David Enrich reports for Dow Jones Newswires reports on the reduced effectiveness of credit card mail solicitations - reporting that "Just three out of every 1,000 offers generated responses last year, down from about 28 per 1,000 in 1992."

Red Herring takes a look at KushCash (see earlier announcement article) and several other companies also active in the US mobile payments space. The article quotes Julie Ask, a wireless analyst at JupiterResearch, who says “I think what needs to happen is that there needs to be a compelling reason for why I want this. What are the scenarios that I need to be traveling so lightly that I don’t need to take my wallet with me?”

Dianna Dilworth reports on DM News' Special Report on E-Commerce Platforms & Software: Key Trends in E-Commerce. A PDF of the issue is available online.

Gregory M. Lamb writes in today's Christian Science Monitor about Google Checkout, asks some questions about the resulting data that Google may collect from the service, and compares it to PayPal, and suggests "the service may quickly prove attractive to the vast number of online merchants, large and small, who pay to advertise using Google's AdWords program."

In a column titled "E-wallets useful, but can be risky, too", Sucheta Dalal writes for The Financial Express from India about action taken 10 days ago by the Reserve Bank of India asking a "leading media organisation which had launched India’s first electronic wallet to “desist” from offering the service."

Secure Wireless Transfers Corporation has announced KushCash, described as "a secure, alternative payment system to traditional methods for instant, easily accessible cash transactions from anywhere-at events, retail malls, public locations, in transit, or on campus."

Zimmerman Advertising has announced that it is working with PayPal to help brand marketers integrate PayPal Mobile into their advertising and marketing campaigns. PayPal Mobile, announced April 6th, is a text message-based service that allows consumers to send money anytime, from anywhere, using their mobile telephones.

TransUnion and Edgar, Dunn & Company have announced they are developing the PaymentDynamics 2006 Preferred Payments Study, intended to be the "first of its kind to combine consumer payment attitudes, behavior and credit information." Results from the study are expected beginning in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Metavante has announced the availability of its new expedited payments solution, Just Pay It ® Convenience, that enables billers to accept credit and debit cards, PIN-less debit and electronic checks processed through ACH.

PNC Bank has announced a new online deposit service designed for small businesses that will allow them to initiate the electronic deposit of received checks directly into their bank account with automatically updated accounting records via BankServ's Deposit Now! A/R, a new remote deposit product linked to Intuit’s QuickBooks.

In the article "Paper checks convert to digital - E-checks become popular transaction tool", The Coloradoan's reporter Deon Hampton writes about the increasing use of check conversion at merchant point-of-sale locations and says that "many people ... are intrigued, confused and mystified by the new form of check payment that is popping up not only at shopping centers but also at locally owned establishments."

Rick Rothacker reports for the Charlotte Observer that Charlotte, NC-based banks will cross over $2 trillion in assets following the closing of the acquisition of Golden West Financial by Wachovia later this year. Charlotte remains number 2 in assets following New York City-headquartered institutions with $3.1 trillion in total assets.

Rick Rothacker writes for the Charlotte Observer that some banks are "extending their deadlines for crediting accounts on the same day, spurred by advances in technology and competition for customers. Later cutoff times -- typically the close of business -- mean consumers and businesses collect interest a day earlier and sometimes have quicker access to their money. Banks, however, may still put holds on checks until the next day or later."

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