Notes on the Detailed Data, NPIPS, 2015-2022
Released November 2024
Sources
The Federal Reserve Payments Study (FRPS) produces national estimates of the number and value of noncash payments 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. The information presented in the detailed tables of this release includes survey data collected in the NPIPS.
For 2021, NPIPS surveys were sent to 105 of the applicable payment organizations, comprising a census of known processors for each category of payments. Surveys were returned by 51 payment organizations. For 2022, NPIPS surveys were sent to 67 of the applicable payment organizations, comprising a census of known processors for each category of payments. Surveys were returned by 37 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 used to augment the survey data is from Federal Reserve internal files and in the public domain.
The FRPS webpage 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.
Data Tables
General Information
| Scope |
- Unless specified, FRPS volumes include all noncash payments from accounts 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 data reported in this release are based on estimates from the surveys conducted for each of the eight years from 2015 to 2022. All estimates are for the calendar year with the exception of a set of quarterly estimates for general-purpose (GP) card payments for 2020, 2021, and 2022.
|
| Metrics |
- Number of payments, value of payments, average value of payments
- Rates of change, calculated as compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) or simply annual growth rates (AGRs)
|
Table 1. General-Purpose Cards, 2015-22
| Description |
Sum of data available for the general-purpose card types, including non-prepaid debit, general-purpose prepaid debit, and general-purpose credit |
| Contents |
- Payments with U.S. cards
- 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
- No chip authentication method: PIN and no PIN
- Remote channel:
- Mail-order/telephone-order, internet purchase, recurring/installment, and other
- Payee location: domestic and cross-border
- Cross-border location: in person and remote
- Payer type: consumer and business
- Transaction value range
|
| 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 |
NPIPS |
Table 2. General-Purpose Debit Cards, 2015-22
| Description |
Sum of data available for the general-purpose debit card types, including non-prepaid debit and general-purpose prepaid debit |
| Contents |
- Payments with U.S. cards
- Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards
|
| Allocations |
The same allocations as GP card payments (above). |
| Notes |
Non-prepaid debit cards are the type of general-purpose debit cards associated with transaction or traditional “checking” accounts. |
| Sources |
NPIPS |
Table 3. Non-Prepaid Debit Cards, 2015-22
| Description |
Non-prepaid debit card transactions |
| Contents |
- Payments with U.S. cards
- Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards
|
| Allocations |
The same allocations as GP card payments (above). |
| 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. All non-prepaid debit card transactions are general-purpose transactions. |
| Sources |
NPIPS |
Table 4. General-Purpose Prepaid Debit Card Payments, 2015-22
| Description |
General-purpose prepaid debit card transactions |
| Contents |
- Payments with U.S. cards
- 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 |
NPIPS |
Table 5. General-Purpose Credit Cards, 2015-22
| Description |
General-purpose credit card transactions |
| Contents |
- Payments with U.S. cards
- Cross-border payments to U.S. payees with non-U.S. cards
|
| Allocations |
The same allocations as GP card payments (above). |
| 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 |
NPIPS |
Table 6. Private-Label Prepaid and EBT Cards, 2015-22
| Description |
Private-label (PL) prepaid debit and electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card transactions |
| Contents |
- PL prepaid debit card transactions
- EBT card transactions
|
| 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 7. Private-Label Credit Cards, 2015-22
| Description |
Private-label credit card transactions |
| Contents |
PL credit card transactions |
| Allocations |
- Channel: in person and remote
- In person channel: merchant-issued card or token, mobile app, and other
- Payer type: consumer and business
|
| Notes |
Private-label credit cards include cards used on proprietary networks for purchases at specific merchants. |
| Sources |
NPIPS |
Table 8. Alternative Payments, 2015-22
| Description |
Payments initiated via alternative payment methods and systems |
| Contents |
- Person-to-person (P2P) and money transfers
- 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 |
- 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
- Redirected from the merchant or biller site method: normal and delayed/instant credit
- Mobile Wallet Processors
- Channel: purchase, person-to-person (P2P), and other
- Purchase channel: in person and remote
- In person channel: Radio transmission RFID/NFC and Optical barcode/QR code
|
| Notes |
The consolidated P2P and MT category includes payments using traditional money transfer providers, mobile P2P apps, platforms used by banks for online money transfers, and card-based P2P systems. Payments initiated via alternative payment methods and systems require clearing and settlement through another payment type, typically via the ACH system or a general-purpose card network. Mobile wallets are digital wallets on mobile devices. |
| Sources |
NPIPS |
Table 9. General-Purpose Cards, 2020-22 Quarterly
| Description |
Quarterly data available for the general-purpose card types, including non-prepaid debit, general-purpose prepaid debit, and general-purpose credit |
| Contents |
- GP card payments
- Debit card payments
- Non-prepaid debit card payments
- GP prepaid debit card payments
- GP credit card payments
|
| Allocations |
- Channel: in person and remote
- In person channel:
- Authentication method: chip and no chip
- Chip authentication method: contact and contactless
|
| Notes |
Quarterly data are only available for calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022. 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 |
NPIPS |
Contact
For questions or comments, or to be added to the FRPS mailing list, please contact: frpaymentsstudy@frb.gov.