Marathon Oil Corporation to Implement Visa ReadyLink in its U.S. Marathon Brand Stations

Visa Adds 4,000 Locations in Further Expansion of Prepaid Reload Capabilities

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) and Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) today announced plans to rollout Visa ReadyLink – Visa’s prepaid reload network – in 4,000 Marathon Brand retail stations. To date the service has rolled out to approximately 2,000 locations, with the remainder expected to be active by the end of 2010. Marathon markets through approximately 4,600 branded locations in 18 states in the Midwest and Southeast U.S.

“The expansion of Visa ReadyLink to thousands of new locations helps to make prepaid products an increasingly relevant money management tool for consumers, while enabling our merchant and financial institution partners to better serve their customers.”

By introducing Visa ReadyLink, Marathon will enable consumers to load funds to their eligible Visa Prepaid cards at thousands of convenient locations. Nearly 45,000 merchant locations nationwide have introduced or are in the process of implementing Visa ReadyLink, further extending the convenience and security of reload services to Visa prepaid cardholders in more convenient, everyday shopping locations.

The Visa ReadyLink service helps Visa’s client financial institutions and merchant partners better meet the needs of financially underserved consumers. According to Visa estimates, there are approximately 80 million underserved consumers in the U.S. — those who lack access to a payment card or are without a traditional banking relationship.

“Our relationship with Marathon brings greater access and convenient services to Visa prepaid cardholders in locations where they shop every day,” said Brian Triplett, head of global prepaid products, Visa Inc. “The expansion of Visa ReadyLink to thousands of new locations helps to make prepaid products an increasingly relevant money management tool for consumers, while enabling our merchant and financial institution partners to better serve their customers.”

“Our customers are looking for a greater variety of secure and convenient payment options,” said Craig Weigand, Marathon’s Advertising and Credit Card manager. “Providing Visa ReadyLink is just one more way we can bring our customers value by providing greater access to the services they need.”

More information about Visa ReadyLink the service is available at www.visa.com/reloadable.

About Visa Inc.

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visitwww.corporate.visa.com.

About Marathon Oil

Marathon is an integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; oil sands mining; integrated gas; and refining, marketing and transportation operations. Marathon has principal operations in the United States, Angola, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Norway and the United Kingdom. Marathon is the fourth largest United States-based integrated oil company and the nation's fifth largest refiner. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.marathon.com.

Contacts

Visa Inc.

Kate Mulhearn, 650-432-1113

globalmedia@visa.com

or

Marathon Petroleum Company, LLC

Shane Pochard, 419-421-4327

spochard@marathonoil.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100513005886/en/Marathon-Oil-Corporation-Implement-Visa-ReadyLink-U.S

Marathon Oil Corporation to Implement Visa ReadyLink in its U.S. Marathon Brand Stations

Visa Adds 4,000 Locations in Further Expansion of Prepaid Reload Capabilities

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) and Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) today announced plans to rollout Visa ReadyLink – Visa’s prepaid reload network – in 4,000 Marathon Brand retail stations. To date the service has rolled out to approximately 2,000 locations, with the remainder expected to be active by the end of 2010. Marathon markets through approximately 4,600 branded locations in 18 states in the Midwest and Southeast U.S.

“The expansion of Visa ReadyLink to thousands of new locations helps to make prepaid products an increasingly relevant money management tool for consumers, while enabling our merchant and financial institution partners to better serve their customers.”

By introducing Visa ReadyLink, Marathon will enable consumers to load funds to their eligible Visa Prepaid cards at thousands of convenient locations. Nearly 45,000 merchant locations nationwide have introduced or are in the process of implementing Visa ReadyLink, further extending the convenience and security of reload services to Visa prepaid cardholders in more convenient, everyday shopping locations.

The Visa ReadyLink service helps Visa’s client financial institutions and merchant partners better meet the needs of financially underserved consumers. According to Visa estimates, there are approximately 80 million underserved consumers in the U.S. — those who lack access to a payment card or are without a traditional banking relationship.

“Our relationship with Marathon brings greater access and convenient services to Visa prepaid cardholders in locations where they shop every day,” said Brian Triplett, head of global prepaid products, Visa Inc. “The expansion of Visa ReadyLink to thousands of new locations helps to make prepaid products an increasingly relevant money management tool for consumers, while enabling our merchant and financial institution partners to better serve their customers.”

“Our customers are looking for a greater variety of secure and convenient payment options,” said Craig Weigand, Marathon’s Advertising and Credit Card manager. “Providing Visa ReadyLink is just one more way we can bring our customers value by providing greater access to the services they need.”

More information about Visa ReadyLink the service is available at www.visa.com/reloadable.

About Visa Inc.

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visitwww.corporate.visa.com.

About Marathon Oil

Marathon is an integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; oil sands mining; integrated gas; and refining, marketing and transportation operations. Marathon has principal operations in the United States, Angola, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Norway and the United Kingdom. Marathon is the fourth largest United States-based integrated oil company and the nation's fifth largest refiner. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.marathon.com.

Contacts

Visa Inc.

Kate Mulhearn, 650-432-1113

globalmedia@visa.com

or

Marathon Petroleum Company, LLC

Shane Pochard, 419-421-4327

spochard@marathonoil.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100513005886/en/Marathon-Oil-Corporation-Implement-Visa-ReadyLink-U.S

Two Pinheads Get Life in Prison for PIN Number Murder

The BBC is reporting that the two idiots who tortured and eventually killed a man to get his PIN have been sentenced to life in prison.

Howsego and Williams ambushed Mr Reeve on his way home Two men who stabbed and strangled a man when he refused to reveal his bank card PIN number have been jailed for life for his murder. Graham Reeve, 55, was tortured for several hours before his body was dumped in an empty flat in Colchester, Essex, in July 2009. Danny Howsego, 36, and Jon Williams, 22, both from Stanley Wooster Way, Colchester, had denied the charge. A judge at Chelmsford Crown Court said they must serve at least 32 years each Continue Reading

Two Pinheads Get Life in Prison for PIN Number Murder

The BBC is reporting that the two idiots who tortured and eventually killed a man to get his PIN have been sentenced to life in prison.

Howsego and Williams ambushed Mr Reeve on his way home Two men who stabbed and strangled a man when he refused to reveal his bank card PIN number have been jailed for life for his murder. Graham Reeve, 55, was tortured for several hours before his body was dumped in an empty flat in Colchester, Essex, in July 2009. Danny Howsego, 36, and Jon Williams, 22, both from Stanley Wooster Way, Colchester, had denied the charge. A judge at Chelmsford Crown Court said they must serve at least 32 years each Continue Reading

2010 EMV User Meeting in Singapore

EMV User Meeting set for Singapore

EMVCo, the EMV standards body jointly owned by American Express, JCB, MasterCard and Visa, will host its 2010 User Meeting on 29-30 June, at the Singapore Marriott, Singapore.  The event will bring together EMVCo representatives and EMV users, and provides an opportunity to communicate the most recent technical advances and discuss future developments of the EMV standard.

EMVCo invites all users of the EMV Specifications globally to attend the two-day event, which     follows  the inaugural meeting held in Germany last year.  In line with EMVCo's role as a technical standards body, the meeting is an interactive forum on technical EMV issues and developments that will educate delegates on the organisation's strategic vision to meet emerging market requirements.  Attendees will also have the opportunity to share valuable ‘grass roots' feedback to the standards body on its current and future activities.

The Singapore event will incorporate four sessions: building the infrastructure for EMV contactless; expanding the EMV community through the EMVCo Associates Programme; exploring the contactless mobile ecosystem; and the depth of EMV security.  Each track will include insightful presentations from keynote speakers and EMVCo's key personnel, as well as a questions and answers session. 

The annual meeting is part of a number of initiatives that have been launched by EMVCo to increase industry engagement in the ongoing development of the EMV payment specifications.  This includes the introduction of the EMVCo Associates Programme earlier this year, which offers Business and Technical Associate participation categories and enables EMV stakeholders to play a more active role in guiding the organisation's strategic and technical direction.  EMVCo also launched a website subscription programme in 2009, which entitles individuals and organisations to access advance information regarding revisions to EMV Specifications, draft documents and upcoming meetings.

As the EMV User Meeting is one element of its engagement activities to broaden industry participation and promote greater transparency, organisations wishing to have representation at the event must already be an EMVCo Business Associate, EMVCo Technical Associate, or a company website subscriber.  Individual website subscribers are also eligible to attend.  An early bird rate - $249 - will be applied to all meeting registrations confirmed before 31 May 2010.  After this date, the full meeting registration fee - $495 - will be applied.  EMVCo Business Associates and EMVCo Technical Associates are entitled to complimentary meeting registration for one and three passes respectively.

For further information and to register for the EMV User Meeting visit: www.emvco.com.  

2010 EMV User Meeting in Singapore

EMV User Meeting set for Singapore

EMVCo, the EMV standards body jointly owned by American Express, JCB, MasterCard and Visa, will host its 2010 User Meeting on 29-30 June, at the Singapore Marriott, Singapore.  The event will bring together EMVCo representatives and EMV users, and provides an opportunity to communicate the most recent technical advances and discuss future developments of the EMV standard.

EMVCo invites all users of the EMV Specifications globally to attend the two-day event, which     follows  the inaugural meeting held in Germany last year.  In line with EMVCo's role as a technical standards body, the meeting is an interactive forum on technical EMV issues and developments that will educate delegates on the organisation's strategic vision to meet emerging market requirements.  Attendees will also have the opportunity to share valuable ‘grass roots' feedback to the standards body on its current and future activities.

The Singapore event will incorporate four sessions: building the infrastructure for EMV contactless; expanding the EMV community through the EMVCo Associates Programme; exploring the contactless mobile ecosystem; and the depth of EMV security.  Each track will include insightful presentations from keynote speakers and EMVCo's key personnel, as well as a questions and answers session. 

The annual meeting is part of a number of initiatives that have been launched by EMVCo to increase industry engagement in the ongoing development of the EMV payment specifications.  This includes the introduction of the EMVCo Associates Programme earlier this year, which offers Business and Technical Associate participation categories and enables EMV stakeholders to play a more active role in guiding the organisation's strategic and technical direction.  EMVCo also launched a website subscription programme in 2009, which entitles individuals and organisations to access advance information regarding revisions to EMV Specifications, draft documents and upcoming meetings.

As the EMV User Meeting is one element of its engagement activities to broaden industry participation and promote greater transparency, organisations wishing to have representation at the event must already be an EMVCo Business Associate, EMVCo Technical Associate, or a company website subscriber.  Individual website subscribers are also eligible to attend.  An early bird rate - $249 - will be applied to all meeting registrations confirmed before 31 May 2010.  After this date, the full meeting registration fee - $495 - will be applied.  EMVCo Business Associates and EMVCo Technical Associates are entitled to complimentary meeting registration for one and three passes respectively.

For further information and to register for the EMV User Meeting visit: www.emvco.com.  

First Globally Compliant EMV Dual Interface Chip Card Issued by UN Federal Credit Union

United Nations Federal Credit Union and Gemalto announced today that the UNFCU will be the first financial institution in the United States to begin issuing a globally compliant EMV dual interface (contact and contactless) chip credit card.    We congratulate both UNFCU and Gemalto for this significant milestone in being the first to enable U.S. consumers to have a secure EMV payment card that will be accepted in contactless merchant terminals in the U.S. and in EMV contact and contactless merchant terminals outside the U.S.   Below are the details that were included in the press release issued today by Gemalto.   United Nations Federal Credit Union Selects Gemalto for First U.S. Issued Globally Compliant Payment Card  AUSTIN, TX, May 13, 2010 –Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announced it has been selected by the United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) to deliver the first U.S. issued, globally compliant microprocessor payment card. UNFCU recognized the need of their members, who reside and frequently travel to more than 210 countries and territories, to have a more convenient and secure payment option when traveling internationally. Partnering with Gemalto, UNFCU will be able to provide a globally compliant Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) standard-based Dynamic Data Authentication (DDA) contact and contactless dual interface card that can be used anytime – anywhere their members travel. UNFCU anticipates introducing the program in the second half of 2010. With most countries around the world moving to EMV based payment for greater security, U.S. travelers are increasingly having trouble using magnetic stripe bankcards abroad, especially in offline applications like taxis, unattended ticketing and payment kiosks. UNFCU is the first U.S. card issuer to provide a globally compliant payment card option to their members. UNFCU is taking advantage of Gemalto’s recently announced World Traveler program in which Gemalto will provide UNFCU with complete issuance services including full card design and production, personalization data preparation and personalization of the dual interface card, ensuring global acceptance and forward compatibility for both online and offline payment transactions. “Wanting to meet the needs of our highly mobile and often remotely located international membership base, we selected Gemalto as a solution for payment card global compatibility and ongoing safety,” said Merrill Halpern, card services manager at UNFCU, who noted the institution’s long history of product innovation, focus on security and convenience, and responding to member feedback. “We selected Gemalto based upon their expertise in payment process integration and their ability to provide all of the associated services, such as the SMS-based Personal Identification Number (PIN) reminder service if a cardholder forgets their PIN, and the global emergency card replacement service if the card is lost or stolen. This ensures the best possible experience for our cardholders.” “Cardholders naturally expect to be able to use their payment card anywhere in the world,” said Jack Jania, vice president and general manager, Secure Transactions North America.  “By partnering with Gemalto, UNFCU leveraged Gemalto’s ability to work with payment institutions around the planet to quickly achieve worldwide compatibility. This ensures the microprocessor payment card issued to their members is globally accepted, keeping their payment card top of wallet, and making it the most convenient to use both when traveling and when at home.”  For more information on payment challenges abroad: * “For Americans, Plastic Buys Less Abroad,” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/travel/04pracchip.html?_r=3&hpw ** The Broken Promise of Pay Anywhere, Anytime: The Experience of the U.S. Cardholder Abroad - September 2009 Aite Group online survey of 1,019 U.S. resident cardholders that traveled to countries outside of Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico between 2006 and 2009.   The report can be found at http://www.aitegroup.com/reports/200910261.php.  About United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) UNFCU is a cooperative financial institution with more than US $3.1 billion in assets, which has served the financial needs of the United Nations community since 1947. UNFCU offers a wide array of flexible savings, loan, investment and insurance products, as well as advisory services.  Membership is open to staff of the United Nations, its specialized agencies, retirees and their families.  UNFCU members reside in 212 countries and territories.  Headquartered and with branches in New York City, UNFCU has Representative Offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Nairobi, Kenya, and Rome, Italy.   For more information about UNFCU, please visit its website at http://www.unfcu.org/.  Contact: Elisabeth Philippe 347-686-6776ephilippe@unfcu.com   About Gemalto Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2009 annual revenues of €1.65 billion, and over 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, with research and service centers in 41 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), Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC) 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 http://www.gemalto.com/.

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• Gemalto Introduces Globally Accepted Payment Card for U.S. Travelers (eon.businesswire.com)


• Gemalto and Texas Instruments Collaborate to Deliver Secure Mobile Financial Services in Mobile Devices (eon.businesswire.com)


• Gemalto and BNP Paribas Reinforce their Global Partnership (pindebit.blogspot.com)


• YESpay becomes Canada's first fully EMV Chip and PIN certified card payment service with Chase Paymentech (pindebit.blogspot.com)


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First Globally Compliant EMV Dual Interface Chip Card Issued by UN Federal Credit Union

United Nations Federal Credit Union and Gemalto announced today that the UNFCU will be the first financial institution in the United States to begin issuing a globally compliant EMV dual interface (contact and contactless) chip credit card.    We congratulate both UNFCU and Gemalto for this significant milestone in being the first to enable U.S. consumers to have a secure EMV payment card that will be accepted in contactless merchant terminals in the U.S. and in EMV contact and contactless merchant terminals outside the U.S.   Below are the details that were included in the press release issued today by Gemalto.   United Nations Federal Credit Union Selects Gemalto for First U.S. Issued Globally Compliant Payment Card  AUSTIN, TX, May 13, 2010 –Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announced it has been selected by the United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) to deliver the first U.S. issued, globally compliant microprocessor payment card. UNFCU recognized the need of their members, who reside and frequently travel to more than 210 countries and territories, to have a more convenient and secure payment option when traveling internationally. Partnering with Gemalto, UNFCU will be able to provide a globally compliant Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) standard-based Dynamic Data Authentication (DDA) contact and contactless dual interface card that can be used anytime – anywhere their members travel. UNFCU anticipates introducing the program in the second half of 2010. With most countries around the world moving to EMV based payment for greater security, U.S. travelers are increasingly having trouble using magnetic stripe bankcards abroad, especially in offline applications like taxis, unattended ticketing and payment kiosks. UNFCU is the first U.S. card issuer to provide a globally compliant payment card option to their members. UNFCU is taking advantage of Gemalto’s recently announced World Traveler program in which Gemalto will provide UNFCU with complete issuance services including full card design and production, personalization data preparation and personalization of the dual interface card, ensuring global acceptance and forward compatibility for both online and offline payment transactions. “Wanting to meet the needs of our highly mobile and often remotely located international membership base, we selected Gemalto as a solution for payment card global compatibility and ongoing safety,” said Merrill Halpern, card services manager at UNFCU, who noted the institution’s long history of product innovation, focus on security and convenience, and responding to member feedback. “We selected Gemalto based upon their expertise in payment process integration and their ability to provide all of the associated services, such as the SMS-based Personal Identification Number (PIN) reminder service if a cardholder forgets their PIN, and the global emergency card replacement service if the card is lost or stolen. This ensures the best possible experience for our cardholders.” “Cardholders naturally expect to be able to use their payment card anywhere in the world,” said Jack Jania, vice president and general manager, Secure Transactions North America.  “By partnering with Gemalto, UNFCU leveraged Gemalto’s ability to work with payment institutions around the planet to quickly achieve worldwide compatibility. This ensures the microprocessor payment card issued to their members is globally accepted, keeping their payment card top of wallet, and making it the most convenient to use both when traveling and when at home.”  For more information on payment challenges abroad: * “For Americans, Plastic Buys Less Abroad,” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/travel/04pracchip.html?_r=3&hpw ** The Broken Promise of Pay Anywhere, Anytime: The Experience of the U.S. Cardholder Abroad - September 2009 Aite Group online survey of 1,019 U.S. resident cardholders that traveled to countries outside of Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico between 2006 and 2009.   The report can be found at http://www.aitegroup.com/reports/200910261.php.  About United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) UNFCU is a cooperative financial institution with more than US $3.1 billion in assets, which has served the financial needs of the United Nations community since 1947. UNFCU offers a wide array of flexible savings, loan, investment and insurance products, as well as advisory services.  Membership is open to staff of the United Nations, its specialized agencies, retirees and their families.  UNFCU members reside in 212 countries and territories.  Headquartered and with branches in New York City, UNFCU has Representative Offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Nairobi, Kenya, and Rome, Italy.   For more information about UNFCU, please visit its website at http://www.unfcu.org/.  Contact: Elisabeth Philippe 347-686-6776ephilippe@unfcu.com   About Gemalto Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2009 annual revenues of €1.65 billion, and over 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, with research and service centers in 41 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), Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC) 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 http://www.gemalto.com/.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Gemalto Introduces Globally Accepted Payment Card for U.S. Travelers (eon.businesswire.com)


• Gemalto and Texas Instruments Collaborate to Deliver Secure Mobile Financial Services in Mobile Devices (eon.businesswire.com)


• Gemalto and BNP Paribas Reinforce their Global Partnership (pindebit.blogspot.com)


• YESpay becomes Canada's first fully EMV Chip and PIN certified card payment service with Chase Paymentech (pindebit.blogspot.com)


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Abacus Plumbing Adopts Mobilescape to Process Credit Card Payments at Customers' Homes

Award-winning Houston-based residential plumbing company goes mobile to streamline payment processes and save thousands in processing fees

HOUSTON May 13, 2010 –Payments Industry News Blog - Mobilescape, the provider of the market’s leading mobile payment solution for credit cards and checks, today announced that Abacus Plumbing, one of Houston’s leading residential plumbing companies, has deployed the Mobilescape mobile credit card processing solution in its fleet of service vans.



Since residential service companies often take a large portion of their payments by credit card, keeping credit card processing fees low is a key concern. Often, employees in the field must call credit card numbers into the home office or carry paper receipts until a batch is dropped off — both of which can be time-consuming and risky practices. In each case, if the card isn’t swiped at the point of sale, processing fees are higher. Using Mobilescape to swipe card-present transactions adds up to significant savings.

Our CircleSwipe Device turns "card not present" |

transactions into "card present" ones.

“Adopting Mobilescape means that we’ll provide our customers a cutting-edge, streamlined way to pay by credit or debit card right at the point of service,” said Alan O’Neill, owner and president of Abacus Plumbing. “We get our money faster, we have better visibility into our financial health, and we are improving our overall business process. Using Mobilescape is becoming one of our biggest competitive advantages.”

The Mobilescape solution uses simple navigation icons and is built to withstand industrial use. It provides residential service companies a robust, easy-to-deploy solution for improving their payment process, which helps prevent mistakes and frees up more time for customer care and additional service calls.



Mobilescape features the unique ability to capture and store customer signatures to reduce fraud and protect the company from chargeback claims. When the customer signs on the screen for the payment, a printed receipt is generated and the signature image is easily retrievable for up to 15 months from a secure server.



“Customers increasingly expect to pay for services with credit and debit cards, and Mobilescape is giving thousands of residential service providers the ability to process these payments safely and securely,” said Richard A. Howell, vice president of mobile payments at BankServ, Mobilescape’s parent company. “With a quick swipe on the Mobilescape terminal, Abacus Plumbing is lowering the rates they pay for credit card processing, and can be sure a card is valid before the technician leaves the property.”

For more information about the Mobilescape mobile payment solution, please visit www.mobilescape.com.

Abacus Plumbing Adopts Mobilescape to Process Credit Card Payments at Customers' Homes

Award-winning Houston-based residential plumbing company goes mobile to streamline payment processes and save thousands in processing fees

HOUSTON May 13, 2010 –Payments Industry News Blog - Mobilescape, the provider of the market’s leading mobile payment solution for credit cards and checks, today announced that Abacus Plumbing, one of Houston’s leading residential plumbing companies, has deployed the Mobilescape mobile credit card processing solution in its fleet of service vans.



Since residential service companies often take a large portion of their payments by credit card, keeping credit card processing fees low is a key concern. Often, employees in the field must call credit card numbers into the home office or carry paper receipts until a batch is dropped off — both of which can be time-consuming and risky practices. In each case, if the card isn’t swiped at the point of sale, processing fees are higher. Using Mobilescape to swipe card-present transactions adds up to significant savings.

Our CircleSwipe Device turns "card not present" |

transactions into "card present" ones.

“Adopting Mobilescape means that we’ll provide our customers a cutting-edge, streamlined way to pay by credit or debit card right at the point of service,” said Alan O’Neill, owner and president of Abacus Plumbing. “We get our money faster, we have better visibility into our financial health, and we are improving our overall business process. Using Mobilescape is becoming one of our biggest competitive advantages.”

The Mobilescape solution uses simple navigation icons and is built to withstand industrial use. It provides residential service companies a robust, easy-to-deploy solution for improving their payment process, which helps prevent mistakes and frees up more time for customer care and additional service calls.



Mobilescape features the unique ability to capture and store customer signatures to reduce fraud and protect the company from chargeback claims. When the customer signs on the screen for the payment, a printed receipt is generated and the signature image is easily retrievable for up to 15 months from a secure server.



“Customers increasingly expect to pay for services with credit and debit cards, and Mobilescape is giving thousands of residential service providers the ability to process these payments safely and securely,” said Richard A. Howell, vice president of mobile payments at BankServ, Mobilescape’s parent company. “With a quick swipe on the Mobilescape terminal, Abacus Plumbing is lowering the rates they pay for credit card processing, and can be sure a card is valid before the technician leaves the property.”

For more information about the Mobilescape mobile payment solution, please visit www.mobilescape.com.

Customer Satisfaction with Online Banking Slips

Customer Satisfaction with Online Banking Slips, But Still Significantly Beats Offline Banking

Study from ForeSee Results and Forbes.com Reveals Credit Unions Provide the Most Satisfying Online Experience

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the 2010 Online Financial Services Study out today from ForeSee Results and Forbes, customer satisfaction with online banking fell two points in 2010, from 83 in 2009 to 81 (on a 100-point scale). While a statistically significant drop, the score remains high (80 is considered the threshold for excellence) and, in fact, is far superior to offline banking and most other online industries. The full report can be downloaded on ForeSee Results’ website at: http://www.foreseeresults.com/research-white-papers/foresee-results-forbes-online-financial-services-study-2010.shtml

“When it comes to customer satisfaction, big banks, with relatively unlimited resources, are not performing as well as smaller institutions with fewer resources”

The study, the sixth such collaboration between ForeSee Results and Forbes, employs the methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and measured satisfaction with online banks and credit unions, including Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, Citibank, JP Morgan/Chase, PNC, Regions Bank, Sun Trust, US Bank, and Wells Fargo, as well as smaller, regional institutions.

“Despite everything that’s gone on in the financial sector over the past several years, including a stumbling economy, bailouts, and credit freezes, financial institutions have turned to their websites as a way to maintain and even increase customer loyalty,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results. “While the dip in score could predict more trouble for the recovery, it also shows that the online channel continues to be the most effective marketing channel for banks and credit unions.”

The five largest banks in the country (Bank of America, Citibank, Chase, PNC, and Wells Fargo) scored the lowest in the study, while credit unions tend to have the highest online customer satisfaction scores. However, with all financial institution categories scoring higher than 80, online banking (81) is clearly providing superior satisfaction to offline banking (75).

“When it comes to customer satisfaction, big banks, with relatively unlimited resources, are not performing as well as smaller institutions with fewer resources,” added Freed. “While the big companies try to outdo each other with lots of flashy bells and whistles, the small banks have had to keep their focus on satisfying the customer because that’s the only way they can compete. And as the data shows, it’s paid off.”

The study also found that highly satisfied online banking and credit union customers report being:

• 56% more likely to purchase additional products and services and 65% more likely to increase online bill payment,


• 64% more likely to use the website as a primary channel for interacting with the bank,


• 76% more likely to recommend the bank overall and 63% more likely to recommend the bank’s website, and


• 56% more satisfied with their bank overall and 41% more likely to continue to use their bank’s services than unsatisfied customers.

“More than ever, reputation management is a critical element of financial services marketing,” said Bruce Rogers, Forbes Chief Brand Officer. “Measuring and tracking online customer satisfaction is a key component of this process, because highly satisfied online customers are much more likely to purchase more services, open more accounts, and recommend both the company and its website, all of which have bottom line implications.”

Download the full report for free at http://www.foreseeresults.com/research-white-papers/foresee-results-forbes-online-financial-services-study-2010.shtml.

About ForeSee Results

As the leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, ForeSee Results captures and analyzes online voice of customer data to help organizations increase sales, loyalty, recommendations and website value. Using the methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), ForeSee Results identifies the improvements to websites and other online initiatives with the greatest ROI. With more than 45 million survey responses collected to date and benchmarks across dozens of industries, ForeSee Results offers unparalleled expertise in customer satisfaction measurement and management. ForeSee Results works with clients across industries, including: retail, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and government.

ForeSee Results, a privately held company, is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and on the web at www.ForeSeeResults.com.

Contacts

ForeSee Results

Sarah Allen-Short, 734-327-3852

sarah.allen-short@ForeSeeResults.com

or

Kearns & West

Chaat Butsunturn, 415-391-7900 x114

cbutsunturn@kearnswest.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100513005223/en/Customer-Satisfaction-Online-Banking-Slips-Significantly-Beats

Customer Satisfaction with Online Banking Slips

Customer Satisfaction with Online Banking Slips, But Still Significantly Beats Offline Banking

Study from ForeSee Results and Forbes.com Reveals Credit Unions Provide the Most Satisfying Online Experience

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the 2010 Online Financial Services Study out today from ForeSee Results and Forbes, customer satisfaction with online banking fell two points in 2010, from 83 in 2009 to 81 (on a 100-point scale). While a statistically significant drop, the score remains high (80 is considered the threshold for excellence) and, in fact, is far superior to offline banking and most other online industries. The full report can be downloaded on ForeSee Results’ website at: http://www.foreseeresults.com/research-white-papers/foresee-results-forbes-online-financial-services-study-2010.shtml

“When it comes to customer satisfaction, big banks, with relatively unlimited resources, are not performing as well as smaller institutions with fewer resources”

The study, the sixth such collaboration between ForeSee Results and Forbes, employs the methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and measured satisfaction with online banks and credit unions, including Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, Citibank, JP Morgan/Chase, PNC, Regions Bank, Sun Trust, US Bank, and Wells Fargo, as well as smaller, regional institutions.

“Despite everything that’s gone on in the financial sector over the past several years, including a stumbling economy, bailouts, and credit freezes, financial institutions have turned to their websites as a way to maintain and even increase customer loyalty,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results. “While the dip in score could predict more trouble for the recovery, it also shows that the online channel continues to be the most effective marketing channel for banks and credit unions.”

The five largest banks in the country (Bank of America, Citibank, Chase, PNC, and Wells Fargo) scored the lowest in the study, while credit unions tend to have the highest online customer satisfaction scores. However, with all financial institution categories scoring higher than 80, online banking (81) is clearly providing superior satisfaction to offline banking (75).

“When it comes to customer satisfaction, big banks, with relatively unlimited resources, are not performing as well as smaller institutions with fewer resources,” added Freed. “While the big companies try to outdo each other with lots of flashy bells and whistles, the small banks have had to keep their focus on satisfying the customer because that’s the only way they can compete. And as the data shows, it’s paid off.”

The study also found that highly satisfied online banking and credit union customers report being:

• 56% more likely to purchase additional products and services and 65% more likely to increase online bill payment,


• 64% more likely to use the website as a primary channel for interacting with the bank,


• 76% more likely to recommend the bank overall and 63% more likely to recommend the bank’s website, and


• 56% more satisfied with their bank overall and 41% more likely to continue to use their bank’s services than unsatisfied customers.

“More than ever, reputation management is a critical element of financial services marketing,” said Bruce Rogers, Forbes Chief Brand Officer. “Measuring and tracking online customer satisfaction is a key component of this process, because highly satisfied online customers are much more likely to purchase more services, open more accounts, and recommend both the company and its website, all of which have bottom line implications.”

Download the full report for free at http://www.foreseeresults.com/research-white-papers/foresee-results-forbes-online-financial-services-study-2010.shtml.

About ForeSee Results

As the leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, ForeSee Results captures and analyzes online voice of customer data to help organizations increase sales, loyalty, recommendations and website value. Using the methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), ForeSee Results identifies the improvements to websites and other online initiatives with the greatest ROI. With more than 45 million survey responses collected to date and benchmarks across dozens of industries, ForeSee Results offers unparalleled expertise in customer satisfaction measurement and management. ForeSee Results works with clients across industries, including: retail, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and government.

ForeSee Results, a privately held company, is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and on the web at www.ForeSeeResults.com.

Contacts

ForeSee Results

Sarah Allen-Short, 734-327-3852

sarah.allen-short@ForeSeeResults.com

or

Kearns & West

Chaat Butsunturn, 415-391-7900 x114

cbutsunturn@kearnswest.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100513005223/en/Customer-Satisfaction-Online-Banking-Slips-Significantly-Beats