First Data Announces Financial Results Release Date Change: Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2009 Financial Results to Be Released March 11

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Data today announced that it has changed the date of its previously announced fourth quarter and full-year 2009 financial results conference call from Thursday, March 18, 2010, to Thursday, March 11, 2010. The release will be available at www.firstdata.com.



The rescheduled financial results conference call and webcast will be held on Thursday, March 11, at 8 a.m. EST to review fourth quarter and full-year 2009 financial results. Michael Capellas, chairman and CEO of First Data, will lead the call. Also participating will be Pat Shannon, chief financial officer, and Silvio Tavares, senior vice president, investor relations.

To listen to the call, dial 888-378-4350 (U.S.) or +1-719-457-2734 (outside the U.S.) 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. The call will also be webcast on the “Investor Relations” section of the First Data Web site, http://ir.firstdatacorp.com/events.cfm. Please click on the webcast link at least 15 minutes prior to the call. A slide presentation to accompany the call will be included in the webcast and also will be available under the “Investor Relations” section of the Web site.



A replay of the call will be available through March 19, 2010, at 888-203-1112 (U.S.) or +1-719-457-0820 (outside the U.S.), replay pass code 4781802, and via webcast at http://ir.firstdatacorp.com/events.cfm.



About First Data

First Data powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses to buy goods and services using virtually any form of electronic payment. Whether the choice of payment is a gift card, a credit or debit card or a check, First Data securely processes the transaction and harnesses the power of the data to deliver intelligence and insight for millions of merchant locations and thousands of card issuers in 36 countries. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com.





Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark us or Add to your Favorites and Find Out What's Going on Tomorrow in the Payments Industry

 

Related articles

• First Data to Release Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2009 Financial Results (pindebit.blogspot.com)


• First Data Assists Earthquake Relief Efforts in Haiti (pindebit.blogspot.com)

Latvian Hackers Leak Bank Pay Details via Twitter

Finextra: A group of Latvian hackers have stolen millions of classified tax documents from government computers and begun leaking information - including the pay details of managers at a bailed out bank - to a TV station.  According to AP, a group called the People's Army of the Fourth Awakening contacted a local TV station last week to claim it has downloaded the documents from the state revenue service.



Continue Reading at Finextra

Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark us or Add to your Favorites and Find Out What's Going on Tomorrow in the Payments Industry

Related articles by Zemanta

• Robin Hood hacker exposes bankers (news.bbc.co.uk)


• Latvian "Robin Hood" Hacker Leaks Bank Details (it.slashdot.org)


• BBC News - Latvian 'Robin Hood' hacker leaks bank details to TV (dccrowley.posterous.com)


• Latvian hacker tweets hard on banking whistle (go.theregister.com)


• Cyber-whistleblower stuns Latvia with tax heist (seattletimes.nwsource.com)


• Robin Hood in the Age of Information (slog.thestranger.com)

Interac Certifies Ingenico Fuel/Unattended Hardware Device

Interac certifies Ingenico payment device



Toronto, Feb. 25, 2010 -- Ingenico, the #1 provider of payment solutions in Canada, announced today the Canadian certification of their fuel and unattended hardware device Ingenico OrSPT by the Interac Association Device Certification Program which will be sold and distributed under the name of the i9780UPT in North America. It is the safest alternative to existing solutions for fuel stations and harsh outdoor unattended environments in Canada.



According to the certification, the i9780UPT meets or exceeds the stringent Interac Association Chip Unattended compliance requirements, PCI PED and EMVCo L1 and L2 security standards.



"The Interac certification of our i9780UPT as the most secure alternative to current fuel stations and outdoor payment solutions in Canada is the latest example of Ingenico's dedication to providing our Canadian customers and consumers with the highest levels of payment security," said Christopher Justice, president, Ingenico, North America. "As the innovative leader in payment solutions, Ingenico takes a strategic approach to bringing new payment terminals into the market that are fully aligned with the needs of the local marketplace."



Ingenico will start marketing the i9780UPT terminal in Canada as of March 1, 2010.



About Ingenico (ING)



Ingenico (Euronext: FR0000125346 – ING) is a leading provider of payment solutions, with over 15 million terminals deployed in more than 125 countries. Its 2,850 employees worldwide support retailers, banks and service providers to optimize and secure their electronic payments solutions, develop their offer of services and increase their point of sales revenue. More information on www.ingenico.com Source: Company press release.





Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark us or Add to your Favorites and Find Out What's Going on Tomorrow in the Payments Industry

Plant Payment Awarded Patent for Foreign Currency Conversion

Planet Payment awarded foreign currency conversion patent



Long Beach, N.Y. – Feb. 16, 2010 -- Planet Payment [LSE: AIM: PPT and PPTR; OTCQX: PLPM], a leading multi-currency and data processor, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded U.S. Patent 7,660,768 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Time-of-Transaction Foreign Currency Conversion process. The patent describes Planet Payment’s innovative approach to payment card processing services, including Planet Payment’s Pay in Your Currency™ service, also known as Dynamic Currency Conversion, a service that gives cardholders the convenience and certainty of paying for purchases in their native currencies when travelling internationally.



With Planet Payment’s Time-of-Transaction Currency Conversion method, the charged amount is converted at the time-of-sale, using an exchange rate determined by Planet Payment for each individual transaction. The patent describes Planet Payment’s unique exchange rate calculation methodology, which allows for the determination of an exchange rate specific to each transaction, based upon a number of configurable business rules and logic.



“Planet Payment’s philosophy from the inception was to build a best-in-class Dynamic Currency Conversion service that operates as a true marketing tool, allowing merchants to sell more to their international cliental more efficiently,” said Philip D. Beck Chairman and CEO of Planet Payment. “The unique processes described in the patent allow for a more personalized approach to Dynamic Currency Conversion with exchange rates developed for individual transactions, while our methods for offering choice to cardholders ensure transparency and merchant ease-of-use. The patent, together with the successful implementation of our services with an ever-expanding customer base of over 30 banks in 11 countries, validates Planet Payment’s market-leadership in multi-currency payments.”



The patented process supports a number of unique marketing applications, such as Planet Payment’s FX Assured® Best Rate Guarantee Service. With FX Assured, Planet Payment develops an exchange rate for a card transaction that is calculated to be more favorable than the rate and fees that would have otherwise been charged to that cardholder by the card issuer for the same transaction. The patented process also provides merchants with other innovative ways to attract new international customers through more targeted promotions and offers – for example, providing customers from specific countries who use their payment card for a purchase with a discounted currency exchange rate that could be below prevailing exchange rates offered elsewhere.



In addition to these concepts, Planet Payment has developed and deployed innovative receipt formats that secure a cardholder’s currency selection, in compliance with Card Association rules and consistent with Planet Payment’s philosophy of providing transparency and informed choice. Planet Payment’s proprietary methods simplify the offering of the currency choice, by empowering the cardholder to make the selection on the receipt, which in turn simplifies the implementation and training process for merchants who adopt the service.



In addition to the U.S. Patent, Planet Payment has been awarded patents in Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines, with patent applications pending in many other jurisdictions



About Planet Payment®:



Planet Payment’s Common Shares trade in the UK on AIM under the symbols PPT for unrestricted Common Shares and PPTR for Reg S Common Shares and in the USA on the OTCQX under the symbol PLPM.



Planet Payment enables processors, acquiring banks and their merchants to accept process and reconcile credit card transactions in multiple currencies, allowing cardholders to view prices and settle transactions in their native currency. The Pay in Your Currency™ service is Planet Payment’s suite of multi-currency processing solutions, which includes a multi-currency pricing e-commerce service and a Dynamic Currency Conversion service. Planet Payment’s BuyVoice™, a mobile payment and commerce solution, allows merchants to accept payments and sell product to customers using any mobile or landline phone. With the iPAY™ gateway, Planet Payment also offers comprehensive Internet processing solutions for credit card and electronic check payments.



Planet Payment is headquartered in New York and has offices in Atlanta, Beijing, Bermuda, New Castle Delaware, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.

Source: Company press release.

List by Date | Search

Green Dot Corporation Files for a $150 Million IPO

Green Dot Corporation, which provides general purpose reloadable prepaid debit cards (GPR cards) under its Green PlaNET platform, filed on Friday with the SEC to raise up to $150 million in an initial public offering. The Monrovia, CA-based company was founded in 1999 as Next Estate Communications and changed its name to Green Dot Corporation in 2005. The prepaid debit card company booked $235 million in sales over the last 12 months and plans to list its Class A shares on the NYSE. J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are the lead underwriters on the deal, for which pricing terms and timing were not disclosed. Green Dot, which is 33% owned by Sequoia Capital, is the fifth venture capital-backed company to file for an IPO so far this month.

View IPO Profile: GDC         

Related Links: Recently Filed IPOs

Source: www.RenaissanceCapital.com

Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark us or Add to your Favorites and Find Out What's Going on Tomorrow in the Payments Industry

Senator Arlen Specter Poised to Introduce Legislation That Would Force Consumers to Pay More for Debit, Credit

Legislation Would Provide Windfall to Giant Retailers and Convenience Stores



WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The office of Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) has indicated to Pennsylvania banks that he will be introducing legislation "imminently" that will shift the cost of accepting debit and credit cards onto consumers. The bill, which will mirror legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), will allow merchants to effectively surcharge their customers who choose to pay using debit, credit or charge – a practice that is currently illegal in several states.



"This bill is chock full of mystery and innuendo that all add up to one thing: consumers will pay more so merchants can pay less," said Frank Pinto, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers. "When retailers accept cards in their stores, they receive profits, customers, guaranteed payment, and a golden key to e-commerce – and they shouldn't have their customers pay for this cost of doing business."



"This is an egregious assault on consumer protection," said Trish Wexler, spokeswoman for the Electronic Payments Coalition. "The bill is disguised as a measure to allow for cash discounts – something that is already allowed by federal law and by all card network contracts – but would instead open up the door for bait-and-switch advertising schemes, charging additional checkout fees at the register, and discrimination against certain card holders."



A November 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office on interchange fees concluded that all of the current policy proposals on the issue – including the proposal that forms the basis of Senator Specter's legislation – would result in higher prices for consumers.



"Customers of Pennsylvania community banks should not have to pay more so that retailers can profit," said Daniel C. Berninger, chairman of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association and president & CEO of Muncy Bank and Trust Company, Muncy, PA. "We hope that Senator Specter will reconsider introducing this harmful legislation."

About Electronic Payments Coalition

The Electronic Payments Coalition is dedicated to protecting consumer value, choice, and competition in electronic payments systems. The coalition is a broad-based group of payment card networks, financial services companies, and financial services trade associations whose primary goal is to educate policy-makers, consumers, and the media about the value of electronic payments systems — including economic growth, convenience, speed, reliability, and security — and to ensure the continued growth of global commerce by promoting consumer choice and the stability of the vast payment networks that connect millions of consumers with millions of retailers each and every day.

SOURCE Electronic Payments Coalition





Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark us or Add to your Favorites and Find Out What's Going on Tomorrow in the Payments Industry

HomeATM Headline News through February 26th

Smartphone Sales Surge as Dumbphone Demand Dips

Global iPhone sales grew in 2009 at the expense of Windows Mobile devices, according to Gartner's worldwide mobile sales report, released Tuesday. The report also showed sales of Android and Research In Motion's Blackberry devices going up year over year. Overall, worldwide mobile phone sales fell 0.9 percent in 2009 from the previous year's levels. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/69408.html



VeriSign Opens New Lab to Test Interoperability of Internet Solutions With DNSSEC

CNNMoney.com (press release) The DNSSEC Interoperability Lab is staffed by VeriSign personnel who can help solution and service providers determine if DNS packets containing DNSSEC



Q4 online sales grow 14.4%, reports the Commerce Department

Online retail sales in the fourth quarter grew 14.4% on an adjusted basis over the fourth quarter of 2008, reaching $35.9 billion, the Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce announced.



Intel faced hacker attack same time as Google

Intel has revealed that it was targeted by a "sophisticated" hacker attack this year at about the same time as a spying probe that hit Google. Read article »



Web-only retailers took the center stage for revenue growth in 2009

Among the 99 web-only retailers who have reported sales thus far for the 2010 Top 500 Guide, their combined 2009 sales increased 25.2%. Manufacturers grew 12.7% while catalogers and chain retailers declined 3.7% and 2.6%, respectively.



Barnes & Noble CEO stakes the company's future to e-commerce

With aggressive new business development in the e-book reader market, Barnes & Noble (No. 41) is transforming itself from conventional books retailing into a major e-commerce franchise, CEO Steve Riggio recently told Wall Street analysts.



Nokia to pilot m-commerce project in India

Voice & Data Online The entry of the handset market leader, Nokia in m-commerce would not only fuel the growth of industry in nascent stage, but also create awareness among the



Target Decides Payment Method Incentives Work



Changing consumer shopping behavior is about as easy as motivating a salesperson: Just speak with money. This is how you can tell the difference between what retail executives really care about and what they need to say they care about. Contactless payment, biometric payment and self-checkout are just some of the more obvious examples of payment processes that retailers have said they want to push, and yet they have never done the only thing that's almost guaranteed to work: sharp discounts. If a grocery chain decided it wanted to push more consumers through its self-checkout lanes, all the chain needs to do is announce that product prices in self-checkout are sharply less than those rung up through staffed lanes. It can even dictate the percent of change by deciding the percent of discount. Target, for example, has decided that its in-house payment cards are a priority, so it's trialing a program in Kansas City that offers customers who use the card "5 percent off on every item, every transaction, everyday," Target CFO Doug Scovanner told analysts in a Tuesday (Feb. 23) conference call discussing the chain's earnings. Read more.



The Cost Of A Breach, Heartland Style: At Least $129 Million; Might Be $229 Million



In its latest financial report, Heartland Payment Systems reported that it dropped $129 million on data breach costs last year (an incident that briefly placed Heartland on Visa's Bad Breach Boy list). The company added that it still has a reserve of $100 million for additional expenses. As a processor, Heartland's pain is certainly much more severe than what would be inflicted on a retailer involved in a similarly large breach. But $229 million is starting to look like real money. Think of that $100 million in the bank as sort of mad money, in the sense that it's needed because everyone Heartland has done business with seems to be driven stark raving mad. It's less hush money than "please don't hurt me" money. Read more.



Do Companies Need Fed Cybersecurity Intervention?



Once again, Americans are hearing that the United States is a cybersecurity wimp, vulnerable to major damage should it ever suffer a large, organized cyberattack. The latest testimony underscoring that notion came from Michael McConnell, the former director of national intelligence, who spoke to the Senate Tuesday. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/69417.html



US LAWMAKERS DROP PLANS FOR INTERCHANGE REFORMS IN 2010



US lawmakers have delayed plans to reform credit card interchange legislation until beyond 2010, in a move that has cheered banks and card companies but disappointed consumer groups and merchants who had been pushing hard for a reduction in card swipe fees. More on this story: http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=21131





M-commerce offers an entry point into consumers' decision-making process

InternetRetailer.com “Looking at that pace of change and the low conversion rates typically seen on m-commerce, retailers may be tempted to take a wait-and-see approach,” he



Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark us or Add to your Favorites and Find Out What's Going on Tomorrow in the Payments Industry

NY Firm Faces Bankruptcy After $164,000 E-Banking Loss

Brian Krebs, who lately has been specializing in business online banking fraud, writes that the NY firm who fell victim to the Zeus online banking Trojan is now facing a bleak future...

A New York marketing firm that as recently as two weeks ago was preparing to be acquired now is facing bankruptcy from a computer virus infection that cost the company more than $164,000.



Karen McCarthy, owner of Merrick, N.Y. based Little & King LLC, a small promotions company, discovered on Monday, Feb. 15 that her firm’s bank account had been emptied the previous Friday. McCarthy said she immediately called her bank –



Continue Reading

Thanks for Visiting - Bookmark the PIN Payments News Blog Now to Always Know What's Going on in the Payments Industry