(7/31/98)Shout! Card
MCI introduced a customized prepaid card Thursday geared toward families, especially children. The 'MCI PrePaid Shout! Calling Card' offers two key features: speed-dial and an anti-theft system.
-READ MORE |  |
(7/31/98)Spree Card
Sprint announced Thursday that its 'Spree' prepaid 'Foncard' will now available in all Kmart and Food Lion stores. The additional retail outlets increase 'Spree's' presence in the marketplace by more than 3,200 stores, bringing the total to nearly 35,000 locations where 'Spree' cards are sold.
-READ MORE |
(7/30/98)Husky - BankBoston Card Link
Northeastern University has teamed with BankBoston and Diebold to link financial services to Northeastern's "Husky Card." By linking both organizations' carding processes, students can use their campus ID cards to perform banking transactions and purchase products from off-campus merchants, in addition to the university services already provided by the Diebold card system.
-READ MORE |
(7/29/98)Smart Card Keys
More than 6,000 cardholders participating in a pilot of smart card versions of the 'American Express Corporate Card', 'Hilton Optima Card' and the 'Hilton HHonors Worldwide Diamond VIP Card' will be able to use their cards to access hotel rooms this fall. -READ MORE |
(7/28/98)NextCard Upgrades
The pioneering 'NextCard', a/k/a the 'First True Internet VISA', launched a two major program upgrades Monday. Cardholders now have the option of upgrading to 'NextCard Rewards' and to the 'Platinum Card'.
-READ MORE | |
(7/28/98)Platinum Dividend Miles
NationsBank and US Airways also upgraded their airline carrier-based, co-branded program yesterday to 'Platinum'. The 'Dividend Miles Visa Platinum Card' now offers cardholders a 20% monthly mileage dividend or 1.2 air miles for each dollar spent in purchases.
-READ MORE |
(7/27/98)Sub-Prime Failure
The Colorado State Bank Commissioner closed sub-prime VISA credit card issuer BestBank Thursday and appointed the FDIC as receiver.
-READ MORE | |
(7/27/98)Debit Card Woes
The recent explosion of POS debit cards, especially VISA and MasterCard branded off-line debit cards, is creating a bookkeeping nightmare for some consumers and product confusion for others.
-READ MORE |
(7/23/98)L.L. Bean Card Renews
MBNA and ME-based L.L. Bean extended the contract for the 'L.L. Bean VISA' credit card. The long-term agreement also provides for a number of new enhancements to the program, a lower fixed interest rate of 15.99%, and the continuation of several popular money-saving features.
-READ MORE | |
(7/23/98)Quarterback VISA
MBNA and the NFL Quarterback Club announced Wednesday the launch of the 'NFL Quarterback Club VISA' credit card program. The new program is an enhancement to MBNA's NFL VISA credit card program, which began in the fall of 1995 and now has more than 1.2 million cardholders.
-READ MORE |
(7/22/98)MC EZSpree
Relationship Internet marketing company Yoyodyne signed MasterCard as a marquee sponsor of Yoyodyne's 'EZSpree' promotion. The all new 'EZSpree' promotion will launch August 17 and offer instant discounts to MasterCard cardholders while providing the only source of free traffic to hundreds of online merchants.
-READ MORE | |
(7/21/98)VISA NFL Incentives
Simon Brand Ventures, Visa U.S.A. and the National Football League have agreed to an integrated mall promotion campaign to target NFL fans at the retail level nationwide.
-READ MORE |
(7/21/98)Better Homes Joins Delta SkyMiles
Delta Air Lines and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service team up to reward Delta SkyMiles members for buying or selling homes listed with a Better Homes and Gardens real estate member.
-READ MORE | |
(7/20/98)Rennaissance VISA
First USA and Boulder, CO-based Renaissance Entertainment Corp. unveiled the 'Renaissance Faire VISA' card Friday.
-READ MORE |
(7/20/98)Driver's Edge Cashback Option
Citibank's replacement for its 'Ford VISA/MasterCard' program is being upgraded with more options to give cardholders a longer period to earn rebates toward the purchase or lease of any new car.
-READ MORE | |
(7/20/98)AmEx Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus activated its "EuroFree" promotion Sunday offering free travel to 17 cities in the U.K. and Europe. Aer Lingus passengers using the American Express card to purchase a special APEX transatlantic ticket or higher before Sept. 15 will receive a free onward roundtrip ticket from Ireland to 17 cities in Britain or continental Europe.
-READ MORE |
(7/16/98)CardGame Returns
CardWeb, Inc. announced this morning the revival of its popular 'CardGame' feature for online visitors to www.cardweb.com. The new version of 'CardGame' offers consumer visitors the chance to win more than $20,000 in prizes annually.
-READ MORE | |
(7/15/98)CardWeb
CardWeb unveiled this morning several new payment card management tools including an online statistical database service and an online marketing intelligence service.
-READ MORE |
(7/14/98)2 Million Bankruptices by 2001
While the consumer credit industry is pushing hard this week to get Congress to push out bankruptcy reform legislation before the summer break, VISA released stats Monday projecting the number of personal bankruptcies will exceed 2.2 million by the year 2001.
-READ MORE | |
(7/13/98)Cards Fight Hooliganism 
Bull signed contracts Friday to deliver more than 200,000 smart cards to the Belgian football league to tackle football hooliganism, with the blessing of the Belgian government.
-READ MORE |
(7/9/98)Debt Drop
American consumers lopped-off more than $3 billion of revolving debt during May according to figures released Wednesday afternoon by the Federal Reserve.
-READ MORE | |
(7/9/98)Debt Debate
In its strongest attack on pending bankruptcy reform to-date, the Consumer Federation of America charged yesterday that card issuers have aggressively stepped up credit card marketing and credit extension while endorsing and promoting tighter bankruptcy laws.
-READ MORE |
(7/6/98)SpeedPass Accelerates
Mobil's 'Speedpass', a wireless credit card payment system, will add 900 locations this morning to bring the total number of Mobil stations equipped with 'Speedpass' technology to over 3,300. -READ MORE | |
(7/6/98)Versatel Sweepstakes'
Bank of America kicked off a summer POS sweepstakes for its 'Versatel Check Card' debit card last week. The 'Triple Win Sweepstakes' will award three grand prizes: three brand new, yellow, VW Beetles. -READ MORE |
(7/2/98)Private Issue Gallery
Three Discover 'Private Issue Card' celebrity artists assembled this week at Les Celebrites Restaurant in New York's Essex House Hotel to celebrate the opening of the new Celebrity Gallery, displaying works by artists that have been featured on the 'Private Issue Card'. -READ MORE | |
(7/2/98)VISA PO Sponsorship
VISA U.S.A. announced yesterday it will extend its sponsorship of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team through the 1999 season. -READ MORE |
