Interac looking at restructuring, maybe IPO -report

• Interac looks to become for-profit company 


• Hires Wall Street adviser (JPMorgan/Chase)

TORONTO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - The Interac Association has hired a Wall Street investment bank to help it restructure into a for-profit company, should regulators allow, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Thursday.



Interac, which manages debit cards and bank machines and is a major force in how consumers pay for retail purchases in Canada, has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co to figure out how many shares each of its members -- which include the big banks -- would receive if Interac won approval for the conversion.



Continue Reading at Reuters

Gemalto and eSECURE Technology Enhance Payment Experience With Simple Contactless Payment Upgrade in Taiwan

Upgrading existing payment terminals with SAM cards for contactless use benefits consumers with faster, easier small sum payment means



AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announced that it has deployed its Secure Access Modules (SAM) into existing EasyCard payment terminals in Taiwan with Gemalto Channel Partner Program member, eSECURE Technology. The SAM card is used to upgrade existing payment terminals for contactless use. Upgraded contactless-ready terminals give consumers a simple, fast and secure means to make small sum payments. There are currently around 16 million EasyCards in the market.



Retail vendors such as supermarkets, fast food chains and cinemas can immediately benefit by offering their customers this easy and simple way to make payments. This marks a new advancement towards realizing the Taiwanese government’s vision of rendering the use of EasyCard, akin to that of an electronic wallet, as outlined by the Legislative Yuan act that was passed earlier this year.



“Introducing the Security Access Module into the existing contactless system is a very simple means to enhance overall convenience and security necessary for the various parties involved; from service providers to end consumers, all can take full advantage of this revolutionizing mode of payment,” commented Tan Teck Lee, President, Gemalto Asia.



The Security Access Module, which is frequently delivered under the form of a small format microprocessor card that can be easily inserted into a terminal, is a proven solution that is used as an effective and simple means to provide local off-line security for prepaid and small amount transactions. Gemalto deployed several million Security Access Modules in the past years, for prepaid fixed line telephony applications for example, to ensure convenient usage of public telephones all over the world.



Through the Channel Partner Program, Gemalto opens access to key company expertise and intelligence benefiting members like eSECURE with infrastructure support, training, increased collaboration.



CEO of eSECURE Technology Yankee Lu added, ”Joining the Channel Partner Network has enabled us to widen our portfolio offerings and allowed us to gain access to better tools to adapt to an increasingly demanding marketplace. The EasyCard project is one such example where we are able to jointly work with Gemalto, creating synergy between their global expertise and our local knowledge for our customer.”



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.

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Lydian Payments Journal Released by PYMNTS.com

Joshua Frank’s (no relation) controversial article on credit card market structure one of seven in the newly released PYMNTS.com Lydian Payments Journal

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Josh Frank, Senior Researcher, Center for Responsible Lending, says that credit card market structure in the US is inherently inefficient, and so market intervention has been and continues to be appropriate. His is one of seven original articles just published in the Lydian Payments Journal, a monthly online resource found on PYMNTS.com.



The Lydian Payments Journal invites and publishes original content from prominent thought leaders across the globe and is designed to shape and chronicle the industry on a spectrum of topics from innovation to informing policy in this powerful sector. The journal is edited by David S. Evans, economist, author of Paying with Plastic: The Digital Revolution in Buying and Borrowing and Founder of Market Platform Dynamics.

The first issue of Lydian Payments Journal features the following articles:

• SEPA: How Come and What's Up? by Joris Barbas, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services and Wim Westerman, University of Groningen's Center for International Banking, Insurance and Finance.


• A Review of Payment Card Economics by Wilko Bolt, De Nederlandsche Bank and Sujit "Bob" Chakravorti, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.


• What Does the Credit Card Market Have In Common with a Peacock? by Joshua M. Frank, Center for Responsible Lending.


• Marketing Credit Cards in Postcommunist Russia by Alya Guseva, Boston University.


• Who Owns Mobile Money? by Ari Hyytinen, University of Jyväskylä and Tuomas Takalo, University of Jyväskylä.


• Two-Sided Bank Card Payment Networks and Public Policy by David VanHoose, Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.

PYMNTS.com is a joint venture between Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, and Market Platform Dynamics. It provides a platform for industry professionals to share content related to their latest company and product developments, to tap into the collective commentary and analysis from experts, bloggers and industry pundits, and to interact with industry thought leaders on topics of critical importance to the future of the sector. The Lydian Payments Journal is named after Lydia, the birthplace of coinage, the world’s first payment device.

For information on PYMNTS.com contact info@PYMNTS.com. You can also follow PYMNTS.com on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PYMNTS and join the PYMNTS Linked In group.



About Market Platform Dynamics (MPD):

MPD is a management consulting firm that ignites catalyst businesses by leveraging new technologies, business models and pricing strategies. MPD has a wealth of experience within industries that are characterized by complex platform-centered ecosystems, including payments, mobile/telecoms, digital and advertising-supported media, and software-based businesses.

MPD works with both incumbents and new entrants, offering a unique lens into the dynamics that shape the competitive playing field. In addition to traditional consulting-based services, MPD’s Catalyst Ventures provides intellectual and human capital to new firms. MPD’s experts include economists, econometricians, product development specialists, and strategic marketers who apply cutting-edge business theory and statistical methods to the practical problems of building and growing a profitable catalyst business. MPD is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, and has offices in London and Hong Kong.

For more information visit www.marketplatforms.com.



About Business Wire

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is utilized by tens of thousands of member companies and organizations worldwide to functionally enhance and communicate investor relations and public relations content to target audiences. As a recognized disclosure service in the United States, Canada and a dozen European countries, Business Wire facilitates the simultaneous flow of market-moving press releases from corporations to financial markets and their audiences, including regulatory authorities, media, investors, financial information systems and consumer news services. Business Wire also handles XBRL tagging, document formatting and regulatory filing into EDGAR, SEDAR, FSA and other systems.

Founded in 1961, Business Wire has dual headquarters in San Francisco and New York, with 30 bureaus in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Brussels, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney and reciprocal offices throughout the world. Business Wire's patented NX data platform supports XML, XHTML and XBRL code that enhances news release interactivity, social media sharing and search engine optimization. More information about Business Wire and its services is located on its website at www.BusinessWire.com.

PYMNTS.com

Market Platform Dynamics

Jonathan Summey, Senior Editor, 617-374-1336

EVP, New Media

sumj@pymnts.com

OR

Market Platform Dynamics

Karen Webster, President, 617-374-1330

Karen.Webster@marketplatforms.com

OR

Business Wire

Laura Sturaitis, SVP, +1-800-770-WIRE (9473)

Laura.Sturaitis@BusinessWire.com

 

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“Global Business of the Year” Awarded to Bottomline Technologies

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.--PIN Payments News Blog--Bottomline Technologies (NASDAQ: EPAY), a leading provider of collaborative payment, invoice and document automation solutions, today announced that the company has been named the “Information & Computer Technology (ICT) Global Business of the Year” by the Software Association of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Office of International Commerce.



Bottomline’s portfolio of award-winning solutions for payments, invoicing, global cash management, supply chain finance and document process automation have been deployed by the world’s leading corporations, banks and financial institutions, including 15 of the top 25 global banks, 80 of the Fortune 100 and 70 of the FTSE (Financial Times) 100.



The ICT Global Business of the Year award is given annually to an organization “demonstrating trade relationships that have created higher sales, more jobs, boosted its profitability, and increased the image of the NH software or information technology industry.”



“We are delighted to be selected as the ICT Global Business of the Year by the Software Association of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Office of International Commerce. New Hampshire is home to an exciting and thriving technology industry, and we’re proud to play a role in helping raise awareness for the innovation and success being generated across the state,” said Rob Eberle, President and CEO of Bottomline Technologies.

About SwANH

Founded in 1994, the Software Association of NH is a non-profit organization representing over 1400 software industry professionals throughout the State. SwANH sponsors networking events, educational programs through its SIGs and affiliates, and discount programs that provide members with opportunities to gain information, connect with resources, grow their businesses, and succeed. For more information, visit www.swanh.org.



About Bottomline Technologies

Bottomline Technologies (NASDAQ: EPAY) provides collaborative payment, invoice and document automation solutions to corporations, financial institutions and banks around the world. The company’s solutions are used to streamline, automate and manage processes involving payments, invoicing, global cash management, supply chain finance and transactional documents. Organizations trust these solutions to meet their needs for cost reduction, competitive differentiation and optimization of working capital. Founded in Exeter, New Hampshire, and today headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Bottomline also maintains offices in Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.bottomline.com.

Bottomline Technologies and the BT logo are trademarks of Bottomline Technologies (de), Inc. which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other brand/product names are trademarks of their respective holders.

Remittance Going Postal?

Remittance opportunities for postal operators



Postal operators that provide financial services are well-positioned to enter the money transfer market, according to a senior figure in the remittance sector.



Moises Jaimes, chairman and CEO of BBVA Bancomer Financial Holdings, made the comments at the Global Money Transfers Summit 2009  (GMTS) that was held in London.



Speaking about the success of money transfer provider Bancomer Transfer Services (BTS), which is an affiliate of BBVA USA, Jaimes commented on the advantages gained by the relationship between BTS and the US Postal Service: “You have to embrace regulation. There is no other way to do it. You have got to be perfect. Most of our compliance learning has come via our relationship with the US Postal Service.”



BTS was established in 1995 and is recognised as a leading player in the US-Mexico remittance corridor.



Having created an origination network that has already been rolled out in 23 countries, Jaimes said almost 75 percent of remittances paid by banks in Mexico are channelled through BTS.



Jaimes said: “It is time to expand into other countries and that is what we are doing. I believe there is a lot to be done in Eastern Europe. We would also like to have a larger presence in Africa and Asia.”



Reviewing the latest trends in the money transfer sector, Jaimes said that although it has taken a long time, banks are increasingly keen to enter the money transfer space: “Banks are opening up to opportunities to white-label a money transfer programme.”



He added that although mobile technology is likely to play an important role in the delivery of money transfer services in the future, much work remains to be done in order to make mobile money transfer services cost-effective.

Issue: 2009/24 Date: 12 Nov 2009

Key Trends and Issues Facing the UK Card Market

Research and Markets: UK Plastic Cards 2009: An Overview of the Key Trends and Issues Facing the UK Card Market

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets



(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cc3eaa/uk_plastic_cards_2) has announced the addition of the "UK Plastic Cards 2009" report to their offering.



Published annually, UK Plastic Cards provides an overview of the key trends and issues facing the UK card market. Intense competition, rising write-offs, and a deteriorating economic situation have challenged issuers in 2008 and 2009. This report provides in depth coverage of these and other issues, along with full data for the credit, charge, debit, private label, and prepaid card markets.



Scope

• Includes comprehensive data coverage of the UK cards market from 2004 to 2013, including credit, debit, charge, private label and prepaid cards


• Forecast overview including key market drivers and level of influence of these, under a neutral, optimistic, and pessimistic economic scenario


• Analysis of the impact of the recession and its implications for the cards sector, including coverage of consumer card behaviour and attitudes


• Case studies of new product development and strategies being employed globally by key card issuers as a reaction to the downturn

Highlights of this title

• The UK plastic card market has undergone a turbulent 18 months as a result of both long term difficulties and new challenges posed by the recession. Despite this, the growth in the overall value of transactions across all card types remains positive, reaching £579.5 billion in 2008. This growth was driven primarily by debit card spending.


• The economic environment for cards has taken a beating as a result of the downturn with issuers faced with a drop in both transaction values and balances outstanding. These pressures are likely to continue for some time as consumer spending continues to be subdued by an uncertain economy and rising levels of unemployment.


• The recession is exacerbating long term trends of a shift from credit toward debit. Under a neutral economic scenario debit cards transaction values will reach £470 billion by 2013, with a CAGR of 2.9%. Credit will grow to reach £119.5 billion over this same period with a CAGR of 1.5%. Debit volumes at the POS alone will grow by a CAGR of 8.3%

Key reasons to purchase this title

• Understand the size and composition of the UK cards market and understand what the future holds under a comprehensive range of economic scenarios


• Comprehend the recession's impact and how the market is reacting with up to the minute data and the latest analysis of emerging trends


• Plan your strategy effectively with case studies and analysis of how key players are adapting to a rapidly changing dynamic environment

Some Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

• UK Plastic Card Market in Review and Future Outlook


• The UK card market grew by a CAGR of 10.0% from 2004 to 2008, but growth will be weaker to 2013


• Economic indicators give mixed indications for the future of the UK cards market


• Market Statistics and Key Trends


• The number of credit card holders is falling


• The total number of cards in issue remains flat, with only debit showing growth


• Card scheme market shares have been volatile over the past five years


• MasterCard now leads the credit card market


• Forecasting the UK Payment Card Market


• Despite the recession the UK cards market will continue to grow through to 2013


• Competitor Market Shares and Developments in the UK Plastic Card Market


• Lloyds Group is now the largest credit card issuer by cards in issue


• Lloyds Group holds a 21% share of credit card balances outstanding


• Product Innovation in the Downturn: Lessons for UK Issuers


• Datamonitor has identified six strategies for issuers to maximize their performance in the downturn


• There are two focus areas for issuers trying to improve the profitability of their business


• Within this there are six potential strategies that can help issuers to address their pain points


• UK Plastic Cards 2009 is structured in six chapters


• UK Plastic Card Market in Review and Future Outlook


• Cards grew by a CAGR of 10.0% from 2004 to 2008, but growth will be weaker to 2013


• Economic indicators give mixed indications for the future of the UK cards market


• Inflation is no longer a worry for the cards market


• Inflation may be easing, but unemployment continues to rise

Market Statistics and Key Trends

• UK cards are growing as a share of the total payments market


• The value of all card transactions is rising


• The total number of cards in issue remains flat, with only debit showing growth


• The decline in private label cards may be stabilizing


• The number of credit card holders is falling


• The variety of cards by type is polarizing into more premium and standard cards


• Despite static card numbers, transactions are growing with over 10.1 billion in 2008


• Transaction values are growing as a result of the growth of debit


• Charge cards hold the highest average transaction value and shows signs of continuing growth


• Purchases account for 66.3% of all UK card transactions


• Debit cards showed the highest rate of growth in transaction value by type between 2004 and 2008


• Credit transactions are dominated by purchases


• Charge cards are seeing growth in transaction values, driven primarily by business use


• Card scheme market shares have been volatile over the past five years


• MasterCard now leads the credit card market


• The charge card market has seen American Express' historic lead solidified into a dominant position


• The increase in POS terminals have helped drive the growth in transaction volumes


• The Independent sector continues to drive growth in ATM's


• The number of fraudulent transactions continues to rise


• The successful implementation of chip and pin has led to an increase in card-not-present fraud


• The value of CNP and counterfeit card fraud continues to rise, driving up overall fraud


• Forecasting the UK Payment Card Market

Companies Mentioned:

• Alliance & Leicester plc


• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group


• Banco Santander, S.A.


• Bank of England


• Bradford & Bingley Plc


• GE Money


• Lloyds Banking Group plc


• MSC


• Newcastle Building Society Limited


• Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC


• Smile

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cc3eaa/uk_plastic_cards_2

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