Charles Horn
CardWeb.com’s CardExecs database of payments industry movers and shakers today features Charles Horn, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of Alliance Data.
Banking with Mobile Camera
Malauzai Software has seen significant growth in banking via the smartphone camera in the first half of 2014. Usage of mobile banking features such as mobile remote deposit capture and mobile photo bill pay has increased as smartphone cameras have advanced in functionality.
Picture Pay Sees Strong Debut Year
Picture Pay mobile photo bill payment app has seen 17 percent month over month increase in active end-users and 13 percent monthly growth in the number of items processed since its launch in November 2012. The product’s creators Mitek, Allied Payment Network and Malauzai Software Inc. also reported that 5 percent of active mobile banking users employed the feature in the first 90 days after its launch. That is above the usage figure of 3.5 percent for standard bill pay on the mobile device. Picture Pay allows users to complete a payment by taking a photo of the bill statement, confirm the amount to be paid and submit the payment to the financial institution.
Taco Bueno to Accept MC PayPass
TX-based QSR Taco Bueno is now accepting Mastercard “PayPass”contactless
payment at over 160 locations. Customers can use their MasterCard
PayPass card or device to simply “Tap & Go” to pay for menu items at
the counter or even in the drive-thru. MasterCard PayPass also does not
require customers to sign receipts for purchases under $25, further
speeding up the transaction. A 2007 MasterCard PayPass
Benchmark Study found that about 90% of PayPass-using respondents
were satisfied with their experience, and 71% of PayPass consumers
use PayPass as their primary card for everyday purchases.
TransCard & Discover to Issue Payroll Cards
EFT provider TransCard and Discover Network have partnered with trucking company U.S.Xpress to provide a complete electronic payroll solution to U.S. Xpress employees. Offered by TransCard to more than 10,000 U.S. Xpress Enterprises associates, the Discover Network-branded payroll card will allow these associates to use their cards anywhere that the Discover Network brand is accepted, including more than 4,400 financial institutions and nearly 260,000 ATMs and point-of-sale terminals nationwide. U.S. Xpress Discover Network cardholders enjoy the benefits of convenience, cost savings and reduced fraud. The combination of the new TransCard payroll and electronic paystub product with the Company’s current direct-deposit offerings will allow U.S. Xpress to further reduce the Company’s environmental footprint. A 100-percent electronic payroll delivery by U.S. Xpress can assist in conserving nearly 13,000 gallons of gasoline that would be needed to send all the Company’s payroll statements through conventional mail in one year.
CU Acquisition Campaign Produces Response
TNB Card Services says its “Fall Acquisition Promotion” for credit unions produced strong results for three Texas credit unions. Abilene Teachers FCU reported a 1.54% response rate, pushing its total number of cardholders beyond 3,700. Bashas’ Associates FCU of Tempe generated a 2.39% response rate from the promotion. AMOCO FCU of Texas generated a 1.44% open rate. TNB manages more than 1.6 million cards.
Chockstone Adds Spice to a Taco Card
OR-based Chockstone reports that Taco Bueno nearly doubled its gift card volume last year with its card-based technology over the previous year’s paper-based solution. The company, which has locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, unveiled the new offering in October 2005 in each of its 145 stores, including its first-ever franchise units. Chockstone’s “Single Swipe” technology enables a single payment terminal to process gift, loyalty, and credit cards, keeping transaction time to a minimum. Taco Bueno also leverages Chockstone’s “Gateway” technology, which seamlessly interfaces with the company’s real-time reporting tool to deliver data-rich information about customers and their purchasing preferences. The program is complimented by Chockstone’s retailer-branded Web site, which provides consumers an easy, online tool to purchase cards for themselves or others, reload and combine cards, and check current balances.
TNB Marketing Programs Drive Card Balances
Texas-based Abilene Teachers FCU reports that outstanding balances increased by 35% as it raised average credit lines by 47% between 1999 and 2004, using TNB Card Services’ marketing programs. Abilene Teachers FCU currently has 21,000 members, 3,600 credit card accounts, 4,000 debit/check cards and assets of $172 million. TNB Card Services serves more than 450 financial institutions and manages more than 1.6 million cards.
Information Processing Hires New CEO
FL-based Information Processing Corporation has named Olan Beard, former president of FFS Transaction Corporation, as president and CEO.. Mr. Beard has over 22 years experience in the banking industry, working for banks such as First State Bank of Abilene, NCNB, and Security State Bank. Most recently he served as President of FFS Transaction Corp., LLC, having been promoted to that position from Executive Vice President of Operations in the year 2000, and continued to serve in that capacity until accepting his current position with IPC. Information Architects Corporation has three (3) wholly owned subsidiaries whose prime focus is banking and financial products.
Sallie Mae Deploys Net.Pay
Sallie Mae has deployed “Net.Pay,” as its comprehensive suite of billing and payment transaction solutions, at 29 more colleges and universities across the USA. The Net.Pay suite includes the Tuition Payment Plan that allows students and their families to schedule payments by semester or annually, on-line or through traditional methods, and receive counseling on payment options. Net.Pay also helps make university administration more effective, efficient and flexible by offering students, alumni and others fast, efficient and secure payment transactions on- or off-line. SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of education funding, managing more than $85 billion in student loans for more than seven million borrowers.
Experian Buys Another Credit Bureau
Experian is acquiring Credit Data of West Texas. Credit Data of West Texas has been an Experian affiliate for more than 13 years. As a result of the acquisition, clients served in Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Abilene and Lubbock, Texas as well as a portion of Western Oklahoma will have access to the full range of Experian’s portfolio management, scoring and fraud prevention solutions. Experian works with more than 40,000 clients across diverse industries, including financial services, telecommunications, health care, insurance, retail and catalog, automotive, manufacturing, leisure, utilities, property, e-commerce and government.
TankBank
ConocoPhillips has inked a deal with Dell Computer for POS technology/services for its new “TankBank” customer loyalty program. Dell will install POS systems built on “Dell OptiPlex” desktop computers at participating Conoco, 76 and Phillips 66 stores. The “TankBank” application runs on AutoGas Systems’ “REGAL E-POS,” an open architecture operating system that powers dispenser control, card reader, cash acceptor and the ConocoPhillips credit card network. “TankBank” is ConocoPhillips’ new loyalty program that combines gasoline savings at the pump with in-store promotions. Abilene, TX-based AutoGas Systems offers POS solutions and dispenser control systems to loyalty programs.