maksajärjestelmä
Maksajärjestelmä, often translated as payment system, refers to the complex network of institutions, instruments, rules, and procedures that facilitate the transfer of funds between parties. These systems are crucial for the functioning of modern economies, enabling transactions for goods, services, and financial assets. They can be broadly categorized into retail payment systems and wholesale payment systems. Retail systems handle smaller, more frequent transactions, such as those made with credit cards, debit cards, or through mobile payment apps. Wholesale systems, on the other hand, are designed for large-value, time-critical payments, typically between financial institutions or large corporations, like those facilitated by real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems.
The operation of a maksajärjestelmä involves several key components. These include payment instruments (e.g., cash, checks,