03/05/2009 • CardFlash® - Payment Card Industry News

AIRPLUS REPORTS

5, Country, Priority, UNITED KINGDOMBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

Corporate travel provider AirPlus has released two reports that indicate
over 84% of corporate travel managers are or have reevaluated their
respective travel policies. The reports also reveal differences in
travel policies internationally. Only 2% of Europeans have stopped
traveling, compared to 19% of Americans. “The Wire…from AirPlus” is a
monthly installment of news based on timely
survey questions posed to corporate travel managers in North America and
Europe. Included in this release are results from a secondary study,
also conducted in February 2009, with 544 corporate travel managers from
around the globe.

FTC/FRB Rolls-Out a Credit Card Calculator

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

The Federal Trade Commission has posted on its Web site a calculator that gives consumers an estimate of how long it will take them to pay off their credit card balance. Developed by the Federal Reserve Board, the calculator is being provided in connection with the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The calculator can be accessed at [http://www.ftc.gov/creditcardcalculator](http://www.ftc.gov/creditcardcalculator).

FDS & AMEX

5, Country, POLAND, PriorityBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

Payment processor First Data has signed a merchant services agreement
with American Express. Under the terms
of the agreement First Data will become the exclusive merchant acquirer
and merchant processor for American Express Card transactions in Poland.
First Data will assume responsibility for the range of merchant services
including signing new merchants to accept American Express branded
cards, managing relationships with existing merchants and processing
merchant transactions on the American Express network and be responsible
for managing and implementing new solutions for
American Express merchants in Poland, including migration to the EMV
standard. American Express Card acceptance will remain available to
Polish merchants through a number of acquiring agents, overseen by First
Data.

Windows Gains Share Over Linux in the POS

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

A new study has found that POS Terminals running Microsoft “Windows” operating systems increased from 71% of shipments to nearly 76% last year. “Windows Vista” was used on 13.7% of all new POS installations in 2008. The shipshare of “WEPOS” and “Windows XP Embedded” terminals increased from 31% in 2007 to 34% in 2008. The study from IHL Group also found that overall shipments decreased 4.2% last year, with only Grocers and Supercenters/Warehouse Clubs seeing shipment gains. According to the study, retailers in all vertical segments are seeing a larger impact due to challenges of “PCI DSS” compliance, and recent security breaches weigh heavily on their POS purchase decision-making process.

CONTACTLESS BARCLAYCARD

5, Country, Priority, UNITED KINGDOMBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

Barclays has become the first bank in the U.K to offer contactless debit cards. Barclays expects to issue upwards of three million of the new contactless Visa debit cards. The majority of
Barclays debit card customers will have contactless cards by 2011. The cards will permit contactless transactions up to GBP 10. About 8,000 retailers already accept contactless payments including many outlets of Pret A Manger, Coffee Republic, EAT, Books etc, Krispy Kreme, Threshers and thousands of independent retailers. Barclaycard introduced contactless technology on credit cards in September 2007 with the launch of “Barclaycard OnePulse,” the three in one “oyster,” credit and contactless card. All “Barclaycard Platinum” cards now include contactless technology, and over 1.5 million “Barclaycards” in
issue are now contactless-enabled.

Inner Fence and Merchant Focus Team

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

Software developer Inner Fence and Merchant Focus Processing have
partnered to offer “Credit Card Terminal”, a credit card processing
application for iPhone. Credit Card Terminal is an iPhone virtual
terminal that performs
merchant credit card processing using Authorize.Net technology.
The solution includes a
merchant account from Merchant Focus Processing, a payment gateway from
Authorize.Net, and Inner Fence’s industry leading Credit Card Terminal
for iPhone as a bundled package. The iPhone Virtual Terminal and
merchant account bundled solution is
popular with photographers, computer technicians, limo drivers, home
party sales associates, merchants at fairs and farmers’ markets, and
many more small businesses.
Merchant Focus Processing has been a leading merchant account provider
and an Authorize.Net Preferred Reseller since 2002, successfully serving
the processing needs of thousands of merchants.

Monthly Payment Rates Continue to Oscillate

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

Monthly payment rates, the amount that cardholders pay on their credit card debt, continued to oscillate, but reflecting a downward trend in January. In November the MPR posted its largest one-month drop ever, descending 251 basis points. Rising in December, the MPR collapsed 178 basis points. In January 2008, the MPR declined 140 basis points from the prior month. Historically, the MPR declines slightly in January, but this has not been the case since the start of the current recession. Among managed credit card outstandings, the MPR declined to 16.78% in January after rising to 18.56% in December. According to CardData, the MPR one-year ago stood at 17.82%.

MONTHLY PAYMENT RATES
Aug 08: 19.39%
Sep 08: 18.69%
Oct 08: 18.53%
Nov 08: 16.05%
Dec 08: 18.56%
Jan 09: 16.78%
Source: CardData (www.carddata.com)

One-Third of ABS Goes Under Fitch Analysis

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

More than one-third of the 645 classes of Fitch-rated U.S. credit card ABS transactions totaling $301.98 billion are under analysis. Last month, 177 classes of Fitch rated U.S. credit card ABS transactions had under analysis status, 135 of which are issued by Bank of America and have since been reviewed. Following its monthly surveillance review, Fitch Ratings has placed an additional 176 classes of U.S. credit card ABS transactions under analysis. Forty-two classes have extended their under analysis status from the previous month, awaiting additional analysis or information. Fitch will be issuing a rating action within 30 days.

VeriFone’s Quarterly Losses Widen to $182MM

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

VeriFone posted a 15% increase in fourth quarter revenues of $214
million, driven by a 24% increase in the Company’s North American
business. However, the terminal manufacturer’s net loss for the quarter
widened from $33.5 million for 4Q/07 to $182.0 million for 4Q/08.
VeriFone says the decline was related to its sagging stock price and the
softening of the market. The Company expects its markets will remain
very challenging and is focusing on inventory management, engineering
cost redesign, expense management and pricing discipline. VeriFone
expects to report net revenues of between $205 and $215 million for the
second quarter. The Company recently signed a $10 million contract to be
a premier payment solutions supplier to Moneris Solutions. Moneris
selected EMV- and PCI-approved wireless, countertop and integrated
payment solutions from VeriFone’s “Vx Solutions” line. For complete
details on VeriFone’s latest results visit CardData ([www.carddata.com](http://www.carddata.com)).

REVENUE HISTORICAL
4Q/05: $134.6 million
1Q/06: $142.2 million
2Q/06: $147.6 million
3Q/06: $156.6 million
4Q/06: $216.6 million
1Q/07: $217.2 million
2Q/07: $231.7 million
3Q/07: $237.9 million
4Q/07: $216.4 million
1Q/08: $185.5 million
2Q/08: $258.7 million
3Q/08: $244.7 million
4Q/08: $214.0 million
Source: CardData (www.carddata.com)

Reseller Tracking Service is Launched

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

Market researcher NPD Group has launched the “Reseller Weekly Tracking
Service” for POS data. NPDâs Reseller Weekly Tracking Service collects
POS data from the
leading Direct Market Resellers (DMRs) and Contract Stationer retailers.
Information is available at the category, brand, and item level from the
information technology, consumer electronics, and enterprise systems
industries. NPDâs “Reseller Weekly Tracking Service”
provides users with a unique view into a $23.4 billion a year technology
product sales channel, and is the only industry source to do so with a
weekly sales view.

Key Bank Offers World Debit MasterCard

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

OH-based Key Bank has become the the first issuer of the “World Debit
MasterCard”. The “World Debit MasterCard” is designed to maximize the
benefits realized by affluent consumers who choose debit as their method
of payment. Like other financial demographics, these consumers are
increasingly turning to debit cards for
their everyday purchases to help manage their spending. “World Debit
MasterCard” cardholders gain premium-level access to “MasterCard
Savings”, which provides Debit MasterCard cardholders with
merchant-funded discounts and special offers from thousands of
merchants. Premium-level access enables World Debit MasterCard
cardholders to take advantage of
enhanced savings, as well as limited-time
offers and special events. “MasterCard Savings Plus” offers statement
rebates, a MasterCard feature made available by KeyBank.

S1 Corporation Revenues Rise 10% in 4Q/08

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 03/05/2009

S1 Corporation reported a 10% increase in fourth quarter revenue to $58.6 million. Net income dropped from $6.4 million in 4Q/07 to $5.3
million. During the quarter, Postilion licensed its payments processing
and card management software to its fifth top 10 retailer in the U.K.
and to Arab National Bank, one of the top banks in the Middle East.
Total revenue from international operations for the fourth quarter
increased three percent to $15.5 million. S1 Corporation also tapped
Paul Parrish, previously with Infor Global Solutions, to serve as CFO.
Parrish served as Senior Vice President, Controller and Principal
Accounting Officer at Infor Global Solutions, a global enterprise
software company. For complete details on S1 Corp’s latest results visit
CardData ([www.carddata.com](http://www.carddata.com)). (CF Library 12/18/08)

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