| Kiranas find a survival mantra in bill payment kiosks
MUMBAI: Tucked amidst a row of four-storey buildings on the crowded Nauzer Bharucha road in south central Mumbai is the 28-year-old Devashi Nathubhai general provisions store. Stacked neatly on plastic shelves towards the rear end of this 400 sq ft shop are ready-to-eat food and bakery items. Besides the shelves are 7-8 gunnysacks containing rice, wheat, pulses and other food grains. But a comparatively smaller spot within the shop narrates an interesting tale about Indian retailing. Occupying that spot is a computer, a bar code scanner and a thermal printer - the weapons store owner Nathubhai Karania and many of his ilk use to ward off competition from biggies like Subhiksha or Reliance Fresh. On an average, about 35-40 new customers visit the store to pay their landline, mobile and electricity bills or to make rail or air bookings or credit card payments.
Chase Paymentech Debuts Website for Small and Medium Businesses
DALLAS, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Chase Paymentech Solutions, LLC, has launched a new website designed to help small and medium sized businesses affordably accept credit card payments. The new site, http://merchantaccount.chasepaymentech.com, provides business owners with a simple, easy to use guide to access the latest Chase Paymentech payment processing tools. The site allows businesses to research payment products that fit their needs and offers quick access to experts who can customize a program to each business' requirements. These programs feature reliable terminals, low interchange rates to process credit card transactions and even custom gift card programs. Solutions can be designed for merchants who need secure payment solutions over the Internet, point-of- sale, telephone, or mail order.
25 businesses rewarded for using HSBC EPOS machines
No fewer than 25 retailers representing a cross-section of the business community have won e235 each for swiping Credit Cards over an HSBC Point of Sales (EPOS) terminal during the first week of January 2008. During this busy month, particularly due to the euro changeover and sales, HSBC is giving retailers the opportunity to participate in a weekly draw every time they swipe a card through an HSBC EPOS.
The first draw, with 25 winning businesses who transacted payments over an HSBC EPOS from January 1 to date, took place on 7 January. The winners are: GS Superstore in Naxxar; Souvenirs Shop in Gudja; Saint James Hospital in Sliema; Top End Bortex in Sliema; Marios Hairstylist in Fgura; The Nuance Group in Gudja; Air Maltas Sales Office in Gudja; JB Stores in Lija; BHS in Sliema; Dorothy Perkins in Valletta; Mothercare in Sliema; Tower Supermarket in Sliema; Topline Centre in St Andrews; Marks and Spencer in Valletta; Medical Imaging Centre in Birkirkara; The Arches Restaurant in Mellieha; Smart Supermarket in Balzan; ARG Meats in BKara; The Model Shop in Iklin; Emm Enterprise in Bugibba; Monsoon Accessorize in Sliema; Zen Restaurant in St Julians; Wands Cash and Carry in Marsa; Scotts in Sliema; and Pizza Hut in St Julians.
NewVoiceMedia helps Parcelforce become PCI-DSS Compliant
London 20 November: NewVoiceMedia, Europes largest hosted contact centre service provider announced today that it is helping Parcelforce comply with the Payment Card IndustryData Security Standard (PCI-DSS). The PCI-DSS which comes into force this year, is designed to increase security for card payments and will impact all contact centres taking credit card details from callers. Currently staff in many contact centres can access customers card details over their computers or write them down during the phone call with a caller. Apart from the process inefficiencies, it exposes the contact centre to potential fraud as agents could pass this information on to others. The new system from NewVoiceMedia will allow Parcelforce customers to make highly secure card payments either over the phone or via the internet.
Shift4 Offers Merchants Options to Achieve PCI Compliance
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Merchants facing deadlines to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and protect against credit card data theft have a secure and cost-effective alternative to investing in new point-of-sale and data storage systems. Shift4 Corporation (http://www.shift4.com/) offers a payment processing system that integrates with existing systems and is certified to be in compliance with all Card Association regulations and recognized by Visa USA as compliant with PCI DSS. $$$ ON THE NET(R) (Dollars on the Net) provides authorizations and settlements for credit, debit, check, private-label and gift card transactions. This system is based on Tokenization technology -- developed and publicly released by Shift4 in 2005 -- that provides a greater level of security by removing all usable personal card data from the entire transaction process, including point-of-sale devices.
Costly Credit-Card Tricks
So be sure to watch your credit report carefully and make all payments on time to avoid a domino effect on your other lines of credit. 2. Offering "Fixed" Rates That Aren't Really Fixed
You might think that when someone offers you a fixed-rate card, the rate is indeed fixed. But you'd be wrong. A fixed-rate card simply means that the company needs to inform you in writing at least 15 days before changing its rate. So pay attention to the notices that come with your bill. And if you carry a balance, always be aware of the interest rate you're paying. If it goes up, it may be time to shop for a better card. 3. Penalizing Customers Whose Payments Are Five Minutes Late
Have you looked carefully at your credit-card statements lately? These days, not only are payments due by a certain date they're often due by a certain time, like, say, 1:00 p.m.
Aktyv Bank Starts Issue Of Paycards With Client Photos
Midsized bank Aktyv Bank (Kyiv) started to issue payment cards with its clients' photos. The bank disclosed this in a statement. "OJSC Aktyv Bank is suggesting to its clients the drawing and issue of Free Design paycards, which may bear photos, nature or any other pictures," the statement says. The bank may place the picture on the card's right side at the client's wish. Free-design cards are issued on the basis of Visa Electron. As Ukrainian News reported, the bank's credit portfolio was valued at UAH 1,198.7 million as of October 1, 2007, when its assets were valued at UAH 1,683.39 million and the capital totaled UAH 375.95 million. The bank ended January - September 2007 with net profits of UAH 16.078 million, and 2006 with profits of UAH 21.064 million.
American Express and Delta Introduce Pay with Miles Feature: Use Miles ...
NEW YORK, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- American Express and Delta today launched Pay with Miles, an exclusive new built-in benefit for American Express Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers. Pay with Miles offers Cardmembers added flexibility, allowing them to book flights on delta.com and use Miles to pay for all or part of a Delta ticket, with no blackout dates or inventory restrictions. "We are delighted to partner with Delta to offer this new SkyMiles program feature exclusively to our premium American Express Delta SkyMiles Cardmembers," said Pam Codispoti, senior vice president and general manager, American Express. "We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Delta providing value to our mutual customers. This exclusive feature adds unprecedented access to Delta flights using Miles, providing our Cardmembers with more flexibility and control over their travel and payment options." The Pay with Miles feature is an additional option that complements Delta's existing award travel options.
Merchants Respond to Questions About Impact of Interchange Fees
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Merchants Payments Coalition today delivered to members of the House Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Task Force a detailed report responding to questions about Visa and MasterCard's hidden credit card interchange fees raised by Representative Ric Keller, R-Fla., at a recent hearing. "This report separates facts from fiction on credit card interchange practices," said MPC Chairman Mallory Duncan, senior vice president and general counsel at the National Retail Federation. "The credit card industry has made numerous questionable statements. We have attempted to set the record straight." Duncan testified on behalf of the MPC during a July 19 hearing on credit card interchange held by the Antitrust Task Force, arguing that Visa and MasterCard practices in setting interchange rates constitute a violation of federal antitrust laws that costs merchants and consumers more than $40 billion a year.
Financial Institutions Choose Monitise Americas Mobile Financial ...
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Monitise Americas, LLC, the mobile banking and payments provider, today announced that NYCE Payments Network has signed agreements with ten new financial institutions to provide mobile financial services powered by Monitise Americas to their customers and members. NYCE Payments Network, LLC, is a leading U.S. debit card payments network and a division of Metavante (NYSE: MV) , a leading provider of banking and payments technology. The latest institutions to choose mobile services from Monitise Americas are: California Business Bank, Los Angeles, Calif.; First National Bank of LaGrange, LaGrange, Ill.; Gold Canyon Bank, Gold Canyon, Ariz.; INTRUST Bank, Wichita, Kan.; New Century Bank, Chicago, Ill.; Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union, Clinton Township, Mich.; PrimeSouth Bank, Waycross, Ga.; PyraMax Bank, Greenfield, Wis.; Seaside National Bank & Trust, Orlando, Fla.; and Summit Bank, Prescott, Ariz.
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