Heartland Payment Systems has announced it has been selected by Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania to deliver the convenience and security of contactless payments by cell phone to students and faculty.   » Continue Reading

Alan Wolf reports for TWICE (This Week in Consumer Electronics) about private label credit cards - interviewing Brian Hughes, managing director of client development and marketing, HSBC Card and Retail Services, Lou Pagliarini, sales VP, GE Money, and Dan Abbott, president, Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services.

On of our friends, technology futurist Don Park, blogs about the early appearance of some new web applications based upon Adobe's Integrated Runtime (AIR). Don suggests that "if financial services are provided exclusively through AIR apps, customers will be less exposed to phishing attacks. AIR will have to add more crypto and other features (like secure client-side storage) before they can attract banks though."

Blackhawk Network has announced an exclusive agreement with MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, to launch the first-ever MLB.com gift card. According to the company, "the card is available for purchase in Blackhawk Network’s expansive nationwide network of leading grocery, drugstore, mass and convenience store locations, such as Safeway, A&P, Stop & Shop, Giant Eagle and GetGo, CVS/pharmacy and Kmart."   » Continue Reading

Richard Martin reports for Information Week about "Visa's plans to roll out new, highly customized incentive and reward programs based on more detailed consumer information, including data on purchases, buying habits, and retailer loyalty."

Sandra Guy reports for the Chicago Sun-Times on Discover Financial Services - which starts trading today separately from former parent Morgan Stanley.

Hiawatha Bray writes for the Boston Globe about peer-to-peer lending and how its another example of how "the Net reshapes nearly every business it touches." He reports on Zopa, Prosper, CircleLending and Lending Club - and notes that "peer-to-peer bankers face tough challenges."

James Gardner, Head of Innovation and Research in Group IT at Lloyds TSB in London, muses about personalization on his blog: "It is users themselves, everywhere else, that are deciding not only how things are personalised, but also what content should be shown in the personalised context. We can see where social finance is going when examining Mint, Wesabe and others of their ilk."

Voca and LINK have completed their merger and announced the launch of "Europe’s first independent pan-European payment service in partnership with 10 banks from across Europe."   » Continue Reading

Ron Galloway writes for the Huntington Post about how Wal-Mart's "new Wal-Mart Money Card is simply a deposit account by another name. It can house savings, pay bills, and purchase goods and services any where a VISA card can."

• GE Money and Gap Inc. to Offer Visa Card, Extend Credit Partnership Through 2013
• Litle & Co. and the DMEF Announce 2007 Collegiate ECHO Award Winners
• Washington Post: There's Less Momentum In Capital One's Wallet

We have received news of the following recent management changes:

• Thad Peterson has been named Division Vice President, Sector Strategy for Maritz' Financial Services Sector.
• Timothy C. Oliver, has been named senior executive vice president and chief financial officer at Metavante. Oliver, has been vice president and treasurer of Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Purepay, a $100 million buyout fund focused on payments and the financial supply chain, has announced the appointments of Marc Keller as Vice President of Investments, Under-banked, Matt Capell as Vice President, M&A Services, and E. Megan Kahn, as Associate.