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In a competitive sales environment, merchants are compelled to offer consumers the option of paying for goods and services using a variety of payment methods, including cash, debit card, or credit card. Each method entails different costs and benefits to merchants. To better understand the costs of accepting retail payments, the Bank of Canada surveyed over 500 Canadian merchants and found that most consider cash the least costly. This article investigated this perception by calculating the variable costs per transaction of accepting different means of payment. The findings are that costs for each payment method vary by merchant and transaction value, with debit cards the least costly payment for a broad cross-section of merchants.

The war in the Middle East has pushed up oil prices, putting pressure on inflation. In a situation where geopolitical tensions trigger a severe tightening in financial conditions, the resilience of the financial system could be tested.

Governor Gordon Thiessen today talked about the steps that Canada should take to preserve the current economic expansion and improve performance over the long run, in particular by reaping some of the potential gains from the technological revolution that is now sweeping the world.

The Canadian economy is carrying untapped potential that could prolong the expansion without causing inflation pressures, Governor Stephen S. Poloz said today. In a lecture at Queen’s University, Governor Poloz said that the Canadian economy is currently in the phase of the economic cycle where companies need to expand capacity to meet rising demand. “Growing […]

With the cessation of Canadian Dollar Offer Rate’s (CDOR) publication in June 2024, it is expected that Bankers’ Acceptance (BA) will cease to exist as a money market instrument.

The Bank of Canada launched the first in a new series of bank notes today. The themes of the notes in the new series, entitled Canadian Journey, reflect Canadians' views of their culture, history, and achievements, said Gordon Thiessen, Governor of the Bank of Canada, as he unveiled the $10 note at the Bank.

This policy provides guidance on the Bank’s approach to the assessment of applications for reimbursement.

The existence of downward nominal wage rigidity (DNWR) has often been used to justify a positive inflation target. It is traditionally assumed that positive inflation could “grease the wheels” of the labour market by putting downward pressure on real wages, easing labour market adjustments during a recession.

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.

Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle provides an assessment of risks to the stability of the Canadian financial system, including risks stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.