A number of countries have implemented faster payment services that allow consumers and businesses to rapidly transfer money between bank accounts. These services compete with slower, existing payment services. In 2008, the U.K. implemented its Faster Payments Service (FPS) at a cost of less than £200 million (.014 percent of U.K. GDP, or U.S.$307 million) spread over seven years, plus investment costs borne by each participating bank to connect to the FPS. This paper examines the economic cost-benefit analysis underlying the U.K. FPS investment decision and describes the subsequent diffusion and use of FPS through 2014.
Costs and benefits of faster payment systems: the U.K. experience
Published: 30 April 2018