Need data on credit, debit, checks

I am looking for updated industry stats on growth in the payments industry. [Do you] know of a good source or white paper? I would like details on credit, debit and checks.

- MLS Forum member joglesby

Joglesby:

A good place to start is the "2005/2006 Study of Consumer Payment Preferences." The study, released Oct. 25, 2005, was conducted by the American Bankers Association and Dove Consulting, a division of Hitachi Consulting. We analyzed the data in our December 2005 GSQ ("The changing face of card acquiring," Vol. 8, No. 4). Download a copy from our GSQ archive at www.greensheet.com/gsq/Secured-/gsqv8n4.pdf

Or, visit the ABA's Web site at www.aba.com for more information on how to obtain a copy of its study. The Federal Reserve also has released several reports on payment trends:

· The 2005 report "Trends in the use of payments instruments in the United States" can be downloaded at www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/2005/spring05_payment.pdf

· The 2004 report "Analysis of noncash payments trends in the United States: 2000 - 2003" can be downloaded at www.frbservices.org/Retail/pdf/2004PaymentResearchReport.pdf

The Fed recently announced plans to conduct two studies to determine the current composition of the nation's retail payments market, including checks, credit and debit cards, and automated clearing house transactions. The studies will be conducted the first half of 2007, and results will be released later in the year.

Editor

Looking for U.S. processing data

I am doing research ... on the merchant services industry and its impact on U.S. small and medium-sized businesses. Can you tell me where I can get stats on the amount of cards processed in the United States annually?

Thank you!
Charlotte D. Fritz
Account Executive
BPS-RM

Charlotte:

If you're looking for data on the number of transactions processed, I may be able to help. In a July 2006 report from TowerGroup Inc., "Taking charge: Essentials of U.S. bank card acquiring," Analyst Brian Riley estimated that the top five U.S. merchant acquirers would share 94% of the market and handle 45.5 billion transactions in 2006.

Our December 2006 GSQ ("Card payments under the microscope," Vol. 9, No. 4), presented that data along with our own analysis of the market. The result: We estimated the credit and offline debit transaction totals of the top five acquirers. Download a copy of this GSQ at www.greensheet.com/gsq

Editor

Write us, call us

Did you like (or dislike) a recent article or issue of The Green Sheet or GSQ? Do you have a story idea? Send your questions, comments and feedback to greensheet@greensheet.com or call 800-757-4441.