institutions of all sizes. We continue to focus on providing reliable and robust payment services that are designed to be secure, while modernizing our infrastructure and focusing on the future.
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A look at the numbers

November 2008

As 2008 draws to a close, we are sharing these numbers to summarize the tools, resources, support and services that are available to, or utilized by, our financial institution customers. The Federal Reserve Banks look forward to continuing to provide you value-added services and build upon our relationship in 2009.
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Payments Study Supplement

January 2008

The summary report on the 2007 Federal Reserve Payments Study is now available. This study is part of an ongoing effort by the Federal Reserve System to measure trends in noncash payments in the United States.
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