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The Fed - Notes on the Detailed Data, 2012-2018

Notes on the Detailed Data, 2012-2018
Released October 2020

Sources
The Federal Reserve Payments Study (FRPS) produces national estimates of the number and value of
noncash payments. The information presented in the detailed tables is based on survey data collected via the
Depository and Financial Institutions Payments Survey (DFIPS) and the Networks, Processors, and Issuers
Payments Surveys (NPIPS), and is supplemented by other information collected by the Federal Reserve:
DFIPS—For 2018, surveys were sent to a nationally representative, stratified random sample of 3,800
depository institutions (DIs), comprising commercial banks, savings institutions, and credit unions. Surveys
were returned by 1,382 DIs. Estimates for the full population of DIs were based on separate estimates
constructed for each size and institution-type stratum.
NPIPS—For 2018, surveys were sent to 143 of the applicable payment organizations, comprising a census of
known processors for each category of payments. Surveys were returned by 112 payment organizations.
Estimates for each payment type were based on constructing a complete census of reported or estimated
data for relevant organizations and adding up the totals.
Other information—Data from Federal Reserve internal files and in the public domain were used to augment
the survey data.
The FRPS website contains further information on the study, including the reports, survey instruments, and
glossaries.

Important Data Considerations
Revised data in this release supersede previously published data.
Differences evident in like-named data from DFIPS and NPIPS, such as GP card payment volumes,
are due to a variety of reasons, including reporting errors, sampling and estimation errors, differing
survey definitions, as well as the differing information sets and data tracking capabilities of the
participating institutions.
General-purpose (GP) card payments from DFIPS are restated for 2012, 2015, and 2018. For
convenience and simplicity, top-line GP credit, non-prepaid debit, and GP prepaid debit card payments
estimates from DFIPS in past publications were set equal to the NPIPS estimates, and the
subcategories were adjusted proportionally. In the current release, there are no adjustments to create
equivalence between NPIPS and DFIPS estimates.
Estimates for automated clearinghouse (ACH) transfers include those based on operator data collected
in NPIPS and those estimated directly from the DFIPS survey data.

Contact
For questions or comments, or to be added to the FRPS mailing list, please contact:
frpaymentsstudy@frb.gov.

Data tables
General information
Scope

Unless specified, FRPS volumes include all noncash payments from accounts

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domiciled in the United States, including cross-border payments from those accounts.
Some specific items—cross-border payments to U.S. payees from non-U.S. payers—
cover cross-border payments from foreign accounts made in the United States.
Some card payment totals include transactions involving cash (such as a cash-back
transaction from a debit card, or a cash-advance transaction from a credit card).
Volumes are defined to include all payments made by consumers and businesses,
including for-profit and non-profit enterprises and federal, state, and local government
agencies.
Time period

NPIPS and DFIPS data reported in this release are based on estimates from the
triennial surveys for 2012, 2015, and 2018. Some NPIPS data—namely generalpurpose (GP), private-label (PL), and electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card
payments—include estimates from the annual supplemental surveys for 2016 and
2017.

Metrics

Number of accounts, value of account balances, number of cards (Accounts and
Cards table)
Number of payments, value of payments, average value of payments
Rates of change, calculated as compound annual growth rates (CAGRs)

Table 1. Accounts and Cards
Description

Transaction deposit accounts, sweep program accounts, and general-purpose cards and
accounts at depository institutions

Contents

Transaction deposit accounts
Retail and wholesale sweep program accounts
GP prepaid debit card program accounts
GP credit card accounts
Non-prepaid debit cards
GP prepaid debit cards
GP credit cards

Allocations

Transaction deposit accounts
Type of accountholder: consumer and business
Retail and wholesale sweep program accounts
Type of accountholder: consumer and business
GP prepaid debit card accounts
Type of card program: reloadable and non-reloadable
GP credit card accounts
Type of accountholder: consumer and business
Consumer accounts with current balances only
Zero and non-zero balances
Consumer accounts with revolving balances
Revolving only and both current and revolving
Non-prepaid debit, GP prepaid debit, and GP credit card counts:
Cards in force and cards with purchase activity
Consumer and business

Notes

Details on consumer GP credit card balances help to distinguish consumer use of

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credit cards for payment from use for borrowing purposes.
Sources

DFIPS

Table 2. Checks
Description

Checks paid, checks written, checks deposited, and outgoing checks returned

Contents

Checks paid
Checks written
Checks converted to ACH payments
Checks deposited
Outgoing checks returned

Allocations

Checks paid
Check type: U.S. treasury checks, postal money orders, and commercial
checks
Clearing method: interbank and on-us
Commercial checks paid
Payer type: consumer and business
Clearing method: interbank and on-us
Interbank clearing method: inclearings and on-us correspondent

Notes

Commercial checks include checks paid by both consumers and businesses.
Commercial checks do not include U.S. treasury checks and postal money orders.
Checks written is the sum of all checks paid plus checks that were created by the
payer but converted to an ACH transfer. Checks that are converted become the
“source document” for the ACH transfer.
Because of correspondent banking arrangements, estimates of checks deposited
include some double-counting.

Sources

DFIPS, Federal Reserve check processing data

Table 3. ACH Transfers
Description

ACH credit and debit transfers and ACH outgoing debit returns

Contents

Transfers by clearing method (DFIPS & NPIPS)
Network transfers by payer type (NPIPS)
Credit transfers (DFIPS)
Debit transfers (DFIPS)
Outgoing debit transfers returned (DFIPS)

Allocations

Transfers by clearing method (DFIPS & NPIPS)
Credit and debit
Network
Credit and debit
On-us
Credit and debit
Network transfers by payer type (NPIPS)

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U.S. treasury
Credit and debit
Non-U.S. treasury
Credit and debit
Credit transfers (DFIPS)
Clearing method: network and on-us
Payer type: consumer and business
Settlement timing: same-day and non-same-day
Debit transfers (DFIPS)
Clearing method: network and on-us
Payer type: consumer and business
Settlement timing: same-day and non-same-day
Notes

Sources

As noted above, two groups of ACH estimates are reported:
1. DFIPS & NPIPS: Data from DFIPS is used to calculate the ratio of total
transfers and on-us transfers (in-house on-us) to network transfers (sent to
ACH operators). Data provided by ACH operators is used to estimate interbank
ACH transfers, and the ratio is applied to the operator volumes to produce
stabilized estimates of on-us ACH.
2. DFIPS: DFIPS estimates.
DFIPS: Questions and definitions in the DFIPS ACH section have changed from
survey to survey to try to deal with mismatches between the information desired and
information available to some respondents. These variations have resulted in some
inconsistencies between the estimates reported in the tables from year to year.
DFIPS: Some on-us ACH payments that are sent to an ACH operator are sent to the
same institution for payment. The DFIPS survey asks respondents to allocate ACH
transfers between on-us transfers that are processed in house and those that are
sent to an operator (called network ACH payments, including those on-us payments
that are not retained and processed in house).
DFIPS: A negligible number of ACH payments are cleared and settled bilaterally
between two depository institutions through a process called direct exchange. Direct
exchange transactions are included in the DFIPS network estimates.
DFIPS & NPIPS: Total and on-us ACH transfers by clearing method reported in the
tables are derived using the ratio of DFIPS on-us to NPIPS network transfers. An
average of the ratios calculated from 2012, 2015, and 2018 is used to provide stability
across the years.
DFIPS, NPIPS

Table 4. Wire Transfers
Description

Wire transfers sent over large-value funds transfer systems

Contents

Wire transfers originated
Wire transfers received

Allocations

Wire transfers originated
Payer type: consumer and business
Payee location: domestic and cross-border
Clearing method: interbank and book transfer
Business wire transfers originated

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Type of business: settlement/bank business and other business
Notes
Sources

DFIPS

Table 5. GP Card Payments
Description

Sum of data available for all three of the general-purpose card types, including non-prepaid
debit, general-purpose prepaid debit, and general-purpose credit

Contents

Payments with U.S. cards
Payments via digital wallet
Adjustments and returns
Denials
Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards

Allocations

Channel: in person and remote
In person channel:
Authentication method: chip and no chip
Chip authentication method: contact and contactless
PIN and no PIN
Remote channel:
Mail-order/telephone-order, internet purchase, recurring/installment and other
Payee location: domestic and cross-border
Payee location: domestic and cross-border
Transaction value range
Payments via digital wallet
Channel: in person and remote
Adjustments and returns
Chargebacks and other

Notes

Chip-authenticated payments include both those that use the EMV specification and those
that do not. Chip-authenticated payments can be made with debit or credit cards or tokens
that contain computer microchips or with digital wallets on mobile devices.

Sources

DFIPS, NPIPS

Table 6. Non-prepaid Debit Card Payments
Description
Contents

Allocations

Non-prepaid debit card transactions
Payments with U.S. cards
Payments via digital wallet
Cash-back at the point of sale
Adjustments and returns
Denials
Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards
In addition to allocations for GP card payments (above):
Payer type: consumer and business

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Notes

Although the term “general-purpose” is dropped when referring to these cards, non-prepaid
debit cards are the type of general-purpose debit cards associated with transaction or
traditional “checking” accounts.

Sources

DFIPS, NPIPS

Table 7. GP Prepaid Debit Card Payments
Description
Contents

General-purpose prepaid debit card transactions
Payments with U.S. cards
Payments via digital wallet
Cash-back at the point of sale
Adjustments and returns
Denials
Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards

Allocations

In addition to allocations for GP card payments (above):
Account type: reloadable and non-reloadable

Notes

GP prepaid debit cards share the same networks as non-prepaid debit cards.

Sources

DFIPS, NPIPS

Table 8. GP Credit Card Payments
Description
Contents

General-purpose credit card transactions
Payments with U.S. cards
Payments via digital wallet
Cash advances
Adjustments and returns
Denials
Non-network payments with co-branded cards
Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards

Allocations

In addition to allocations for GP card payments (above):
Payer type: consumer and business

Notes

Payments made at merchants cobranded with the issuer and network on some cards are
not sent through the card network. These payments are processed internally by the card
issuer, reported separately, and not included in the network totals.

Sources

DFIPS, NPIPS

Table 9. PL Prepaid & EBT Card Payments
Description
Contents

Private-label prepaid debit and electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card transactions
PL prepaid debit card transactions
EBT card transactions

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Allocations

Channel: in person and remote
Card type: reloadable and non-reloadable

Notes

Private-label prepaid debit cards include cards used on proprietary networks for
purchases at specific merchants and EBT cards used to provide government
assistance.

Sources

NPIPS

Table 10. PL Credit Card Payments
Description

Private-label credit card transactions

Contents

PL credit card transactions

Allocations

Channel: in person and remote
Payer type: consumer and business

Notes

Private-label credit cards include cards used on proprietary networks for purchases at
specific merchants.

Sources

NPIPS

Table 11. Alternative Payments
Description

Payments initiated via alternative payment methods and systems

Contents

Alternative payments via depository institution (DI) website or app
Bill payment transactions
Person-to-person (P2P) transfers
P2P and money transfers
Cross-border payments from non-U.S. domiciled accounts
Online bill payments
Walk-in bill payments
Private-label ACH debit card payments
Cash-back at the point of sale
Adjustments and returns
Denials
Payments using online payment authentication methods
Mobile wallet payments

Allocations

Alternative payments via DI website or app
P2P transfers
On-us and off-us (interbank)
P2P and Money Transfer Processors
Payee location: domestic and cross-border
Origination channel: website, mobile device, in person and other
Clearing method: credit card/signature debit network, EFT/PIN debit network,
ACH, book transfer and other
Online Bill Payment Processors
Initiation method: bank/intermediary and biller-direct

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Disbursement method: ACH, check, wire and other
Funding method: cash, check, GP card, ACH and other
Walk-In Bill Payment Processors
Disbursement method: ACH, check, wire and other
Funding method: cash, GP card and other
Private-Label ACH Debit Card Processors
Adjustments and returns: ACH returns and other
Online Payment Authentication Methods Processors
Authentication method: redirected from the merchant or biller site, secure
online prepaid/escrow account, token vault and other
Mobile Wallet Processors
Channel: purchase, person-to-person and other
Purchase channel: in person and remote
Notes

Payments initiated via alternative payment methods and systems require clearing and
settlement through another payment type, typically via the ACH system or a generalpurpose card network.

Sources

DFIPS, NPIPS

Last Update: October 29, 2020

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