research
Compatibility and Pricing with Indirect Network Effects: Evidence from ATMs
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
Incompatibility in markets with indirect network e¤ects can a¤ect prices if consumers value
?mix and match?combinations of complementary network components. In this paper, we exam-
ine the e¤ects of incompatibility using data from a classic market with indirect network e¤ects:
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). Our sample covers a period during which higher ATM
fees increased incompatibility between ATM cards (which are bundled with deposit accounts)
and other banks?ATM machines. A series of hedonic regressions suggests that incompatibility
strengthens the relationship between deposit account pricing and own ATMs, and weakens the
relationship between deposit account pricing and competitors?ATMs. The e¤ects of incom-
patibility are stronger in areas with high population density, suggesting that high travel costs
increase both the strength of network e¤ects and the importance of incompatibility in ATM
markets.atm, network effects