Advances in telecommunications and information technologies are leading to a revolution in the U.S. payment industry. This study seeks to answer such questions as 'How will consumers and businesses invoice and pay others in the future?' Diverse payment products such as cash (coin, currency, and digital cash), paper and electronic checks, electronic funds transfer (EFT), credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, electronic bill payment and presentment (EBPP), other PC-based payments, telephone payment and other emerging electronic payment products and services are analyzed in detail.

Underlying socioeconomic of currents, technology developments, market conditions and opportunities and five-year forecasts are also examined. The roles of the Internet and e-commerce are reviewed in the contexts of business-to-business, consumer-to-business and other payment relationships, as well as the emergence of new competitors such as 'infomediaries.' This comprehensive BCC study analyzes the current U.S. market and identifies the most promising electronic and other payment opportunities for the next five years.