June is ATM & Debit Card Safety Month

PULSE Kicks off Awareness Month with ATM and Debit Card Safety Recommendations

June is ATM & Debit Card Safety Awareness Month; PULSE Offers Tips to Help Protect Consumers

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To launch its annual ATM & Debit Card Safety Awareness Month, PULSE today released tips designed to help keep consumers safe and secure while using debit cards at ATMs and point-of-sale terminals. Debit  continues to be a convenient and secure way to make purchases, and informed consumers can take an active role to minimize risks associated with these transactions.

“ATM withdrawals, cash back during point-of-sale transactions and PIN-based purchases are convenient ways to spend and access your money  whenever you need it,” said Steve Sievert, PULSE senior vice president.  “However, any time you conduct a transaction, whether it's with a debit  card or cash, it is always a good idea to take precautions to protect
yourself.”



When you are about to use your debit card, whether at a store, ATM or  other location, here are some helpful safety reminders:

• Protect your PIN: ATM transactions and PIN debit purchases
  require the use of a personal identification number (PIN). Memorize
  your PIN; never write it on your card or store it with your card.
  Never let someone else enter your PIN for you. When entering your PIN,
  block the view of others by shielding the PIN pad.
  
• Survey your surroundings: Before making a withdrawal at an ATM,
  take a look at your surroundings. Watch for any sort of suspicious
  activity and, if anything appears to be out of the ordinary, or if the
  ATM is obstructed from view or poorly lit, leave the area and try
  another location.
  
• Keep an eye out for terminal tampering: If you suspect the ATM
  or POS terminal you are using has been altered, go to another
  terminal. Signs to watch for include unusual-looking card slots,
  plastic overlays on the PIN pad, or the appearance of damage.
  
• Report a lost or stolen card at once: If you misplace your
  card, leave it in a public place or your card is stolen, immediately
  call your financial institution to limit the chance that it will be
  used improperly. Quickly notifying your financial institution also
  will limit your potential liability for unauthorized transactions.
  
• Take someone with you: Whenever possible, it is a good idea to
  take another person with you when using an ATM or outdoor POS
  terminal, such as at a gas station. This is especially true when
  visiting an ATM at night, even if it is indoors.
  
• Never disclose information about your card in response to an
  unsolicited e-mail or request: E-mail is a common channel for
  fraudulent activity. Never provide your debit or credit card number,
  PIN or any other personal information to any entity in response to an
  unsolicited e-mail or telephone request. Your financial institution
  will never ask you to disclose your PIN.
  
• Have your card ready: Minimize your time at the ATM by having
  your debit card out and ready to use. Do not let a stranger assist you
  in making a transaction, even if you have trouble or your card gets
  stuck. Never count your money while at the ATM.
  
• Review your account statements for unauthorized transactions: One
  of the best ways to maintain account security is to check your account
  statements frequently. With online access, financial institutions are
  making it easier than ever to check your account daily. Report any
  errors, including unauthorized transactions, as soon as possible.
  

PULSE assists its financial institution participants in protecting debit  cardholders by providing safety materials and statement inserts, and by sponsoring the debit awareness site, www.DebitFacts.org.

For additional information on protecting your debit card and your financial information, visit www.pulsenetwork.com/safety.
For further details about how you can maximize the value of your debit card, keep your finances safe and secure, and manage your money for every stage of life, visit www.DebitFacts.org or follow the site on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debitfacts.


About PULSE


PULSE is one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks, currently serving more than 4,500 banks, credit unions and savings institutions across the country. PULSE is owned by Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS). The network links cardholders with more than 289,000 ATMs, as well as POS terminals at retail locations nationwide. The company is
also a valued resource for industry research related to electronic  payments and is committed to providing its participants with education on evolving products, services and trends in the payments industry. For more information, visit www.pulsenetwork.com.

PULSE, ATM & Debit, ATM & Debit Card Safety Awareness Month,

First Atlantic Commerce Fights Card Fraud in Latin America

The Royal Gazette

FAC fights card fraud in Latin America

Bermuda-based credit card payment processing firm First Atlantic Commerce (FAC) has teamed up with a Latin American company to try to crack down on online credit card fraud in the region.

FAC has implemented a unique, Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode cardholder "authentication-only" solution for Promocion y Operation S.A de C.V (PROSA), the largest provider of electronic transactions in Latin America.

The system will help banks to determine chargeback liability for their online merchants in advance of the actual payment transaction authorisation, thereby providing advance information to assist with reducing fraud and mitigating risk. PROSA operates one of the most important payment processing switches in the world, processing more than 1.3 billion transactions annually and facilitating the majority of transactions made at point of sale terminals throughout Mexico and Latin America, including American Express, Visa and MasterCard, as well as the ATM's of HSBC, Santander, Scotiabank, Banorte, Banjercito, Banca Afirme, Interacciones, Ixe, Invex, Banregio, and other financial institutions in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Latin America.

Continue Reading

About FAC:

Delivering World-Class Solutions

Our
strategic partners play a key role in helping us deliver a range of
online payment processing and risk management solutions to clients
around the globe.

International Processing Partners:

 

TSYS Card Tech

TSYS Card Tech has become a
market-leading provider of software solutions to the payments industry.
The company prides itself in delivering the highest quality products
and services on time and to an agreed budget; backing up every
installation with the very best support service, 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. Today, more than 190 clients, including some of the
world's largest banks, use TSYS Card Tech systems in over 70 worldwide
locations.

TSYS Card Tech core products are all developed in-house and are
designed to address any and all aspects of the card management
business. TSYS Card Tech's motto of “any card, anywhere” is justified
by the company's track record. TSYS Card Tech systems are flexible,
modular, parameterised, robust, scalable, cost- effective and future
proof.

TSYS Card Tech products and solutions,
including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message
switching, key and PIN management, eCommerce, dispute and fraud
management, address every aspect of the card management business cycle.

www.ctl.com

 

EVERTEC, Inc.

EVERTEC, a subsidiary of Popular, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPOP), is a leading
provider of transaction processing and outsourcing services including
application processing, business process outsourcing, programming and
IT consulting to customers in 15 countries in a variety of industries. 

Through its transaction processing
services EVERTEC executes over 920 million transactions yearly, and
operates a network of over 4,300 automated teller machines and over
85,000 point-of-sale payment terminals. With over 1,700 professionals
operating in 7 countries within the Caribbean Basin, the United States,
Central and South America, EVERTEC supports a variety of production
platforms ranging from portable payment devices to high-end mainframe
systems.

www.evertecinc.com

 

First Data Merchant Services (FDMS)

First Data Corporation is a worldwide
leader in electronic payment solutions. First Data through its bank
partners gives a competitive edge to businesses and financial
institutions, offering a complete portfolio of payment systems and
services to meet the globally expanding needs of their clients. The
company harnesses partnerships with industry leaders to provide leading
edge, innovative products and services.

Industry leadership requires a strong
commitment to business, industry and product development. Knowledge of
the industries directs the creation of the right kind of products and
services that drive successful business development.


www.fdms.com

 

Scotiabank International

Scotiabank is one of North America's
premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank.
With more than 60,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates
serve approximately 12.5 million customers in some 50 countries around
the world. Scotiabank offers a diverse range of products and services
including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With
$462 billion in assets (as at July 31, 2008), Scotiabank trades on the
Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS).

www.scotiabank.com

 

Verified by Visa

For more than thirty years, Visa has helped to set industry standards
for secure payments between consumers and merchants. Verified by Visa
improves the security of payment transactions in the electronic
commerce environment over open networks. It increases both cardholder
and merchant confidence in Internet purchases, and reduces disputes and
fraudulent activity related to the use of Visa payment cards.

http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/vbv.html

 

MasterCard® SecureCode™

MasterCard® SecureCode™ provides merchants with a global
authentication solution that takes online shopping security to a new
level. Electronic retailers face unique challenges in accepting cards
for payment in the eCommerce environment. Unlike the physical world,
there’s no signed sales receipt online and therefore no definitive way
for a merchant to dispute a cardholder claim that a purchase wasn’t
made.

Now, with


MasterCard® SecureCode™, there is a way to protect electronic retailers from unauthorized purchases.


MasterCard® SecureCode™ is initiated on a retailer’s Web site and interacts with both the cardholder and their card issuer.

http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/security/what_can_do/SecureCode/index.html

 

PayPal

PayPal is the safer, easier way to pay
and get paid online. The service allows anyone to pay without sharing
financial information and gives consumers the flexibility to pay in any
way they prefer, including through credit cards, bank accounts or
account balances. With more than 60 million active accounts in 190
markets and 17 currencies around the world, PayPal enables global
ecommerce. PayPal is an eBay company.

www.paypal.com

 

Strategic Risk Management Partners:

ethoca

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with
offices in Toronto, Canada, Ethoca is the leader in collaborative fraud
management. Ethoca enables businesses operating in any
customer-not-present environment (i.e., business by internet, phone,
fax or mail) to make more informed decisions about their customer
transactions by sharing transaction experience data in a way that is
secure, automated, effective and ethical. Businesses submit transaction
data to Ethoca and can use summary history and analysis based on the
collaborative data of Ethoca's clients to gauge the fraud-risk
associated with any given transaction.

www.ethoca.com

Technology And Design Partners:

 

Microsoft

Founded
in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software,
services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their
full potential. MS-DOS, .NET, Office XP, 2007 Office system, Windows,
Windows Server, Windows 3.0, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
Windows XP, and Windows Vista are all registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.

www.microsoft.com

 

Xtrategies

Xtrategies is a boutique consulting
firm, with extensive banking, payments and strategy experience serving
Latin America and the Caribbean. Practice areas include operations,
risk management, product strategy and new business ventures.  The
company provides support across a wide range of areas including card
programme management, card processing, opreational processes, reporting
and performance matrix, technology and services, vendor search,
evaluation and selection, project management and solution delivery and
interim management, fraud prevention, Information Security Assessments
(Qualified Security Assessor for PCI Evaluations) and business
development.

www.xtrategies.com

 

Tug Ltd

London, England-based Tug specializes
in Search Engine Marketing, and targeted advertising to prospects that
are actively searching for information or are ready to buy online. The
company provides Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click solutions
to assist online merchants in meeting their business and sales
objectives.

www.tugsearch.co.uk

Bermedia

Bermedia is a Bermuda-based web development agency specializing in
online software development using .NET, Adobe Flash and other leading
web technologies. Through their years of global experience and the
support of their sister agencies in London and Argentina, Bermedia is
able to deliver world class solutions for all businesses.

www.bermedia.com

 

emedia Bermuda Limited

emedia Bermuda Limited is a full-service
firm with expertise in marketing, web design and development and public
relations. Established in early 2000, emedia has continually expanded
and evolved to meet the needs of our clients.  The creative and
cohesive team prides itself on offering a fresh approach and strategic
solutions for every client, on every project. 

www.emedia.bm

 

Industry Associations:

The Electronic Transactions Association

The Electronic Transactions Association is an international trade
association representing companies who offer electronic transaction
processing products and services. The purpose of ETA is to influence,
monitor and help shape the merchant acquiring industry by providing
leadership through education, advocacy and the exchange of information.

ETA's membership spans the breadth of the payments industry, from
financial institutions to transaction processors to independent sales
organizations (ISOs) to equipment suppliers.

More than 500 companies worldwide are members of ETA.

www.electran.org

 

Ministry of Telecommunications & eCommerce (MTEC), Bermuda

The mission of MTEC is to foster a culture of technology excellence by
“facilitating” the continued development, growth and advancement of
technology, technology related business, opportunities skills and
access, in keeping with the social agenda objectives of empowering
Bermuda’s economic growth, social fabric and economy, and enabling
Bermuda to continue to be recognized as the prime technology offshore
jurisdiction and centre for business technology excellence.

http://www.mtec.bm

First Atlantic Commerce, Credit Card Fraud, SecureCode, PROSA, Bermuda

More On Commonwealth Bank Phishing Seige

iTWire - Commonwealth Bank under siege by phishers

Australia’s largest bank, the Commonwealth Bank, has been undergoing a series of phishing attacks that have gone from simple alerts of “banking errors”, through to chances of winning money, and now an attack that wants CommBank users to call a number and verify their details to a talking computer – but it’s all just a phishing scam!

Phishing scams targeting financial account holders, auction sites, social networking sites and other online accounts are nothing new, but the ferocity with which they are being thrown at account holders via spammed messages has only increased in both number and social engineering trickery.

The Commonwealth Bank, Australia’s largest, is but the latest to be re-attacked by heartless and greedy phishing criminals, who know only how too easy it is to catch the unwary that are too quick to believe the latest social engineering trick messages their email software delivers.

Although cyber criminals are attacking all manner of financial and other online organizations and their users on a regular basis, there has been a series of phishing episodes against the CommBank in the past few months.

Criminals could well be seeing an opportunity to take advantage of all the recent improvements that Commbank has made to its Internet banking websites, transaction tools and the introduction of voice recognition to try and catch people who will voluntarily giving up their account details and passwords into an online login form or a voice system that otherwise seems and/or sounds completely legitimate.

Editor's Note:  If online banking customers used our PCI 2.0 Certified Device to "swipe" their card and enter their PIN, then phishing would be eliminated.  No data is in the clear, (no phish in the see) so why would anyone stick their pole in?

Continue Reading at ITWire

Commonwealth Bank, phishing,

Barney Frank Argues His Case in US News & World Report Forum

U.S. News & World Report provided a forum for representatives of both sides of the issue of legalizing and regulating (and taxing) online gaming. When Rep. Barney Frank introduced H.R. 2267 on May 6, Rep. Spencer Bachus was quick to respond with a blurb about criminals, youth, blah blah. But the U.S. News piece allowed both parties to cool down and present their opinions with some thought.
Here is the argument from Frank, with a heavy concentration on the personal freedom aspect of the issue. He also takes the time to counter some of the arguments like the alleged criminal element and the sports betting worries. A few excerpts:

With Gambling, Personal Freedom Is Always the Best Bet, Says Barney Frank. There are many vices in the U.S. Those that hurt others must be stopped. Online gaming need not be.

By Barney Frank
Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee


There is one major reason that leads me to oppose the ban on Internet gambling: It is an activity that adult Americans enjoy and that does no conceivable harm to anybody else…



Several other negative arguments exist. The least serious comes from the professional sports leagues, which express their horror that if Internet gambling were allowed, people might actually bet on sports games. The bill I proposed prohibits betting on sports through the Internet, but the notion that the people who run professional sports leagues are shocked by the idea that people might actually bet on their games has to rank as one of the least credible in human history. 

Indeed, one of the major shortcomings of the current law is precisely that it prohibits human behavior that in fact harms no one. Thus, it winds up doing more to discredit the law than to discourage the activity….

Finally, there are two blatant contradictions in the position of those conservatives who push to outlaw Internet gambling. First, it is the most glaring example we have of interfering with freedom on the Internet. Second, to those who claim to be unhappy with the intrusiveness of the “nanny state,” there is no stronger case than for a nanny government insisting we be “better” people by reducing our freedom.

On this issue, there is a very clear case for the citizen’s right to be left alone.

Barney Frank, Online Gaming, Online Gambling, H.R. 2267

Related articles

• With Gambling, Personal Freedom Is Always the Best Bet, Says Barney Frank (usnews.com)
• A Push To End the Online Gambling Ban (news.slashdot.org)
• Aided by Poker Devotees, Lawmaker Pushes to End the Ban on Online Gambling (nytimes.com)

How to Hack an ATM Part VII

ATM stolen from Osakis business | The Osakis Review | Osakis, Minnesota

The Osakis Police Department received a report of a burglary at the Walleye Lodge in Osakis early Monday morning, May 25.
According to Chief Mark Gilson, unknown individuals forced the door open and stole the ATM machine.

By early evening a landowner called and reported an ATM machine on his property south of Interstate 94. It was recovered near the County Road 79 frontage road just off County Road 3 with an undisclosed amount of cash missing.

How to Hack an ATM

Survey Says: UK eTailers Don't Understand PCI DSS

UK e-tailers don't understand PCI DSS - survey

Around 60% of UK online retailers do not know whether they are in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), according to a survey from Sage Pay.

Around two thirds of the 1000 SMEs polled by the security vendor say payment fraud remains one of the most daunting elements of running an online business.

In addition, only a small proportion of respondents could demonstrate a clear understanding of the financial risks and implications associated with conducting business online.

Only 39% of retailers questioned actually understand the definition of PCI DSS compliance, while 65% do not believe that they are personally responsible for covering the implications of payments fraud committed on their site.

Editor's Note:  Let me take a moment to help UK eTailers understand that HomeATM's PCI 2.0 Certified PIN Entry Device is specifically designed for eCommerce use and removes eTailers from the scope of PCI DSS.  Since the data is never in the clear, they are compliant if they utilize (or should I say utilise) our E2E Encrypted, Protected by DUKPT device. 

Continue Reading at Finextra

PCI DSS, UK Etailers, SafeTPIN, eCommerce, PCI Compliance

Cybercriminals Use Swiss Bank Accounts to Transfer Billions...er..."Trillions"

Online Criminals Transfer Trillions Through Swiss Bank Accounts

Rik Ferguson

This is the story of how an amateur criminal used a simple piece ofcode and exploited some poorly written software to amass trillions ofdollars and then distribute his ill-gotten gains almost at random.

A few online games have already been launched, designed to takeadvantage of Twitter’s huge and rapidly expanding user base. Arguablyone of the most successful, or annoying, depending on your point ofview is Spymaster.


Spymaster is a game somewhat reminiscent of the Zombies, Vampires,Pirates, Zombie Vampire Pirates (ad infinitum) style games, that weretaking off on Facebook a couple of years back. Players recruit otherTwitter users to their “Spy Ring” gaining rewards for that and forother actions such as assassinations of fellow players. Notificationsfor all of these actions are of course posted up on each playersTwitter account, acting as advertising for the game. Some users havegone so far as to say that this kind of spam, as some see it, is ruining Twitter (some good tips for filtering out Spymaster tweets there too).

Well those same people may be very pleased to hear that the game waswell and truly exploited last night, to the point where the gamecreators have had to reset many player accounts and zero their bank balances and temporarily disable some game features, frustrating many players to the point of giving up on the game.

Continue Reading at CounterMeasures

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Futura Card Services Extends Mobile Financial Services to Prepaid Card Platform

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.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

(i) Source: "The Future of Money", A research report for Monitise, The Future Foundation

Futura Card, Monitise, Metavante

News for immediate release from Gemalto
Contact: Deb Montner, 203-226-9290, dmontner@montner.com

Gemalto First to Achieve Saudi Arabia Certification on GlobalPlatform Banking Card Compatible with Visa and MasterCard

Optelio supports seamless EMV migration with dual issuance for financial institutions in largest Gulf Region market, with over 10 million cards in use

Amsterdam, the Netherlands - June 3, 2009 - PIN Payments News Blog: Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announced that its Optelio banking card has been certified to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) requirements. Optelio is perfectly suited for the local market, as it hosts the Saudi Payments Network (SPAN) application, the debit card functionality deployed in Saudi Arabia. The Gemalto product is also compatible with the GlobalPlatform specifications (the standard for smart card infrastructure), the Visa Electron and the Debit MasterCard and Maestro Card requirements, making it usable worldwide.

These certifications enable Gemalto to complete its existing Multos offer for the Saudi Arabian banking market, the largest in the Gulf Region with over 10 million debit cards in use, and to support local financial institutions in their EMV migration. Optelio lets dual-issuer banks seamlessly deliver either Visa's VSDC or MasterCard's M/Chip applications on the same product, with the flexibility offered by the GlobalPlatform standard. In the personalization phase, banks can implement either scheme using the same infrastructure, which significantly simplifies logistics.

"We are proud to offer this innovative and secure payment solution to Saudi Arabia," commented Philippe Cambriel, EVP Secure Transactions Business Unit at Gemalto. "These certifications confirm that Gemalto has the widest portfolio in the industry, covering all applications and technology platforms."


About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2008 annual revenues of €1.68 billion, and 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, research and service centers in 40 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere—has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.
Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, smart card access badges, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems and services to help our customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto's software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information please visit www.gemalto.com.

Related articles

• EMV Coming to America? (pindebit.blogspot.com)

MasterCard to Participate in UBS Payments Summit

MasterCard to Participate in the UBS Electronic Payments Summit

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On Thursday, June 11, Michael McNamara, vice president, MasterCard Advisors, will participate in a panel discussion on behalf of MasterCard (NYSE: MA - News) on cyclical versus secular trends at the UBS Electronic Payments Summit in New York City, NY. The discussion will begin at 8:00 a.m. (EDT) and last for approximately 45 minutes.

A listen-only live audio webcast will be accessible through the Investor Relations section of the MasterCard website at www.mastercard.com. An audio replay of the session will also be available for 30 days at the same website location.

About MasterCard Incorporated

MasterCard Incorporated advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com

MasterCard, UBS Electronic Payments Summit, Michael McNamara

Visa Sees Credit Card Industry Restructing

Visa sees credit card industry restructuring | Reuters

By Juan Lagorio

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Visa Inc (V.N), the world's largest payment network, said on Tuesday that U.S. legislation curbing certain practices by credit card companies would force the industry to restructure as revenue expectations shrink.

"It's going to cause the whole industry to rethink itself," Visa's Chief Executive Joseph Saunders said in an interview. "It will result in less credit being offered to less people."

The bill, due to go into effect in February 2010, will restrict the ability of credit card issuers' to raise interest rates on cardholders' existing balances, to charge certain fees, and to impose penalties on consumers that the government deemed unreasonable.

Citigroup Inc (C.N), Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), American Express Co (AXP.N), Capital One Financial Corp (COF.N), and Discover Financial Services (DFS.N) have over 80 percent of the U.S. credit card industry.

Read the Full Story at Reuters

Visa, Restructure, MasterCard, Discover, BofA