2010 • CardFlash® - Payment Card Industry News

Merchant Data & Elite Processing Ink JV

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

Merchant Data Systems has completed its latest acquisitions and forged a joint venture with Elite Processing. The joint venture will offer a business model with a customized deal structure allowing Partners to determine their cash needs up-front. The Merchant Data Systems Equity Empowerment model for merchant credit card processing services targets small businesses frustrated by an inability to support their agents and merchants with the same enthusiasm that entrepreneurs demand. Merchant Data Systems facilitates participative underwriting and personalized customer service. Merchant Data Systemsis a digital merchant and mobile credit card processing services shop built to scale the business and empower our Partnersâ success. Available operational expertise is also available to support sales growth with proprietary residual software and credit card payment gateway capabilities was a major factor in cementing the JV.

China MediaExpress Launches New Shopping Platform

2, CHINA, Country, PriorityBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

China MediaExpress Holdings television advertising operator on inter-city and airport express buses has introduced its “SWITOW” B2C shopping platform for its contracted advertisers. The SWITOW shopping platform includes: a) the SWITOW magazine that will be distributed in CMEâs network, b) the SWITOW website (www.switow.com) and c) boutiques to be opened in certain major cities. Through the SWITOW platform, our advertisers will be able to promote a wide range of their products including popular consumer items such as electronic appliances, computers, mobile phones, apparel, fragrances and cosmetics, and household items. Customers may place orders by either calling the SWITOW hotline, or via the SWITOW website.

Euro Leading Economic Index Up .7%

5, Country, Priority, UNITED KINGDOMBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the Euro Area increased 0.7% in November to 114.3 (2004 = 100), following a 0.3% increase in October and no change in September. The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index (CEI) for the Euro Area measuring current economic activity dropped 0.1% to now stand at 102.6 (2004 = 100) according to preliminary estimates. This after having increased 0.2% in October and dropping 0.1% in September. The Conference Board LEI for the Euro Area aggregates eight economic indicators that measure activity in the Euro Area as a whole (rather than indicators of individual member countries), each of which has proven accurate on its own. Aggregating individual indicators into a composite index filters out so-called “noise” to show underlying trends more clearly.

InComm Donates $7.5K in Gift Cards

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

GA-based InComm prepaid company and distributor of Vanilla Visa network-branded gift card has donated $7,500 of Vanilla Visa Gift Cards to Chick-fil-A Bowl. In 2009, the Chick-fil-A Bowl made $1.2 million in charitable and scholarship contributions, marking the second straight year it has reached that amount. It was also the third straight year in which the Bowl has given over $1 million in donations. The Chick-fil-A Bowl remains the number one bowl in the nation in terms of charitable giving.

Element Payment Offers Rollins PCI Compliance

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

Element Payment Services payment processor is set to provide PCI compliant processing for Rollins consumer and commercial services company. Rollins will integrate its proprietary Focus business management software application with Element’s Express Processing Platform through Hosted Payments, which removes software applications from the scope of PCI DSS / PA-DSS compliance by eliminating the transmission and storage of cardholder data. In addition to offering PCI compliance relief to Rollins, Hosted Payments will dramatically reduce the scope of PCI compliance for individual pest control companies within the brand, while maintaining the operational functionality required for running the businesses. Hosted Payments features tokenization technology, which allows merchants to securely access card data for future transactions, without assuming the risk and liability of storing sensitive information through a point of sale (POS) application. Rollins merchants can securely perform scheduled payments and card-on-file billing without compromising their customers’ sensitive information and their own PCI compliance.

Vesdia Program to Help Card Issuers Keep Revenue

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

Vesdia Corporation merchant network has responded to last week’s Federal Reserve proposal to reduce the debit interchange to $.12 from a weighted average of $.72. This equats to an 83% reduction in fee revenue, subsequently reminding banks of the value a merchant-funded rewards network brings to the table. With this, Vesdia is seeking to limit the amount of money that stores and other merchants are charged each time a customer pays for a transaction with a debit card. A rewards network can help card issuers recapture the expected lost revenue while providing value-added services to their cardholders. In doing so, Vesdia’s partnership marketing network taps into the trusted relationship between the banks and its customers, utilizing the banks’ frequent touch points to conduct one-to-one marketing, driving cardholders to participating merchants to earn additional rewards when using their debit card. Card issuers gain additional revenue from the increased card acquisition, activation and usage generated by the merchant-funded rewards and additional redemptions. Vesdia’s full service multi-channel marketing campaigns and support for customer targeting and segmentation, in partnership with the leading merchant brands, allows banks to drive customer behavior with meaningful offers with expanded marketing reach; coupon programs; direct email; and loyalty program website personalization.

Consumer Economic Index Drops in December

1, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index dropped 1.8 in December to now stand at 52.5 (1985=100) from 54.3 in November. The Present Situation Index declined to 23.5 from 25.4 while the Expectations Index decreased to 71.9 from 73.6. The percentage of consumers claiming business conditions are “bad” decreased to 41.2% from 42.9%; those claiming business conditions are “good” declined to 7.5% from 8.5%; those saying jobs are “plentiful” decreased to 3.9% from 4.3%; and those stating jobs are “hard to get” was up to 46.8% from 46.3%. Meanwhile, those expecting an improvement in business conditions over the next six months was up to 16.6% from 16.4%; those anticipating business conditions will worsen edged down to 12.1% from 12.4%; those anticipating fewer jobs in the months ahead increased to 19.5% from 19.1%; and those expecting more jobs declined to 14.3% from 15.1%.

CB LEI % +/(-)
OCT: 0.5
SEP: 0.5
AUG: 0.1
JUL: 0.1
JUN: (0.2)
MAY: 0.4
APR: N/A
MAR: 1.4
FEB: 0.1
JAN: 0.3
DEC: 1.2
NOV: 0.9
DEC: (1.8)
SOURCE: CardData.com

AdvanceMe Launches eBook Series for Business Owners

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

AdvanceMe Merchant Cash Advances for small and mid-sized businesses has introduced its free eBook series as an added benefit to its web visitors and customers. Available under the Resources section of AdvanceMe’s website (http://www.advanceme.com/eBooks.html), all eBooks will focus on subjects important to small business owners and include original works as well as compilations and contributions from recognized industry experts. AdvanceMe’s first eBook, released in December 2010, titled “Web Strategies for Small Businesses”, is a collection of small business tips, all focusing on Internet strategies and web optimization. AdvanceMe provides Merchant Cash Advances to small and mid-sized businesses while Capital Access Network (CAN) leverages leading edge data, systems and technology, combined with a unique and highly effective Daily Remittance Platform.

BBVA Compass Launches mBanking Application

5, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

BBVA Compass has kicked-off its ” BBVA Compass Mobile Banking” native iPad application as the first U.S. m-banking application that visually goes beyond the traditional on-line banking interface of the few other iPad banking applications. The “BBVA Compass Mobile Banking” offers native mobile banking applications for Android and BlackBerry as well and was built in house to provide greater flexibility and functionality. This lets users check balances, view posted and pending transactions, view check images and statements, transfer funds between BBVA Compass accounts and locate BBVA Compass branches.

VoiceCash and mobilcom Launch Prepaid Mastercard

5, Country, GERMANY, PriorityBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

VoiceCash Group and mobilcom-debitel are introducing mobilcash Prepaid MasterCard twin card program, letting users share money with relatives and friends all over the world. mobilcom-debitel is one of the leading telecom providers in the German market with about a 16 million customer base. VoiceCash is an international mobile remittance company with its own VoiceCash Bank, that is fully passported in all European countries. The Prepaid Twin Card will be offered to the existing customer base of mobilcom-debitel initially, but will also be available to any consumers that move funds internationally. Anyone living in Germany and supporting family or friends abroad can benefit from the mobilcash solution. It is also a very interesting proposition to families or couples where one member frequently travels internationally.

Carrefour Introduces Prepaid MasterCard

1, Country, Priority, ROMANIABy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

Romanians can now find the Carrefour MasterCard Prepaid Card in the cash lanes of all 23 Carrefour hypermarkets thanks to its partnership with Rev Worldwide. Carrefour is the first retailer in Romania to sell and reload prepaid cards. The newest offering in the retailer’s broad range of financial products and services, the Carrefour MasterCard Prepaid Card brings Romanian consumers the freedom and security of spending with plastic and the ability to send money domestically or check balances with a simple text message, no bank account or credit check required. Financial products and services available in Carrefour hypermarkets include the Carrefour MasterCard Credit card; consumer loans; MoneyGram money transfer; bill pay; mobile top-ups for operators including Orange, Vodafone, Cosmote and Zapp; and home, travel and other insurance products from Otto Broker.

40% of Americans Less Secure Financially Y/Y

2, Country, Priority, UNITED STATESBy Robert McKinley 12/30/2010

With 40% of Americans feeling less financially secure than the year ago period, 30% are giving President Obama positive ratings on the job he is doing on the economy. With this, 70% give him negative ratings; 42% feel less secure now while 36% feel just as secure and 19% say they now feel more secure. This, according to Harris Interactive, also shows last year 56% felt less secure about their financial situation when compared to the previous year. Additionally, 26% expect the economy to get worse in the coming year; 29% expect it to get better; 45% say it will stay the same; 34% thought the economy would be getting better; 41% said it would stay the same and 25% believed it would get worse. Meanwhile, 49% will cut back on their household spending; 22% will get rid of one or more credit cards; 22% will save more for retirement and 13% will undertake home improvements that increase the value of their home.

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Abdulaziz AIDahmash, Head of Digital Banking & Payments of SABB in Saudi Arabia, will speak at the 10th Annual Middle East Banking Innovation Summit in Dubai on March 1st. pyvnts.com ecommerce payments pic.twitter.com/G2RWUjYnsd

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Yearly Archives: 2010