PYMNTS News Briefing 9/29

What's HOT:  No Cards Needed: Starbucks & Google | CyberSource Webinar | New "Shopping Buddy"

Regulation Roundup - Expert Reveals CFPB Move That "Will Terrorize Large Banks"  Featured Commentary     Post-Durbin Rewards and Loyalty: More Important than Ever  As the Oct. 1 implementation date for the Durbin Amendment nears, major banks, like U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo, plan to shelve their debit rewards programs entirely. But MPD Managing Director Margaret Weichert points out a few banks - both large and small - are using innovative reward programs to cement customer loyalty and consolidate transaction behavior with a single institution. Read More ----- FREE WEBINAR: The "Rewards" of Keeping Debit Loyalty Programs Post-Durbin Featured Event The 10th Annual Smart Card Alliance Government Conference will survey opportunities and challenges for government issuers, accreditation and testing authorities, procurement programs, and the industry to meet the government's market demands. The conference features comprehensive coverage of efforts toward strong authentication technology in government identity programs.  Read More  Stay Connected

Today's Top Story 09.29.11 Major Regional Bank Closes Branches to Keep Customers Happy: Hear Why IBC Bank spoke with PYMNTS.com about choosing to eliminate 55 branches, in lieu of taking away free customer products and services, due to the Fed's new debit rules. "Government many times passes regulations that end up hurting the very people they were intended to help," says the bank. Read More Related Report: Potential Effects of an Increase in Debit Card Fees - Boston Fed Featured Stories MOBILE PAYMENTS      - Square COO: NFC Won't Drive mPayment Adoption - Visa Europe Launches Mobile Person-To-Person Payment and Visa Alerts Services - INSIDE Secure Names New VP Applications and Ecosystems   - epay Signs Long-Term Prepaid Processing Agreement for Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA and Assurance Wireless   - No Cards Necessary: Starbucks and Google Up Their Mobile Payments Game      MERCHANTS     - NCR and Sparkfly to Help Merchants Drive Consumer Engagement  - As Big Brands Buck Daily Deals, Both Groupon & BuyWithMe Plan to Launch New Loyalty Programs   MORE HEADLINES       - Beat Fraud While Increasing Profits: CyberSource Webinar  - Panini to Feature Next Generation Remote Deposit & Office Automation at RDC Summit  - FICO and Equifax Will Bring Forward-Looking Scores to UK Market  Briefing Room: Handicapping PayPal and Google in the Mobile Transaction Platform Race   PayPal's Odds Google's Odds   And The Winner Is...