Monday, May 9, 2011

Tabbedout Partners with MICROS for Smart Phone Payments at Restaurants

Tabbedout and MICROS Launch Mobile Payment Offering in U.S.

Integration with MICROS Broadens Mobile Payment Reality
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tabbedout, the secure and convenient way to open, view and pay your tab with a smartphone, is now fully integrated with the POS technology of industry leader MICROS Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCRS). This offering means a larger segment of the hospitality industry across the country can now promote a mobile payment option – and the more than 69M U.S. consumers with smartphones in their pockets have an instant, secure and free way to experience mobile payment today.
http://www.tabbedout.com
“We partnered with Tabbedout as the integrated solution to provide our merchants with the peace of mind of security encryption on the back end, coupled with the marketing capabilities and social media integration on the front end.”
“Tabbedout’s approach marks a radical shift in the mobile payment landscape,” said Michael L. Russo, Chief Technology Officer, MICROS. “We partnered with Tabbedout as the integrated solution to provide our merchants with the peace of mind of security encryption on the back end, coupled with the marketing capabilities and social media integration on the front end.”
Available for free on both iPhone and Android smartphones, the Tabbedout application was built by security experts with ease of use and marketing capabilities in mind. Unlike other mobile payment solutions, Tabbedout allows users to store credit card information directly on their phone, under passphrase protection, instead of on host servers. Consumers are safe from the threat of lost or stolen credit cards and can open, view and pay their tab at their own pace, and share their social experiences with friends via Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, all within the application.
Currently, Tabbedout’s powerful payment solution has enabled thousands of mobile payments at a network of restaurants and bars across 20 states in 90 cities. Today’s news will have an immediate and direct impact on the number of merchants offering the Tabbedout service to patrons.
Commented Rick Orr, CEO, Tabbedout, “Partnering with MICROS enables us to offer unparalleled integration and expand our network of venues, which means more consumers will be able to experience the security and ease of paying with their phone. Mobile payments are a hot topic, but research shows that mobile payment is a reality at only .1% of the overall U.S. retail sales landscape. We are excited to accelerate our growth while helping merchants generate more profit and offering consumers the unique capability to maximize their time with friends rather than anxiously awaiting their check.”
Once Tabbedout has been downloaded for free from the iPhone App Store or Android Market, consumers can quickly and easily find locations and open, view and pay tabs. Credit and debit card information is encrypted securely on the user’s phone, not on Tabbedout’s servers. A random secret code is displayed on the screen each time a consumer opens a tab – that’s the only information the consumer needs to provide the server or bartender. Customers can leverage Tabbedout’s integration with top social networks to check-in and let their friends know where they are or to check-out and let them know where they are going next. Receipts can be emailed automatically and customers can even call a local cab using Cabbedout, all from within the app.
Merchants experience increased sales, payment security and operations efficiency with the Tabbedout solution embedded in their MICROS POS system. Customers are able to pay on their own time, so restaurants and bars can serve more people, especially during peak hours. Additionallymerchants reduce fraud exposure for their patrons by removing the exchange of a physical credit card. Payment information is validated upfront and the POS clearly notifies the staff when a tab is paid.
About MICROS Systems, Inc.
MICROS Systems, Inc. provides enterprise applications for the hospitality and retail industries worldwide. Over 330,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment, and retail operations in more than 130 countries, and on all seven continents. In addition, MICROS provides property management systems, central reservation and customer information solutions under the brand MICROS-Fidelio for more than 26,000 hotels worldwide, as well as point-of-sale, loss prevention, and cross-channel functionality through its MICROS-Retail division for more than 90,000 retail stores worldwide. MICROS stock is traded through NASQAQ under the symbol MCRS.
For more information on MICROS and its advanced information technology solutions for the hospitality industry, please contact Louise Casamento, Vice President of Marketing at (443) 285-8144 or (866) 287-4736. You can also visit the MICROS website at www.micros.com or send an email to info@micros.com.
About Tabbedout
Tabbedout®is the cure for forgotten credit cards and missing out on a good time. Tabbedout makes mobile payment a simple and secure process that is widely available, so that bars and restaurants can spend more time with their customers. The free Tabbedout mobile app for iPhone and Android lets consumers open a tab with their mobile phone, view their tab in real-time and pay the tab anytime, anywhere, putting them in control over how and when they pay. For more information, visit: http://www.tabbedout.com/ or contact sales@tabbedout.com to learn more about becoming a Tabbedout partner.
Check us out on Facebook; follow us on Twitter.

Contacts

INK Public Relations
Allison Glass, 512-382-8987
allison@ink-pr.com

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MasterCard to Participate in the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference

MasterCardImage via Wikipedia
PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Tuesday, May 17, Ajay Banga, president and chief executive officer for MasterCard Incorporated (NYSE: MA), will participate in the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston. The discussion will begin at 9:20 a.m. Eastern Time and last for approximately 40 minutes.
A listen-only live audio webcast will be accessible through the Investor Relations section of the MasterCard website at www.mastercard.com. An audio replay of the session will also be available for 30 days at the same website location.
About MasterCard Incorporated
As a leading global payments company, MasterCard Incorporated prides itself on being at the heart of commerce, helping to make life easier and more efficient for everyone, everywhere. MasterCard serves as a franchisor, processor and advisor to the payments industry, and makes commerce happen by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, governments, businesses, merchants, and cardholders worldwide. In 2010, $2.7 trillion in gross dollar volume was generated on its products by consumers around the world. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network – the fastest payment processing network in the world – MasterCard processes over 23 billion transactions each year and has the capacity to handle 160 million transactions per hour, with an average network response time of 130 milliseconds and with 99.99 percent reliability. MasterCard advances global commerce through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro®, and Cirrus®; its suite of core products such as credit, debit, and prepaid; and its innovative platforms and functionalities, such as MasterCard PayPass™ and MasterCard inControl®. MasterCard serves consumers, governments, and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, please visit us at www.mastercard.com.

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Payment Alliance International Deploys MagTek’s Qwick Codes to Enable Secure “Cardless” ATM Transactions

Offer Part of Comprehensive PAIMobile™ Suite of Solutions
LOUISVILLE, Ky., & SEAL BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Payment Alliance International (PAI), a leader in electronic payment processing solutions, and MagTek, a global leader in secure mobile payments technology, jointly announce the deployment of MagTek’s Qwick Codes across PAI’s nationwide network of over 50,000 ATM machines.
http://www.GoPAI.com
“Qwick Codes illustrates our goal of expanding and improving the consumers’ ability to use their smartphones to conduct everyday financial transactions”
With high expectations for smartphones to replace physical wallets, Qwick Codes provides a revolutionary new way to pay for goods and services at stores and online or to access cash from ATMs, without compromising sensitive payment information or consumer identity. PAI’s integration of Qwick Codes into its nationwide ATM network signifies a major leap forward in the quest for a secure Mobile Wallet solution that consumers can use everywhere without actually carrying a payment card.
Qwick Codes Mobile Wallet is an easy-to-use application that runs on a PC, Apple iOS device or Android smartphone with a Secure Card Reader Authenticator peripheral attached. All consumers need to do to generate a unique Qwick Code is swipe any traditional magnetic stripe payment card they already carry in their wallets through the Authenticator and a one-time, disposable account number and PIN are generated. Consumers use their Qwick Code and PIN at supported ATMs to withdraw cash, eliminating the need to physically carry a payment card while reducing exposure from skimming and related fraud. Qwick Codes access cardholder data during transaction processing and process normally through the debit and credit networks.
“Qwick Codes illustrates our goal of expanding and improving the consumers’ ability to use their smartphones to conduct everyday financial transactions,” said Andy Deignan, MagTek vice president of global marketing and strategy. Deignan adds, “In line with offering the high level of security MagTek is known for, static card data converted into a one-time use Qwick Code can be used to retrieve cash at any supported ATM, effectively eliminating the risk associated with compromised ATMs rigged with card skimmers.”
“As a committed partner in the world of payment solutions, we are constantly looking for ways to benefit our customers,” explains John J. Leehy, III, president and chief executive officer of PAI. “That’s why we are excited to support MagTek’s Qwick Codes, an innovative advancement in ATM transactions that will offer consumers a simple, convenient and more secure ATM experience without using physical payment cards.”
PAI will feature its PAIMobile suite of solutions, along with its new ATM Qwick Codes product, at the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) Annual Meeting & Expo, May 10-12, 2011, in San Diego, Calif. Qwick Codes enabled ATMs will be available for demonstration at the PAI booth (#628) and MagTek exhibit (#614), as well as featured in the ETA Technology Showcase (#537). Demonstrations will highlight the security available for protecting sensitive cardholder information, along with a simple, straightforward consumer experience.
About Payment Alliance International (PAI)
Payment Alliance International is a leading provider of payment processing solutions for businesses nationwide. We offer credit card, check processing, ATM network management, and business information services, all designed to maximize customer success and make business easy. Payment Alliance International is based in Louisville, Ky., with offices in West Palm Beach, Fla., Jackson, Miss. and Billings, Mont. For more information, please visit www.GoPAI.com.
About MagTek
Since 1972, MagTek has been a leading manufacturer of electronic devices and systems for the reliable issuance, reading, transmission and security of cards, checks, PINs and other identification documents. Today, MagTek continues to innovate with the development of a new generation of security centric products secured by MagneSafe. By leveraging strong encryption, secure tokenization, real time authentication and dynamic payment card data, MagneSafe products enable users to assess and validate the trustworthiness of credentials used for online identification, payment processing and other high-value electronic transactions. MagTek is based in Seal Beach, Calif., and has sales offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, with independent distributors in over 40 countries. For more information, please visit www.magtek.com.
PAIMobile is a trademark of Payment Alliance International (PAI). Other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owner.

Contacts

Payment Alliance International
Terri Newton
Strategic Marketing Director
502-671-4088
press@GoPAI.com
or
MagTek, Inc.
Andy Deignan
Vice President, Global Marketing & Strategy
562-546-6603
andy.deignan@magtek.com

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BillMyParents Continues Massive National Exposure


May 09, 2011 09:35 ET

Spend Smart Card, Featured Live on ESPN, Tonight on MTV

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - May 9, 2011) - BillMyParents, the teen payment solutions brand offered by Socialwise, Inc., (OTCBBSCLW) announced today a weekend of unprecedented exposure for the BillMyParents brand and new BillMyParents Spend Smart card -- a prepaid reloadable card designed for teens, young adults and their parents, that can be used everywhere debit MasterCard is accepted. The national media rollout includes fully integrated broadcast, advertising and event programming on the ESPN and MTV television networks. BillMyParents reached millions of viewers this weekend on ESPN and continues its push on MTV tonight, spreading a simple and powerful message about the BillMyParents Spend Smart card. In the words of BillMyParents brand ambassador and professional skateboarding icon, Rob Dyrdek, "It's Safe. It's Smart. It's Money."
The BillMyParents Spend Smart card burst onto the national scene this weekend on ESPN with its first-ever national television commercial, integrated event-branding, digital advertising and multiple appearances during a 2-hour live ESPN broadcast of the first of four Street League Skateboarding Series events. The live ESPN audience of millions tuning into the SLS event witnessed winner Nyjah Huston hoisting a giant BillMyParents Spend Smart card, loaded with $150,000 in prize money. All four SLS events, sponsored by BillMyParents, will be broadcast live by ESPN this summer.
Tonight the BillMyParents brand and Spend Smart card are featured on MTV in a new episode of this season's "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory." The show airs on MTV at 10:30 p.m./9:30 CT. This season's "Fantasy Factory" is generating the strongest ratings in the show's history and is expected to capture over 3 million viewers this week and millions more impressions via digital distribution and subsequent airings of the show on MTV and MTV2 throughout the year. Featuring a guest-appearance by Rob's mom, the show emphasizes the importance of the parent-teen relationship when it comes to building smart spending habits, and showcases both the newly designed card and Spend Smart application.
"This is one of the biggest brand integrations I've ever done," said Rob Dyrdek, president of Dyrdek Enterprises, founder of Street League Skateboarding and BillMyParents brand ambassador. "I look at it this way -- I understand that to be successful you absolutely have to learn how to be financially responsible from a young age. But I didn't know that when I was younger, and I had to learn the hard way. Being the brand ambassador for BillMyParents gives me the opportunity to meaningfully help teens and actually build the foundation of someone's future success."
"We are thrilled to be involved in such a significant way with Rob and his high-profile entertainment properties," commented Mark Sandson, president and CEO of BillMyParents. "We are about to roll out substantial updates to our programs, and the timing could not be more perfect for us to get in front of the millions of people who follow Rob, 'Fantasy Factory' and Street League Skateboarding across all media channels."
The BillMyParents Spend Smart card includes features that everyone will appreciate, including the ability to easily load and reload the card online, track spending and card balance instantly via text alerts whenever purchases are made, and lock or unlock the card with the push of a button if the card is lost or stolen and -- if necessary -- to block usage. Parents and teens can also invite other family members and friends to contribute to the card for special occasions or recurring deposits, with no credit risk, worries about overdrafting, or hidden fees. The BillMyParents Spend Smart card encourages timely discussions about spending -- talks that can result in teachable moments for teens, young adults and their parents.
For more information, please visit: www.billmyparents.com
About BillMyParentsBillMyParents provides payment solutions targeted to teens, young adults and their parents. Our solutions facilitate communication between parents and young people and help teach financial responsibility. Follow us on Facebook @BillMyParents. For more information: www.billmyparents.com.
About Socialwise, Inc.Socialwise, Inc. (OTCBBSCLW) is headquartered in San Diego, CA. and is currently seeking shareholder approval to change its legal name to BillMyParents, Inc. For more information: www.socialwise.com

Friday, May 6, 2011

More on "Visa Invests in Square to Tap into Twitter"...

Last week I wrote my Analysis on why Visa Made an Investment in Square and I received several emails regarding my assertion that Visa was more interested in Jack Dorsey's 200 million Twitter users than an unencrypted plastic swiper. After all, there are myriad POS swipers which connect to a mobile phone and only one doesn't encrypt the card detals at the maghead.  So why would Visa choose THAT one? I may be wrong about Visa having their eyes on a Twitter P2P platform, but I'm just sayin'...

New Theory About Visa’s Investment In Square: Visa Really Is After Twitter


Written by Evan Schuman - Editor: StorefrontBacktalk.com 


May 4th 2011Square simultaneously accepted a hefty Visa investment and then reversed course to match Visa’s position last week, many observers were trying to make sense of the move. What made Square so attractive to Visa? One industry observer—longtime payments power-player, John B. Frank—has an interesting, albeit non-traditional, take.  He argues that Visa’s affection for Square has little to do with Square and everything to do with Twitter.  Indeed, Frank’s argument is that it was all about Jack Dorsey (Twitter Founder/Executive Chairman and Square Founder/CEO) and his ability to make Twitter deals happen.    
“Shout out to Verifone: If it makes you feel any better, I’ve got a feeling, that Visa isn’t as interested in Square as they are in Twitter’s 200 million base,” Frank penned. 
“If Goliath was going to invest in David, why not a David with a PCI-certified personal POS? It’s because David isn’t really David after all. David is Goliath. Square is Jack Dorsey and Jack Dorsey is again Twitter. It’s all about P2P (person-to-person money movement) and this is Visa making a brilliant P2P investment/move.” 
Not so sure I buy into this very original theory, because I don’t see Visa connecting the dots with Twitter that aggressively—yet.  Still, if it’s wacky and conspiratorial and it involves Silicon Valley today, well, it’s hardly wise to rule it out.

Editors Note:  I find it interesting that Evan doesn't see Visa connecting the dots, (yet) but don't count Jack Dorsey out.  He can connect dots with the best of them.  He's in the payments space now, and he has a captive 200 million audience.  Person to Person money transfer is big business, and if you could "Tweet" $25 to your babysitter or $15 bucks to your buddy for the beer and burger you had last night at the local eatery/pub (one Visa card to another Visa card) then why on earth wouldn't you make it available to your 200 million base?   A better question would be "Why not"?  



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Visa Inc. Posts 24% Jump on Strong Fiscal Second Quarter 2011 Earnings Results and Authorizes New $1 Billion Share Repurchase Program







SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
  • GAAP quarterly net income of $881 million or $1.23 per diluted class A common share
  • The Company authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today announced financial results for the Company's fiscal second quarter 2011 ended March 31, 2011. GAAP net income for the quarter was $881 million, or $1.23 per diluted class A common share. The weighted-average number of diluted class A common shares outstanding was approximately 714 million.

GAAP net operating revenue in the fiscal second quarter of 2011 was $2.2 billion, an increase of 15% over the prior year and driven by strong double-digit growth in service revenues, data processing revenues and international transaction revenues. Currency fluctuations contributed a positive 2% towards quarterly net operating revenues.

"Visa delivered a solid financial performance in our fiscal second quarter with double-digit growth in payments volume, cross border volume and Visa-processed transactions from across the globe," said Joseph Saunders, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa Inc. "With a strong first half of our fiscal 2011 year behind us, we remain focused on driving continued transaction growth, maintaining strong financial performance and expense control discipline, and delivering value to our shareholders through share repurchase programs and dividend payments."
"In addition to working with our financial institutions and merchant clients to expand card issuance and acceptance for our core products, we are investing in new platforms, channels and technologies that will deliver value to our clients and consumers for years to come," continued Saunders. "The global adoption of mobile and internet technology presents an enormous opportunity for Visa to leverage our network and proven track record of delivering electronic payments worldwide."

Fiscal Second Quarter 2011 Financial Highlights:
  • Payments volume growth, on a constant dollar basis, for the three months ended December 31, 2010, on which fiscal second quarter service revenue is recognized, was a positive 15% over the prior year at $897 billion.
  • Payments volume growth, on a constant dollar basis, for the three months ended March 31, 2011, was a positive 13% over the prior year at $861 billion.
  • Cross border volume growth, on a constant dollar basis, was a positive 13% for the three months ended March 31, 2011.
  • Total processed transactions, which represent transactions processed by VisaNet, for the three months ended March 31, 2011, were 12 billion, a positive 13% increase over the prior year.
  • For the fiscal second quarter 2011, service revenues were $1.1 billion, an increase of 24% versus the prior year, and are recognized based on payments volume in the prior quarter. All other revenue categories are recognized based on current quarter activity. Data processing revenues rose 13% over the prior year to $823 million. International transaction revenues, which are driven by cross border payments volume, grew 14% over the prior year to $624 million. Other revenues, which include the Visa Europe licensing fee, were $156 million, a 10% decrease over the prior year. Client incentives, which are a contra revenue item, were $451 million and represents 17% of gross revenues.
  • Total operating expenses on a GAAP basis were $862 million for the quarter, a 3% increase over the prior year.
  • Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and available-for-sale investment securities were $6.6 billion at March 31, 2011.
  • Visa's GAAP effective tax rate was 36% for quarter ended March 31, 2011.


Notable Events:

  • During the three months ended March 31, 2011, the Company effectively repurchased approximately 8.7 million class A shares on an as-converted basis, at an average price of $72.58 per share, for a total cost of $630 million. Of the $630 million$400 million of class B shares were effectively repurchased through the March funding of the litigation escrow account previously established under the Company's retrospective responsibility plan, representing 5.4 million class A shares on an as-converted basis at an average price of $73.81 per share. The remaining $230 million in repurchases of class A common stock were executed in the open market, representing 3.3 million shares at an average price of $70.53per share. At March 31, 2011, the October 27, 2010 share repurchase program had remaining authorized funds of $64 million.
  • As announced on April 25, 2011, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend in the aggregate amount of $0.15 per share of class A common stock (determined in the case of class B and class C common stock on an as-converted basis) payable on June 7, 2011, to all holders of record of the Company's class A, class B and class C common stock as of May 20, 2011.
  • Today, the Company announces that its Board of Directors has authorized a new $1 billion class A share repurchase program. The authorization will be in place through April 20, 2012, and is subject to further change at the discretion of the Board.


Financial Outlook:
Visa Inc. affirms its financial outlook for the following metrics through 2011:
  • Annual net revenue growth: 11% to 15% range;
  • Client incentives as a percent of gross revenues: 16% to 16.5% range*;
  • Marketing expenses: Less than $900 million;
  • Annual operating margin: About 60%;
  • GAAP tax rate: 36.5% to 37% range;
  • Annual diluted class A common stock earnings per share growth of greater than 20%;
  • Capital expenditures: Between $250-$275 million; and
  • Annual free cash flow in excess of $3 billion.
*This range may change based on future developments regarding pending federal debit regulations.
Fiscal Second Quarter 2011 Earnings Results Conference Call Details:
Visa's executive management team will host a live audio webcast beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time) today to discuss the financial results and business highlights. All interested parties are invited to listen to the live webcast at http://investor.visa.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Visa Investor Relations website for 30 days. Investor information, including supplemental financial information, is available on Visa Inc.'s Investor Relations website at http://investor.visa.com.
About Visa
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 20,000 transaction messages 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, visit www.corporate.visa.com.
Forward Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward--looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the terms "expect," "will," "continue" and similar references to the future. Examples of such forward--looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make about gross and net revenue, incentive payments, expenses, operating margin, tax rate, earnings per share, capital expenditures, free cash flow and the growth of those items.
By their nature, forward-looking statements: (i) speak only as of the date they are made, (ii) are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of future performance and (iii) are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify. Therefore, actual results could differ materially and adversely from those forward-looking statements because of a variety of factors, including the following:
  • the impact of timing and new laws, regulations and marketplace barriers, particularly the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, including those affecting:
    • issuers' and retailers' choice among debit payment networks;
    • debit interchange rates;
    • the spread of regulation of debit payments to credit and other product categories;
    • the spread of U.S. regulations to other countries;
    • consumer privacy and data use and security; and
    • designation as a systemically important payment system;
  • developments in current or future disputes and our ability to absorb their impact, including: interchange; currency conversion; and tax;
  • macroeconomic factors such as:
    • global economic, political, health environmental and other conditions;
    • cross border activity and currency exchange rates; and
    • material changes in our clients' performance compared to our estimates;
  • industry and systemic developments, such as:
    • competitive pressure on client pricing and in the payments industry generally;
    • bank and merchant consolidation and their increased focus on payment card costs;
    • disintermediation from the payments value stream through government actions or bilateral agreements;
    • adverse changes in our relationships and reputation;
    • our clients' failure to fund settlement obligations we have guaranteed;
    • disruption of our transaction processing systems or the inability to process transactions efficiently;
    • rapid technological developments;
    • account data breaches and increased fraudulent and other illegal activity involving our cards; and
    • issues arising at Visa Europe, including failure to maintain interoperability between our systems;
  • costs arising if Visa Europe were to exercise its right to require us to acquire all of its outstanding stock;
  • loss of organizational effectiveness or key employees;
  • failure to integrate successfully CyberSource, PlaySpan or other acquisitions;
  • changes in accounting principles or treatment; and
the other factors discussed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10--K and our most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10--Q for the first and second quarters of our 2011 fiscal year on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on such statements. Unless required to do so by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward--looking statement, because of new information or future developments or otherwise.

Contacts: Investor Relations: Jack Carsky or Victoria Hyde-Dunn, 415-932-2213, ir@visa.com Media Relations: Will Valentine, 415-932-2564, globalmedia@visa.com

Javelin Strategy & Research: Small Business Owner Alert—The Impact of Online Security Breaches and the High Cost of Fraud

How Banks and Vendors can Protect SMBOs from Identity Theft and Fraud
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new Javelin Strategy & Research report issued today —2011 Small Business Owners (SMBO) Identity Fraud Report: How SMBO Fraud Rates Impact FI Revenues and Retention describes the higher rates of fraud faced by small business owners (SMBOs) today, including unique online security challenges. By sharing effective anti-fraud solutions with SMBOs, FIs and credit card issuers can also create revenue opportunities and reduce client churn. The report outlines the steps SMBOs can take in partnership with financial institutions (FIs) and credit card issuers to combat and prevent online fraud.
“SMBOs face significant financial losses as well as other issues as a result of fraud”
SMBOs are an attractive target for fraudsters because they conduct a myriad of transactions that often span both business and personal accounts. As small businesses, they are vulnerable in areas that fraudsters can exploit, namely, the lack of a dedicated IT staff to monitor and protect online operations and less formalized processes around security practices and credit card transactions. This creates opportunities for security breaches and risks for inadvertently releasing personal data.
The Javelin report outlines how SMBOs may also be affected by the recent Epsilon and State of Texas security breaches that exposed such personal data as names, email addresses, mailing addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, driver license numbers, and – in some cases – awards points balances and other information. The release of such information and newer and more sophisticated attacks, such as phishing and spear-phishing where fraudsters use personalized data to commit identity fraud, will continue to pose threats to SMBOs, who do not necessarily have the resources in place to combat these threats.
Javelin discovered that SMBO fraud totaled an astonishing $8 billion in 2010. Banks, merchants and other providers absorbed at least $5.43 billion of that loss, while the cost to victims was $2.61 billion. Javelin also found that SMBOs sustain greater losses than their online consumer counterparts. The estimated fraud rate for SMBOs is significantly higher than that for the general consumer population. The average SMBO victim cost of fraud is more than double the consumer victim cost of $631.
“SMBOs face significant financial losses as well as other issues as a result of fraud,” said Philip Blank, Senior Analyst, Risk, Fraud, and Security at Javelin. “SMBOs have higher legal costs and longer timeframes for resolution of fraud than consumers. Also, SMBOs do not have the same zero liability fraud guarantees that online banking consumers receive from their FIs.”
SMBOs are not the only ones affected by online security breaches. Their partners – FIs and credit card issuers – not only absorb billions of dollars of financial losses, but also lose SMBOs as clients. Javelin research shows that more than 1 in 5 of SMBO fraud victims switched credit card issuers and nearly the same proportion switched banks as a direct result of fraud. These changes create a significant amount of churn and lost revenues for FIs and issuers, as SMBOs tend to have a higher transaction rate than the general consumer and often generate significantly more fees and charges for the FI or issuer.
“FIs and issuers have a vested interest in maintaining their client relationships with SMBOs,” said James Van Dyke, President and Founder of Javelin. “Toward that end, Javelin recommends that FIs and issuers partner with SMBOs to reduce and stop fraud. FIs and issuers can offer more real-time and comprehensive alerts for SMBO credit, debit and demand deposit accounts (DDA), as well as fraud avoidance software, identity theft protection, and credit monitoring services. Selling anti-fraud and security services not only helps SMBOs prevent fraud, but also generates revenue for the FIs and issuers.”
The 2011 Small Business Owners (SMBO) Identity Fraud Report, based on data collected through standardized telephone interviews by Javelin in November 2010 from a random sample panel of 5,004 consumers and data from previous annual identity fraud surveys, reviews the costs of online fraud and its impact on SMBOs, FIs, and issuers, and proposes strategies SMBOs can use and the tools FIs and issuers can provide to protect SMBOs from the next wave of online security attacks.
Selected Key Report Findings – 2011 Small Business Owners (SMBO) Identity Fraud Report
  • The online security challenges facing small business owners and the ways in which small businesses – unknowingly – put themselves at risk.
  • The real costs of fraud to small business owners – and FIs and issuers.
  • The most common types of identity fraud for small businesses and the number one item lost during data breaches.
  • The steps small business owners can take to protect themselves and their businesses from online fraud.
  • How FIs and issuers can partner with SMBOs to prevent fraud – and create revenue opportunities.
Contact
For more information about this or other Javelin reports, please contact Crystal Mendoza at (925) 225-9100 ext. 35 or cmendoza@javelinstrategy.com or visit www.javelinstrategy.com/research.
To arrange an interview with a research analyst and/or view available research (available to qualified members of the media), please contact Crystal Mendoza at (925) 225-9100 ext. 35 orcmendoza@javelinstrategy.com.
About Javelin Strategy & Research
Javelin Strategy & Research is the leading provider of quantitative and qualitative research focused on the global financial services industry. Our extensive quantitative data and deep analyst experience enable us to forecast the direction of the financial services market and make recommendations that empower you and your business to succeed.
Javelin provides superior direction on key facts and forces that materially determine the success of customer-facing financial services, payments and security initiatives. Our advantages are rigorous process, independent position and expert people.

Contacts

Javelin Strategy & Research
Crystal Mendoza, 925-225-9100 ext. 35
cmendoza@javelinstrategy.com

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