Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
A $36-million in image-exchange technology is beginning to bear fruit for National City Corp. The Cleveland-based bank began trading digital check images in April on a network operated by SVPCO and has seen volume climb from a few hundred daily files to the current rate ranging from 10,000 to 70,000, …
Read More »Metris Will Issue Credit Cards on Discover’s Network by Year’s End
Metris Cos. Inc. announced today it will begin issuing cards on Discover Financial Services LLC.'s acceptance network by the end of the year. Metris, the nation's 11th-largest issuer of bank cards, said it will issue a new credit card under the Discover banner through its Direct Merchants Credit Card Bank …
Read More »New Viewpointe CEO Buglioli Hints at Services Beyond Image Sharing
The new chief executive of Viewpointe Archive Services LLC is a payments-industry veteran who says he sees big potential in check-image exchange and hints there may be services the massive image archive can render beyond electronic check processing. “I joined Viewpointe because of the great opportunities,” says former banker and …
Read More »Report: Prepaid Cards’ Growth Will Pressure Money-Transfer Nets
With banks issuing or planning to issue more and more prepaid debit cards to handle remittances overseas, more banks are expected to enter the market, putting pressure on the established money-transfer businesses like Western Union Holdings Inc., a new research report concludes. According to the report, entitled “Money Transfer Cards …
Read More »Can PayPal Make Big E-Commerce Gains with Micropayments Initiative?
PayPal Inc.'s decision to enter the broad micropayments market could help the Internet payments processor boost transaction volumes and attract new accountholders, but by how much is currently a guessing game, experts say. “I'm not educated enough yet to say whether it's going to be material,” says Gwenn Bezard, research …
Read More »Cardtronics’ ATM Network Doubles While Surcharge Margin Sags
Second-quarter financial results from Houston-based Cardtronics Inc. show the country's largest non-bank ATM operator has more than doubled the number of ATMs it runs, to 26,241, in the year from June 30, 2004, primarily owing to its $106-million acquisition in June last year of E*Trade Financial Services' portfolio of 15,000 …
Read More »MasterCard to Appeal U.K. Interchange Ruling, While Visa Could Be Next
MasterCard International said today it will appeal a decision from the U.K.'s Office of Fair Trading that concluded the bank card network's method of setting interchange was anti-competitive. Meanwhile, a trade group representing British merchants said it was disappointed in the OFT ruling and may also appeal. The U.K. regulator …
Read More »UATP Opens Its Network to Third-Party Internet Payments Processors
Universal Air Travel Plan, which processes corporate travel payments for some 200 accepting airlines around the world, is opening its network to third-party Internet transaction processors as part of a strategy that could significantly boost network volume and bring consumer transactions through its settlement system for the first time. Ralph …
Read More »MasterCard’s IPO Could Let Retailers Boost Their Bank Card Clout
Special Report MasterCard Inc.'s proposed initial public stock offering would put 49% of the payment company's shares and more than 80% of the voting power in the hands of the public, potentially increasing the influence of aggrieved retailers who believe they currently get a raw deal in card pricing. MasterCard …
Read More »VeriFone Reports Strong Quarterly Results and New Multi-Lane Terminal
Point-of-sale terminal maker VeriFone Holdings Inc., which early this year led a long-awaited and closely watched initial public offering, reports its net income for the quarter ended July 31 reached $6.5 million, under generally accepted accounting principles. This represents a swing to a profit from the $2.9 million loss the …
Read More »