CARLSBAD, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- Futura(R) Card Services announced today that its launch of mobile phone text messaging in the fourth quarter of 2008 is already proving a strong value-add to its card product suite. The new service is a product of Metavante Mobile Financial Services, and powered by Monitise Americas. The service allows Futura cardholders to receive free text messaging alerts for many types of transactions and to obtain real-time card balance information on their cell phones. This dynamic text messaging service is compatible with the great majority of handsets and cell phone carriers in the country, making it an excellent fit for Futura's customer base of prepaid and postpaid cell phone users.
"Text messaging is a tremendously popular form of communication in today's society, and we are very pleased to be able to offer our customers the information they demand in real-time and in a format they are comfortable with. Customers do not like dealing with an automated phone system to get their account information. This technology provides the customer with the same information in a more immediate and user-friendly manner," said Brad Golden, President of Futura.
"More and more consumers are demanding a remote control for information regarding their finances. This feature set provides the standard for baseline mobile products to meet the consumer demand. The mobile phone is the remote control device that they are looking for," said Jeff Lewis, President, ePayment and Mobile Solutions, Metavante.
The inclusion of mobile financial services to Futura's line of card products comes at a time when consumers' attitudes towards their finances are changing. According to a recent survey of 1000 individuals commissioned by Monitise and conducted by the Future Foundation(i), consumers* are managing their money more shrewdly and are paying closer attention to finances as a result of recent economic down turns. Of those surveyed, 56 percent claim to be monitoring their finances more closely, while 41 percent of consumers are planning to check their finances more regularly. The addition of text message banking to Futura cards allows consumers to have instant access to their card balance and transaction history via their mobile phone, providing peace of mind and increased control over their finances.
"In today's environment, debit and prepaid cards are taking over the top spot in our wallets. Futura is an emerging star in this prepaid marketplace, and we are very pleased to be working closely with them on bringing state of the art mobile banking solutions to the consumer," said Lisa Stanton, Chief Executive Officer of Monitise Americas.
Futura(R) Card Services is one of the largest and fastest growing brands in the stored value card marketplace. Futura markets, distributes and services a suite of prepaid MasterCard(R) debit card products that include reloadable general spend debit cards, gift cards and funds disbursement cards. Monitise Americas is a joint venture between Monitise plc, a global specialist in mobile banking technology, and Metavante Corporation, a leading provider of banking and payments technologies to financial institutions and businesses worldwide.
About Metavante
Metavante Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: MV) is the parent company of Metavante Corporation. Metavante Corporation delivers banking and payments technologies to over 8,000 financial services firms and businesses worldwide. Metavante products and services drive account processing for deposit, loan and trust systems, image-based and conventional check processing, electronic funds transfer, consumer healthcare payments, electronic presentment and payment, business transformation services, and payment network solutions including the NYCE Network, a leading ATM/PIN debit network. Metavante (www.metavante.com) is headquartered in Milwaukee. Metavante and NYCE are registered trademarks of Metavante Corporation, which is the principal subsidiary of Metavante Technologies, Inc.
About Monitise Americas
Monitise Americas is a joint venture between Metavante Corporation, a leading provider of banking and payments technologies to financial institutions and businesses worldwide and Monitise plc (MONI.L), a specialist in mobile banking technology. Monitise Americas provides mobile banking and payment services to North American financial institutions predicated on an "ecosystem" principle, which allows multiple mobile carriers and financial institutions to deliver services over a single platform. It has a sister ecosystem in the United Kingdom, MONILINK, developed by Monitise plc in partnership with VocaLink. Current partners of MONILINK include: HSBC, first direct, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Hutchison 3G. For more information on Monitise Americas and details of how to benefit from participating in its cross-America ecosystem, please visit http://www.monitise.com.
About Futura(R) Card Services
Futura is one of the largest and fastest growing brands in the stored value marketplace. Futura markets, distributes and services a suite of instant issue prepaid MasterCard(R) debit card products that includes reloadable general spend debit cards, gift cards and funds disbursement cards. The company leverages synergies between consumers, merchants and ISOs to offer a diverse lineup of financial tools. Futura's unique distribution model delivers the lowest cost, highest margin prepaid debit card solutions to the retail channel as well as innovative branded and private label programs for the enterprise channel. For more information, please visit www.futuracards.com.
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(i) Source: "The Future of Money", A research report for Monitise, The Future Foundation
Futura Card, Monitise, Metavante
