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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VeriFone Commends ISO Community Response to Heartland Transition

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), today commended the response of Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs) in its bid to shield merchants from any adverse impact in its patent infringement case against Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE: HPY). VeriFone previously announced it was terminating its support relationship with Heartland for VeriFone payment systems effective end of day December 31, 2009, and has offered merchants direct and free support from VeriFone.



Thousands of merchant representatives have begun a nationwide effort to personally visit Heartland merchants. The ISO community is helping prepare Heartland's merchants for the transition to avoid any disruptions, particularly during the crucial holiday season.



“VeriFone is intent on simply helping customers impacted by Heartland's theft of VeriFone's intellectual property, and we continue to do all we can to help these customers ensure that there will be no disruption, despite Heartland's interference,” said VeriFone CEO Douglas G. Bergeron.



Heartland is dependent on VeriFone for updates and support to the VeriFone operating system, runtime libraries, and in most cases the payment application. After December 31, the only way for Heartland merchants to ensure ongoing support and efficient operation is to register with VeriFone.



Additional resources: Current Heartland merchants can register for VeriFone support at: https://freesupport.verifone.com or the toll-free number1-888-887-8199





About VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (www.verifone.com)



VeriFone Holdings, Inc. (“VeriFone”) (NYSE: PAY) is the global leader in secure electronic payment solutions. VeriFone provides expertise, solutions and services that add value to the point of sale with merchant-operated, consumer-facing and self-service payment systems for the financial, retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare vertical markets. VeriFone solutions are designed to meet the needs of merchants, processors and acquirers in developed and emerging economies worldwide.



Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for VeriFone Holdings, Inc.



This press release includes certain forward-looking statements related to VeriFone Holdings, Inc. within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on VeriFone management's current expectations or beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the business of VeriFone Holdings, Inc. These risks and uncertainties include: the ability of VeriFone to successfully support Heartland Merchants, our ability to protect against fraud, the status of our relationship with and condition of third parties upon whom we rely in the conduct of our business, our dependence on a limited number of customers, uncertainties related to the conduct of our business internationally, our dependence on a limited number of key employees, short product cycles, rapidly changing technologies and maintaining competitive leadership position with respect to our payment solution offerings. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. VeriFone is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

Contacts

Editorial Contact:

VeriFone Media Relations

Pete Bartolik, 508-283-4112

pete_bartolik@verifone.com

Todos Delivers 20 Millionth eBanking Security Product

Todos protects 20M + from online fraud



Gothenburg, Sweden, Nov. 11, 2009 -- Thanks to continued rapid growth in 2009, Todos has passed a significant milestone. In September 2009, it delivered its 20 millionth eBanking security product.



In a world where identity theft, spyware, phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks threaten consumer confidence in online banking, Todos is busy strengthening the bonds of trust between banks and their customers. Millions of people around the world feel safer online thanks to Todos.



The company's success allows it to invest in innovative products, such as the Todos C400 and C200 advanced smart card readers. Todos has already shipped 6m of these sophisticated devices while other vendors struggle to bring similar products to market.



Todos's advanced smartcard readers fully eliminate the danger of man-in-the-middle and man-in-the-browser attacks, sidestepping the dangers highlighted by Ross Anderson earlier this year in his Cambridge University report* "Optimised to Fail".



The smartcard readers provide enhanced transaction authentication without having to connect to the user's PC. They are user-friendly and bank-friendly at the same time.



Two security features enhance trust, confidence and usability. Todos's unique Dynamic Signatures allows banks to adjust the level of security in proportion to the level of risk involved in each transaction. It is the only technology that enables Sign-What-You-See in both connected and unconnected mode. Secure Domain Separation prevents cross-channel attacks by keeping eCommerce, eBanking authentication, logon and transactions separate.



"This is a real milestone for Todos," says Ove Wedsjö, the company's CEO. "When it comes to eBanking and eCommerce security, it shows that Todos is setting the pace in business, technology and trust."



Todos AB helps banks and other businesses create trusted, secure relationships with their customers online. Founded in 1987, Todos designs, develops, delivers and supports security solutions for eBanking and eCommerce strong transaction authentication. We have delivered over 20m products to 100+ financial institutions in more than 30 countries. When trust matters, trust Todos.



Source: Company press release.