All articles by Verdict Staff
Verdict Staff
Loyalty counts: Welcome Real-time
Loyalty software programme provider Welcome Real-time works with banks generate revenue by providing incentives to retailers and consumers to increase traffic on POS and card payments
Prepaid Solutions signs contract with Norwegian Cruise Line
According to Prepaid Solutions CEO Kenneth Goins, the OceanPay prepaid solution delivers increased efficiencies and a reduction in costs for crew members and cruise lines. The OceanPay solution includes prepaid cards that work on ATMs and at POS devices, currency exchange and money transfers, companion cards as well as card personalisation and free connection to internet banking on board the ship.
Credit card acquisitions: Back to the Future? Not quite.
The credit card M&A market is slowly regaining traction, fuelled by a number of smaller deals between mid-sized players – including some who are re-entering the card issuance business after years away, says Charles Davis. Two ubiquitous variables – the new card reforms and the economy – have worked in tandem to tamp down the mergers and acquisition (M&A) market and depress premiums A comeback to the heady days of 2008 could be years in the making, experts say, despite the latent demand underlying the market.
Editor’s letter: Acting on the opportunity
The proposition continues to see major investment from all major card schemes, who remain firm in their belief that opportunity abounds.
In from the cold: Card Processing in Russia
MasterCard and Visa hold 85% of the Russian payments market between them estimated at $4bn a year Eugene Gerden looks at the governments policy turnaround and the impact for international payments schemes in the country
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Country Survey: Peru
Analysts say there is a big growth opportunity in Peru, Latin Americas seventh-largest economy, for credit cards and other forms of unsecured consumer lending
Pakistan: Virtual laboratory for alternative payments
Its neighbouring country, India, is globally known to support a stable alternative payments sector; but Pakistans payments sector has so far been overlooked by most and unfairly. Because Pakistans branchless banking and alternative payments landscape is an implicit hub to bring alternative payments and banking services to consumers the majority of which are excluded from traditional banking services due to low bank branch penetration.
Walmart to drive prepaid card line further with GE, Green Dot deal
Walmart has now teamed up with prepaid financial service provider Green Dot and GE Capital Retail Bank to offer a prepaid card in its stores. The Walmart MoneyCard prepaid card is part of the retailers product rebranding scheme planned to kick off in the fourth quarter of this year
Bank of America makes U-turn, drops debit card fee
Bank of America has bowed down to pressure by customers and decided to drop its debit card usage fee after the bank had come under pressure. We have listened to our customers very closely over the last few weeks and recognise their concern with our proposed debit usage fee,” said David Darnell, co-chief operating officer
Monitise consolidates in US as Visa increases investment
Visa Europe is to invest a further £24.7 million in mobile payments provider Monitise. The deal makes Visa Europe an 8.8% share-holder in the company, and will see Visa Europes chief executive Peter Ayliffe join the Monitise board as a non-executive director.The investment will take the form of 70.5 million new shares issued at 35p per share. The announcement was made at the same time as Monitise announced its intention to buy out FISs 51% stake in Monitise Americas, a joint venture between Monitise and FIS subsidiary Metavante.The sale values Monitise Americas at £29.4 million.The move to evolve the JV into a wholly-owned subsidiary reflects Monitises strategy in the UK, where it structured a similar deal with Vocalink in 2009.