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The cost of being late? The case of credit card penalty fees

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  • Massoud, Nadia
  • Saunders, Anthony
  • Scholnick, Barry

Abstract

This paper is the first in the literature to examine the determinants of US credit card penalty fees. Many critics of credit card fees - including a number of US Senators - have argued that credit card penalty fees reflect banks' market share. Using a unique data set we find that fees are increasing in customer risk which supports the position of defenders of penalty fees, such as banks. However, our finding that fees are increasing in a bank's market share is consistent with the concerns expressed by politicians and regulators. We also find card penalty fees are direct substitutes for card interest rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Massoud, Nadia & Saunders, Anthony & Scholnick, Barry, 2011. "The cost of being late? The case of credit card penalty fees," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 49-59, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finsta:v:7:y:2011:i:2:p:49-59
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Stefano Colonnello & Christoph Herpfer, 2021. "Do Courts Matter for Firm Value? Evidence from the US Court System," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(2), pages 403-438.
    3. Gregory E. Elliehausen & Simona Hannon, 2017. "The Credit Card Act and Consumer Finance Company Lending," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2017-072, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Hannon, Simona, 2024. "Essays on consumer finance," Other publications TiSEM 4958b451-b30a-4957-9763-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Campbell, Daniel & Grant, Andrew & Thorp, Susan, 2022. "Reducing credit card delinquency using repayment reminders," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    6. Shy, Oz & Stavins, Joanna, 2024. "Who is paying all these fees? An empirical analysis of bank account and credit card fees," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    7. Tobias Trütsch, 2016. "The impact of mobile payment on payment choice," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 30(3), pages 299-336, August.
    8. Allen N. Berger & Christa H. S. Bouwman & Lars Norden & Raluca A. Roman & Gregory F. Udell & Teng Wang, 2024. "Piercing through Opacity: Relationships and Credit Card Lending to Consumers and Small Businesses during Normal Times and the COVID-19 Crisis," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(2), pages 484-551.
    9. Carsten Dahremöller, 2013. "Unshrouding for Competitive Advantage," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 551-568, September.

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