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CARDNEWS FOR CONSUMERS
(12/22/00) Sound Of Money Don't be surprised when your PC, cell phone or PDA makes a swoosh sound when using your VISA card. This week VISA International announced it has introduced a new animated logo with a unique sound similar to the familiar Intel logo.
(12/21/00) Card Exchange Some Hawaiians will experience a card switcharoo next year. Cardholders of Bank of Hawaii's VISA credit cards will have them replaced with American Express credit cards.	(12/18/00) Debit Rewards Another bank has joined Chase Manhattan in offering debit cards that generate reward points. Ohio-based Charter One Financial has launched a the MegaRewards program to enable all Charter One MasterMoney debit cardholders to earn points toward free merchandise and travel benefits for every non-PIN purchase they make.
(12/15/00) Carte Blanche Returns Credit cards geared to high rollers picked up another player this month. Diners Club, owned by Citigroup, is reviving its Carte Blanche card for the well-heeled. The new card will compete with the likes the VISA Infinite & Signature cards, American Express Platinum & Centurion cards, and the World MasterCard.	(12/14/00) Hack Attack The Russians have attacked again. No, they are not coming ashore, they are infiltrating credit card databases. Los Angeles-based Creditcards.com is the latest victim.
(12/13/00) 7-Eleven Gift Cards The king of convenience stores continues to sell more non-food stuff than ever. This week 7-Eleven announced it is now offering a prepaid Gift Card from American Express.	(12/12/00) Free Sundays VISA cardholders can now earn a free Sunday night stay each time they book a Friday and Saturday at Hilton or Doubletree hotels. The special deal applies to stays through the end of February 28.
(12/11/00) Holiday Debt About 38% of Americans anticipate paying off holiday credit card bills within the first month, however industry data shows it usually takes four months. Thirty-six percent of consumers say they will give either cash or checks as gifts this holiday season.	(12/11/00) Mileage Plus++ If you are a frequent flyer with United Airlines you may be eligible for a triple bonus. United Airlines' customer service problems earlier this year have given way to a windfall for cardholders of its Mileage Plus loyalty card and its First USA Mileage Plus VISA co-branded bank credit card. -READ MORE
(12/8/00) Debit Cards Online Overall debit card use is growing 35% annually but, when it comes to paying for stuff over the Internet, debit card use is growing more than 100%. VISA reported today that its cardholders used their check card to purchase more than $196 million on the Internet between Friday, November 24 through Sunday, December 3, 2000. . . -READ MORE	(12/8/00) Smart Card Keyboards Fifteen months after introducing the first mass market smart payment card in the US, American Express is gearing up to distribute computer keyboards with smart card access. The Compaq Smart Card Keyboard will be available to Blue cardholders for a discounted price of $59.95. -READ MORE
(12/7/00) Bankruptcy Reform Whether or not the U.S. personal bankruptcy laws get changed is very dependent on who ends up in the White House. The bankruptcy reform legislation, H.R. 2415, has quietly passed both the House and Senate. -READ MORE	(12/6/00) Rockin ATMs Automated teller machines will never be the same. Last week ATM giant Diebold showcased a new jukebox ATM in New Orleans. The cutting edge system uses MP3 technology and the latest cash dispenser technology. -READ MORE
(12/5/00) Amtrak Card Amtrak finally has got something to blow a whistle about. The nation's passenger rail service has launched its first frequent train rider rewards program. -READ MORE	(12/4/00) Deskshop The initiative to make consumers feel good about using credit cards on the Internet made progress last week as Discover announced new technology to address the potential problem of transmitting live card numbers over the Internet. -READ MORE