American Express this afternoon announces a new partnership with Uber and a first-of-its-kind technology integration into the Uber iOS app that allows U.S. Card Members enrolled in the Membership Rewards program to choose to earn 2x points or use points for Uber rides. This is the first time that consumers can use loyalty reward points seamlessly in-app and in real time for on-demand transportation in this way.
MoneyGram global money transfer and payment services and DSK Bank introduced its “Cash to ATM” service. The new service allows DSK Bank debit card holders to receive MoneyGram transfers in BGN at more than 850 DSK Bank ATM terminals. Remittances from Bulgarians working abroad totaled $1.6 billion in 2013. The most active corridors for sending money transfers to the country are Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Italy, the USA and Turkey.
MoneyGram and DSK Bank are making money transfers more convenient for customers in Bulgaria with the introduction of “Cash to ATM” service. The new service allows DSK Bank debit card holders to receive MoneyGram transfers in BGN at more than 850 DSK Bank ATM terminals. According to the World Bank, remittances from Bulgarians working abroad totaled $1.6 billion in 2013.
Seamless has partnered Extenda POS systems on m-payments. They will allow consumers to pay by mobile phone when SEQR becomes part of Extenda’s standard system, and in this way circumvent card issuers’ high charges. Merchants with Extenda’s POS system can connect to SEQR via Extenda’s standard integration and enable their customers to pay by mobile phone. The SEQR Seamless mobile payment solution lets users users scan a QR code at the POS terminal to approve payments being charged to their bank or credit accounts. SEQR users can also transfer money to another mobile phone, pay bills and make online payments.
Cybercom is approved to join a new Forensic Investigator program that simplifies for companies and organisations to hire and work with forensic experts like Cybercom. The PCI SSC Forensic Investigator program aligns industry requirements for identifying and approving forensic investigators. PCI SSC has assessed Cybercomâs employee skills, methods, quality control, equipment, credentials, and insurance coverage. The SSC will manage a centralized public listing of PCI Forensic Investigators that are subject to the Councilâs quality assurance reviews. Organizations requiring forensic investigative services can now consult a single central resource recognized by each payment card brand.
The Commercial Collection Agency Association collected almost $17 billion. This represents a percentage increase of about 39.5% over the twelve months ending June 2008. In the second quarter of 2009, approximately $4.6 billion in account placement was received by CCAA members. The group says the increased account placement is reflective of the tight availability of credit and a slowdown in sales which has caused a cash-flow crunch for small and medium size businesses. The CCAA is an association of commercial collection agencies that have been CERTIFIED by the Commercial Law League of America.
The Villa Trasqua wine estate is the big winner of the “American
Express 2009 Tower Club Wine Awards”. After the tasting of as
many as 330 red wines from every continent, the Trasgaia 2006 won three
prestigious awards: ‘Gold’, ‘Best of the Best’ and then in the end it was
also elected ‘Champion’ of all categories. The Villa Trasqua wine estate is situated in the south-west of Chianti
Classico, the oldest and best part of the vast Chianti district. Villa
Trasqua covers 120 hectares (almost 300 acres), of which about a third is
planted with grapes. Trasqua has been producing wine since 1968.
Florida-based Certegy Inc. announced an agreement with Gottschalks to provide comprehensive check risk management services to over 60 department and specialty apparel stores in six western states. Certegy provides credit and debit processing, check risk management, cash access, merchant processing and e-banking services to over 6,500 financial institutions, 117,000 retailers and 100 million consumers worldwide. Gottschalks is the largest independently owned department store chain in California.
TowerGroup has expanded its global research and advisory team for Europe. Simon Levin has been hired as the general manager of EMEA. He joins TowerGroup following a 10 year career at Gartner, where he was a member of the EMEA senior leadership team and played an instrumental role in the growth and development of the research business in these regions. Theodore Iacobuzio (who has been an analyst and research leader at TowerGroup since 1997) will be head of European research. Ralph Silva will be a senior analyst based out of Paris. Emil Peterson joins TowerGroup as the new director of sales for EMEA. Sam Radwan (who joined TowerGroup in late 2004) will be head of global consulting.
TowerGroup has expanded its global research and advisory team for Europe. Simon Levin has been hired as the general manager of EMEA.
He joins TowerGroup following a 10 year career at Gartner, where he was a member of the EMEA senior leadership team and played an instrumental role in the growth and development of the research business in these regions. Theodore Iacobuzio (who has been an analyst and research leader at TowerGroup since 1997) will be head of European research. Ralph Silva will be a senior analyst based out of Paris. Emil Peterson joins TowerGroup as the new director of sales for EMEA. Sam Radwan (who joined TowerGroup in late 2004) will be head of global consulting.
CardLogix has agreed to expand its integration of Atmel’s “CryptoMemory” products into its smart cards and software. Atmel’s new encryption-based high density circuits can now provide CardLogix with many of the same features found in microprocessor-based systems. With the addition of these higher densities, items such as photos and biometric information can be added for extra security.
Hughes Network Systems has partnered with Paymentech to offer a bundled service for payment authorization processing via satellite for small and large businesses. The ‘DIRECWAY’ payment authorization solution provides merchants with online transactions and a simplified statement with a lower, flat monthly fee. HNS currently transports over 5 million transactions per day for tens of thousands of retailers, gas stations and restaurants using the ‘DIRECWAY’ satellite service. GolfSwitch, a ‘Vertical Internet Application Service Provider’ that owns and operates the largest private communications network in the golf industry and a new customer, has signed as the first VAR for the service. ‘DIRECWAY’ will be marketed directly by HNS and through VARs in specific vertical markets, including golf, pharmacies, food services and other specialty retailers.