Chase Card Services has announced changes to its its policies and practices that it says are designed to help customers more easily manage their accounts and personal finances and avoid fees.

The eFinancial Enablers Council (eFEC), a roundtable of CEOs and division heads of leading Internet banking and payments providers, has announced the election of David S. Fortney as chairman. Mr. Fortney represents Metavante Corporation, where he serves as a senior vice president heading Metavante’s electronic presentment and payments business.

JPMorgan Chase has announced it has acquired all of the assets of FisaCure, a provider of electronic remittance services for Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliant transaction sets. The acquired FisaCure technology will become part of the Healthcare Solutions business of JPMorgan Chase's Treasury Services unit.

Anne D'Innocenzio reports for the Associated Press on a presentation made at the National Retail Federation's annual conference in New York City by Paul Cogswell, vice president of loss prevention and risk services at Comdata Stored Value Solutions. Among some of the techniques discussed, Cogswell noted that "thieves steal credit cards and then buy gift cards with [those cards]. That helps the crook "extend the life of a credit card," since most victims of stolen credit cards will immediately report a missing card."

comScore Networks has released a report on European online holiday shopping activity in the U.K., France and Germany concluding that Germans spent the most online during the holiday period -- an estimated 5.4 billion EUR from 30 October -- 31 December, 2006. U.K. consumers spent an estimated 4.0 billion EUR online during the same period, and the French spent an estimated 1.9 billion EUR. This compares to an estimated 18.8 billion EUR (US$24.6 billion) spent in the U.S. during the holiday shopping period (1 November to 31 December).

Intel Capital continues to invest in payments-related companies. Last April, Intel Capital invested in Japan's Bitwallet. Today, FIRSTGATE Holding AG, owner of ClickandBuy, announced it has received investment funding from Intel Capital. The company reports it has more than seven million users and 7,000 merchants using its system for the sale of goods and services online.

The TJX Companies yesterday announced that "it has suffered an unauthorized intrusion into its computer systems that process and store information related to customer transactions."

We have received news of the following recent management changes:

• Robyn Bartlett-Andersen has been named General Manager of First Data Healthcare Services at First Data Corp.
• Silvio Tavares has been named Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations at First Data Corp.

• Smart Card Alliance Brings Advances in Chip Technology to RSA Conference 2007 with Tutorial, Pavilion and Panel
• Global Payments Announces Agreements With 13 U.S. and Canadian Gaming Establishments