All articles by Verdict Staff
Verdict Staff
US Bank launches mobile platform for prepaid
US Bank, a subsidiary of Bancorp Bank, is set to launch a mobile platform for its AccelaPay Visa prepaid card programme in a bid to create a tighter-bond with its cardholders.
WorldPay private equity buyout completes
The completed purchase of electronic payment provider RBS WorldPay by private equity firms Advent International and Bain Capital has been announced.
Country Survey: Chile
Chile represents an attractive market for payment cards, with credit and debit cards used for 30% of retail purchases, and growing acceptance of electronic payments. The country has recovered well from the 2008-2009 recession and the February 2010 earthquake, writes Robin Arnfield.
Prepaid in the Middle East
Welcome to the CI Middle East Prepaid special feature. The extreme highs and lows Dubai has experienced over the last few years have made it a fascinating case study in boom and bust economics. In 2009 it looked like Dubais dream was over, as the economy fell into deep recession. But over the past 12 months, the Emirate has shown itself to be more resilient than many predicted.
From the Editor
We kick the last issue of 2010 off with an in-depth look at one of the years most discussed subjects: the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).The first of two special reports into this government-led initiative asks whether the European market is really opening up as the European Commission is hoping. Under this legislation, every European country is now obliged to change the framework of its domestic card schemes, which in turn will open domestic markets up to foreign players.A revolutionary idea, and one the European Central Bank (ECB) hopes will encourage a truly pan-European card scheme to emerge and challenge the dominance of Visa and MasterCard.
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Rich potential for growth
Visa CEMEA senior manager for prepaid Jonathan Reynolds explains why the Middle Easthas a significant need for a whole range of prepaid solutions.
Levelling the playing field?
In the first of two special reports on SEPA, Louise Naughton looks at the way the European Commission-led initiative is breaking down barriers and allowing new players in. But, she asks, is the newest player to enter the market PayFair really able to compete with the dominant global brands?
So far, so good in Middle Eastern prepaid
The Middle East is regarded as one of the worlds most promising regions for prepaid, with a high migrant population and a shift towards card-based payroll payments for casual workers. Distribution and the availability of reload networks remain the main prepaid challenges.
Playing catch-up in Kenya
M-payments service provider M-Pesa has stolen a march on traditional banks in Kenya and built up a customer base of 12m in less than three years. Louise Naughton talks to M-Pesa, as well as some of the banks currently playing catch-up, about the way the Kenyan cards industry is changing.
Profile: Visa Prepaid
For more than a decade, Visa has invested in growing the prepaid category around the world.Visa Prepaid cards enable consumers to enjoy the convenience and security of a payment card to access a designated pool of funds without directly linking to a bank account or line of credit.Visas flexible platform allows its financial institution customers to create diverse prepaid products with a wide range of uses and bring the benefits of electronic payments to situations that traditionally involve cumbersome and labour-intensive cash, cheques or paper vouchers.