VF Commander Site Controller
Verifone’s Commander Site Controller and Ruby2 POS solutions have been selected by The Fikes Companies for deployment across its entire chain of CEFCO Convenience Stores.
X5 + NCR SelfServ
One of the leading retail companies in Russia, is improving customer service and the overall brand experience by deploying NCR SelfServ Checkouts at its stores in Moscow, Ekaterinburg and St Petersburg.
MoneyGram Expands Presence in Latest Acquisition
MoneyGram has acquired Latino Services funds transfer agent, to increase the number of MoneyGram-owned locations. The move brings MoneyGram closer to its consumers in an effort to meet customers’ evolving funds transfer needs. Prior to the acquisition, MoneyGram operated stores in Miami, Florida, and New York City, New York. The purchase of former non-exclusive agent Latino Services, which sends remittances from the U.S. to Mexico and Latin America, will result in 10 new company-operated stores serving Atlanta customers. The acquisition provides an opportunity for the company to test new strategies in an important market.
Starbucks Advances Mobile Payment Experience
Starbucks Coffee kicked-off its three-day Global Leadership Conference in Houston where the company will inspire nearly 10,000 store managers by investing in their development. Customers will be able to use Square Wallet to pay with their mobile phones at U.S. Starbucks stores beginning in early November. Customers will also be able to use the Square directory to find more than 7,000 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores. Starbucks also announced it will enable digital tipping on its existing mobile payment applications and on Square Wallet for its U.S. store partners (employees) in summer 2013. As a further testament to the company’s innovation in mobile payment, the Starbucks mobile application is now integrated with Apple’s Passbook allowing customers’ Starbucks Cards to appear on their iPhone screen automatically after they enter a favorite Starbucks store.
CKE Restaurants Helps Fight Inflated Card Swipe Fees
CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® brands, announced it has joined with other quick-serve restaurant and convenience store chains in filling an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit against the Federal Reserve regarding unjustifiably high swipe fees charged by major banks. CKE and the other chains strongly support the pending lawsuit,…
NetSpend and 7-Eleven to Distribute Prepaid Cards
NetSpend Holdings general-purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid debit cards completed its distribution agreement to sell its NetSpend Visa prepaid cards at 7-Eleven. NetSpend said it also is expanding its reload network to thousands of 7-Eleven locations across the U.S.
Kum & Go Selects NCR C-Store Technology
NCR Corporation forged agreements with Kum & Go to implement its Radiant c-store technology within each of the retailer’s 400+ stores. Kum & Go, the fifth largest privately held, company-operated convenience store chain in the United States, chose the Radiant solution to manage a wide range of its business operations from one system, including fuel island, foodservice and multichannel marketing initiatives. NCR acquired Radiant Systems to host more than 100,000 POS installations worldwide. Customers include leading brands and venues in the restaurant and food service, sports and entertainment, petroleum and convenience and specialty retail markets.
Debut 2011 Starbucks mTransactions Top 26m
Starbucks Coffee introduced its customers to a smartphone app with a Starbucks Card stored within the app in the beginning of 2011, generating a fan base which has continued. This as Starbucks expands its mobile payment program to give customers access to the fastest way to pay at more than 9,000 U.S. locations, introduced the Starbucks for Android™ app, rolled out the Starbucks Card eGift feature, started international expansion and developed the Starbucks Cup Magic app to share augmented reality experiences in its stores and beyond. In the first 9 weeks of the program, there were 3 million transactions and in comparison for the 9 week period starting in October, there were 6 million transactions, demonstrating a significant jump in customer adoption and use. Currently the top five US cities for Starbucks mobile app adoption are New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and San Jose.
Gap Rolls-Out Location Based Discounts
Gap Inc is offering two mobile shopping options for customers on-the-go. Having expanded its Gap “Mobile4U” program, to deliver offers and promotions for Banana Republic (BR mobile 4U), and Old Navy (Old Navy 4U), the Company delivers personalized offers triggered in real time. Customers who opt into the service will receive tailored discounts and promotions via SMS text messages when qualifying transactions are made with enrolled Visa accounts. Customers can then redeem their special offers by presenting the text message at select Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy stores nationwide.
CARDTRONICS TO ACQUIRE ACCESS TO MONEY
Cardtronics USA forged agreements to acquire Access to Money, stipulating it will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Access to Money for a cash payment of $0.285 per share and retire all of Access to Money’s outstanding indebtedness. The total cost to be paid at closing will be approximately $21.2 million. The companies expect an early fourth quarter completion date for the transaction. Access to Money provides ATM services to merchants and financial institutions, currently operating approximately 10,350 ATMs in the United States. This expands Cardtronics’ portfolio of merchant relationships to include Kangaroo Express convenience stores and coffee and doughnuts. Access to Money operates approximately 1,400 ATMs throughout 11 Southeastern states and at nearly 500 of the QSR franchisor’s U.S. locations, with the opportunity to expand further into its extensive network of franchisees. Additionally, Access to Money brings to the proposed merger a growing ATM services business focused on community banks and credit unions.
Dollar Financial Acquires Risicum Internet Loans
Dollar Financial Corp diversified financial services company serving primarily unbanked and under-banked consumers for over 30 years acquired Risicum Oyj internet loans for approximately $46.0 million. Risicum was established in 2005 to provide loans predominantly in Finland through both internet and mobile phone technology, utilizing multiple brands to target specific customer demographics. Risicum also provides internet and telephony-based loans in Sweden. The trailing twelve months EBITDA for Risicum is approximately $9.2 million and the acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings. The Company expects to provide its initial earnings outlook for fiscal 2012, including the Risicum business net of acquisition and transition costs, when the Company announces its financial results for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011.
Dollar Financial Opens 400th Company Store
Dollar Financial international diversified financial services company serving primarily unbanked and under-banked consumers for over 30 years, through its subsidiary, The Money Shop, opened its 400th company-operated store. Th tore will offer short-term loans, secured pawn loans, check cashing, gold purchase, Western Union money transfer, foreign exchange, debit cards, and other financial products.