Find Bank of Canada publications by keyword, author, content type, JEL code, topic or publication date.
18
result(s)
November 16, 2017
Acceptance and Use of Payments at the Point of Sale in Canada
Merchants universally accept cash. Consumers widely hold cash but also carry debit and credit cards. The cost of using a method of payment has only a small influence on which method consumers use. Large merchants accept all payments, while only two-thirds of small and medium-sized businesses accept credit cards. Merchants report that credit cards are the costliest payment method compared with cash and debit cards. However, costs are not the only consideration. Merchant acceptance of credit accounts for the many con-sumers that want to use credit cards. This interaction between consumers and merchants is known as network externalities.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Digital currencies and fintech,
Financial institutions,
Payment clearing and settlement systems
JEL Code(s):
D,
D2,
D23,
D24,
E,
E4,
E41,
E42,
G,
G2,
G21,
L,
L2
May 14, 2015
The Use of Cash in Canada
The Bank of Canada’s 2013 Methods-of-Payment Survey indicates that the share of cash in the overall number of retail transactions has continued to decrease, mainly because of increased use of contactless credit cards. The share of cash in the total value of retail transactions was virtually unchanged from 2009 to 2013. In particular, the value share of cash transactions above $50 increased. Automated banking machines (ABMs), still the major source of cash for Canadians, were used less often in 2013 than in 2009. Cash use in Canada is broadly similar to that in Australia and the United States.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Digital currencies and fintech,
Econometric and statistical methods,
Financial system regulation and policies,
Payment clearing and settlement systems
JEL Code(s):
C,
C8,
C83,
E,
E4,
E42,
G,
G2,
G21,
L,
L8,
L81
May 13, 2014
Understanding Platform-Based Digital Currencies
Given technological advances and the widespread use of the Internet, various digital currencies have emerged. In most cases, Internet platforms such as Facebook and Amazon restrict the functionality of their digital currencies to enhance the business model and maximize their profits. While platform-based digital currencies could increase the efficiency of retail payments, they could also raise some important policy issues if they were to become widely used outside of the platform. Thus, it is important to closely monitor the evolution of these digital currencies.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Digital currencies and fintech,
Financial services,
Payment clearing and settlement systems
JEL Code(s):
E,
E4,
E41,
E42
November 15, 2012
The Changing Landscape for Retail Payments in Canada and the Implications for the Demand for Cash
Over the past 20 years, there has been a major shift away from the use of paper-based retail payment instruments, such as cash and cheques, toward electronic means of payment, such as debit cards and credit cards. Recent Bank of Canada research on consumers’ choice of payment instruments indicates that cash is frequently used for transactions with low values because of its speed, ease of use and wide acceptance, while debit and credit cards are more commonly used for transactions with higher values because of perceived attributes such as safety and record keeping. While innovations in retail payments currently being introduced into the Canadian marketplace could lead to a further reduction in the use of cash over the longer term, the implications for the use of cash of some of the structural and regulatory developments under way are less clear.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Econometric and statistical methods,
Financial system regulation and policies,
Payment clearing and settlement systems
JEL Code(s):
C,
C8,
C83,
E,
E4,
E42,
G,
G2,
G28
May 17, 2012
Conference Summary: New Developments in Payments and Settlement
The Bank of Canada’s annual conference, held in November 2011, brought together leading researchers from universities, central banks and other institutions from around the world. Divided into four sessions plus two keynote addresses, the conference covered such topics as the use of cash and other means of payment in retail transactions, large-value payments systems, and […]
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Central bank research,
Financial system regulation and policies,
Monetary policy implementation,
Payment clearing and settlement systems
JEL Code(s):
E,
E4,
E42,
G,
G2,
G28,
L,
L8,
L81
November 17, 2011
Modelling the Counterfeiting of Bank Notes: A Literature Review
The objective of this article is to improve our understanding of counterfeiting and its policy implications by reviewing research in this area. There has been almost no empirical work on counterfeiting because of the limited availability of counterfeiting data and related statistics. The authors therefore focus on theoretical studies that directly model the behaviour of the relevant economic agents. They first establish some stylized facts about counterfeiting to provide a general understanding of the problem. They then briefly review several models of counterfeiting and summarize their relevant insights, focusing on the implications of the findings for the incentive to counterfeit, social welfare and anti-counterfeiting policies. The authors find that the policy implications of these studies support the Bank’s comprehensive anti-counterfeiting strategy.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes
May 19, 2011
Supplementary article: Paying with Polymer: Developing Canada’s New Bank Notes
In this article, author Charles Spencer reviews the complex process of developing the new series, which represents a dramatic change for Canada. The leading-edge security features made possible by the new substrate, the cost savings of the move to a polymer base and the environmental advantages of the new notes are also examined.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Credibility,
Payment clearing and settlement systems
November 11, 2009
Making Bank Notes Accessible for Canadians Living with Blindness or Low Vision
The ability to conduct financial transactions using bank notes is crucial to independent living. Yet this can pose significant challenges for individuals who are blind or partially sighted. This article discusses the Bank of Canada's efforts over the past 30 years to meet the accessibility needs of a specific subset of the population–Canadians living with blindness or vision loss. It also reports the findings of expert and user assessments of the suite of accessibility features on the current series of bank notes and shares plans for the next series.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Bank notes,
Central bank research