All articles by Verdict Staff
Verdict Staff
Prepaid gift cards get personal
Global technology provider Serverside Group, which specialises in offering personalisation services to bank card portfolios around the world, has teamed up with UK prepaid programme manager Quantum Card Services and issuer Newcastle Card Solutions to offer prepaid cardholders the option to personalise their cards with photos and images.
Pushing the case for contactless
Now that several major banks are issuing payment cards with contactless as a standard feature, merchants are finding it harder to resist implementing the technology
Visa aims for prepaid penetration
As prepaid solutions make their way to Middle Eastern markets, payment networks, banks and other stakeholders are joining forces to smooth the path ahead Visa CEMEA recently launched one of the first prepaid gift cards in the region and is confident many more will be rolled out soon
First Data sets sights on Middle East
Cash accounts for around 90 percent of most transactions in the Middle Eastern region, while cards as a payment method are generally distrusted by the local populations Brian Quarrie, managing director of First Data in the Middle East, speaks to John Hill about the regions card market development. Despite a particularly tough year in the payments sphere, many industry figures have been touting prepaid as a product with great potential to produce revenue
Debit delivers for Visa Europe
Visa Europes 2009 financial results provide evidence that debit payment continues to grow, and now accounts for 75 percent of all Visa card payment volume in Europe. Significantly, while debit card numbers showed modest overall growth compared to 2008 (at a little over 3 percent), POS transaction numbers increased by almost 10 percent, and point of sale spending rose by more than 6 percent. Visa Europes fiscal 2009 ended in June of that year, with the total number of Visa cards (credit, debit, commercial and other) issued across the region amounting to over 380 million, a rise of 5 percent compared to 2008
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The PSD: threat or opportunity?
The Payment Services Directive is one of the most talked-about pieces of regulation in recent times and its impact on the payments industry is yet to be fully gauged November 2009 saw the Payment Services Directive (PSD) being implemented across several European markets, but its reception among the financial services industry has been mixed to say the least.
Region round-up 31.01.10
US payment network and issuer Discover Financial Services has announced an agreement with BC Card, the South Korean payment network, which will allow BC Card cardholders to utilise the Discover, Diners Club International and Pulse networks for international purchases and cash access outside of Korea.
What is driving Middle Eastern prepaid?
VRL recently hosted a round table in London to discuss possible business opportunities for cards and payments in the Middle East
Greece embraces cards
Greece represents something of a quandary in terms of payment card usage Despite being a popular tourist destination, cards are used sparingly and the countrys economy is heavily dependent on cash usage As John Hill reports, cards are making slow progress but consumers are learning to embrace them.
Falling delinquencies bring optimism
With the US now out of recession, the nations biggest credit card lenders are reporting that delinquency rates are starting to contract after hitting record highs in recent months The US credit quality picture remains muddled, with delinquencies improving slightly while other indicators remain mixed