In an article titled 'Glitches, spiraling costs may delay TransLink expansion", Rachel Gordon reports for the San Francisco Chronicle about the San Francisco Bay Area's Translink card - and concerns about the program's software, implementation, etc.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a report entitled “Payment and securities settlement systems in the European Union”, also known as the “Blue Book”. This report "describes the major payment and securities settlement systems operating in the Member States of the European Union (EU). The first such report was published in 1992 and described the systems which existed in the then 12 Member States of the European Community. The second and third editions were published in 1996 and 2001 respectively. This fourth edition updates this information, taking account of the fundamental changes which have taken place in the period from 2001 to 2007."   » Continue Reading

In an article titled 'Prepare to Lose Your Wallet", Conde Nast Portfolio's Sam Gustin profiles Obopay based on an interview with CEO Carol Realini. Gustin writes "Obopay's service is simple. For 10 cents, anyone with a cell phone can send up to $1,000 per week to anyone else with a cell phone. No bank account or credit card is required, and the company plans to raise the limit."

Mark Jewell, AP Business Writer, reports on TJX Cos. earnings report - including a "$118 million charge due to costs from a massive breach of customer data, mostly to build up a reserve to cover estimated future expenses." The full press release is here - with the company stating "This charge includes $11 million (after tax), or $.02 per share, for costs incurred during the quarter, as well as a reserve of $107 million (after tax), or $.23 per share, for the Company's exposure to potential losses." On January 17, 2007, TJX announced it had "suffered an unauthorized intrusion into its computer systems that process and store information related to customer transactions."

Diamond Management & Technology Consultants has announced results of a new report titled "Seismic Shifts in the Health/Wealth Landscape" that concludes that "the demand from consumers and employers for a better health/wealth experience -- from saving and paying for healthcare to making informed choices about treatment alternatives -- is creating $40 billion in new revenue opportunities for financial services firms and healthcare companies over the next five years.   » Continue Reading

Katherine M. Porter, Associate Professor at the University of Iowa's College of Law, has written an article titled "Bankrupt Profits: The Credit Industry's Business Model for Postbankruptcy Lending" that "examines what the credit industry's behavior toward recently bankrupt families reveals about its internal profit models and the likely causes of consumer bankruptcy."

Yodlee and Andera have announced "a strategic alliance that will unite best-of-breed technologies to provide retail financial institutions with the most comprehensive online account opening and funding solution in the market. Under the terms of the agreement, Andera will be the exclusive provider of account opening technology to Yodlee, and Yodlee will be the exclusive provider of account verification and funds transfer technology to Andera, with the combined solution being available from both companies to all financial institutions." Andera CEO Charlie Kroll provides more background on the alliance on his blog.   » Continue Reading

Dave Birch blogs that he will be chairing a two-day International E-Finance Intensive organized by E-Finance & Payments Law & Policy taking place in London on the 5th and 6th November 2007. "The event will look at the key regulatory, policy and legal challenges facing today's payment professionals and will focus on all sorts of areas of interest ranging from prepaid and money transfer to SEPA and the PSD."

• India: mChek mobile payments platform commercially launched
• Computerworld: Visa warns of higher fees for merchants who don't meet PCI deadline
• Hypercom Introduces High Security PIN Pad for Multiple Terminal Brands
• BBC: New Barclaycard is touch-and-pay
• American Express and American Airlines Partner to Add Admirals Club(R) Lounge Access for Platinum Card(R) & Centurion(R) Members
• WSJ: Amex Cardholders Get Access To American Airlines Clubs
• VeriFone Appoints Eitan Raff to Board of Directors
• Metavante Becomes Online Bill Payment Provider to Corporate Network eCom