Payment Systems

NEWS

New procedures for the transfer of securities used as collateral for Eurosystem credit operations. The Governing Council of the European Central Bank has decided that relayed links between securities settlement systems (SSSs) may be used for the cross-border transfer of securities to the Eurosystem. European Central Bank,  January 14 2005.
 

Pension delay blamed on computer - UK.  A computer failure over the New Year left thousands of pensioners without any cash. BBC News, January 7, 2005.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

E-Banking Snapshot – Online Banking: Phishing for Security. This article includes figures and graphs which reveal, among other things, that security is of major importance to online consumers, that phishing currently poses the greatest threat to online banking security and that the most targeted industry for phishing attacks is the financial services sector. Deutsche Bank Research, December 2004.  

The 2004 Federal Reserve Payments Study: Analysis of Non-Cash Payments Trends in the United States: 2000 – 2003. The study estimated the number and value of payments by check, automated clearing house (ACH), credit card, debit card, and electronic benefits transfer (EBT). The study also estimated the number and value of ATM withdrawals. Federal Reserve System. December 15, 2004.

Global Electronic Payments. This paper explores in detail the global electronic payments marketplace, with the exclusion of securities transactions. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, April 2004.

Payment Systems in Sri Lanka.  This paper aims to contribute to the general understanding and awareness of payment and settlement arrangements in Sri Lanka, and other countries, both domestically and internationally. Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems of the Central Banks of the Group of Ten countries, December 2004.

EVENTS
Upcoming:

SWIFT and International Payment Systems. This one-day session will explain the role of SWIFT in international payment systems and provides detailed information on the major payment systems worldwide. February – June 2005 (various locations/countries). 

Checks in Transition – Positioning your organization for Check Electronification. This conference will provide perspectives on the evolving expectations and requirements for electronic payment applications in tomorrow's business environment.  Atlanta, March 1-2, 2005. 

Payments 2005. The Electronic Payments Association hosts its annual conference, which will highlight the trends towards wider adoption and increased volumes of electronic payments, and the benefits these advances promise for companies  of all sizes and across industries - look to benefit from electronic payments. Texas, April 10-13, 2005. 

Antitrust Activity in Card-Based Payment Systems: Causes and Consequences. This conference will focus on the research of both the cause and the effects of antitrust actions. The organizers hope to address the need for better information on the efficacy of the different remedies mandated by courts worldwide. Sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Review of Network Economics, September 15 - 16, 2005. 

Past:

The World Bank and the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems of the BIS formed a Task Force to develop general principles for remittance system policy and oversight. The first meeting of the Group was held in Washington DC, on November 29-30, 2004.

oandreassen@worldbank.org

E-payments without Frontiers in Europe 2004. This conference on E-payments focused on issues related to e-payment initiatives, security and regulatory issues. Organized by  European Central Bank (ECB), Frankfurt am Main, November 10, 2004.

SIBOS 2004.  This conference discussed how communities can best ensure sustainable growth despite increasing risks and renewed emphasis on trust. Atlanta, 11-15 October 2004.

Payments in the Americas. This event presented recent trends in the burgeoning remittance market and mechanisms to achieve the policy objective of facilitating electronic payments and reducing costs to consumers. Hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Atlanta, October 7–8, 2004.

Commonwealth of Independent States Payments and Securities Settlement Initiative. The purpose of the Initiative is to assess payments and securities systems in the CIS countries with a view to improving their safety and efficiency. The World Bank, launched the Commonwealth of Independent States Payments and Securities Settlement Initiative in September 2004, in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

NEWSLETTERS 

The ePaynews.com Weekly Newsletter is sent out every Friday and summarizes the top payments news of the week, as covered on ePaynews.com. 

The electronic Payment Systems Observatory (ePSO). This site is updated regularly and provides useful links to articles, proceedings, data and other sources of information on electronic payments.

Western Hemisphere Payment & Securities Settlement Forum. The Western Hemisphere Payments and Securities Clearance and Settlement Initiative (WHI) through the several activities performed since 1999 has become a regional forum to discuss relevant issues in the field of payments and securities clearance and settlement.