In an article titled "As Economy Slows, Lenders Begin to Curb Credit Cards", Eric Dash writes for the New York Times about actions being taken by US credit card issuers to cut back new credit card offers and existing credit lines. Dash writes: "Lenders are shunning consumers already in debt and cutting credit limits for existing cardholders, especially those who live in areas ravaged by the housing crisis or who work in troubled industries."

The Conference Board has announced that its Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had improved moderately in September, fell to an all-time low in October. The Index now stands at 38.0 (1985=100), down from 61.4 in September. The Present Situation Index decreased to 41.9 from 61.1 last month. The Expectations Index declined to 35.5 from 61.5 in September. READ MORE

Macerich has announced that it, in partnership with American Express, is introducing the "Give Green" Gift Card. Calling the card "something brand new in the shopping center industry, every purchase of a Give Green Gift Card benefits American Forests, the nation's oldest nonprofit citizen conservation organization, which is dedicated to growing a healthier world through healthier forest ecosystems." READ MORE

AurionPro Solutions Ltd. and IP Commerce have announced they are forming a joint venture called PriorityCommerce to build payment-enabled applications tailored to the needs of small and medium businesses in the U.S. READ MORE

Members of the Canadian payment card industry - Interac Association, MasterCard Canada, Inc., Visa Canada and many of their respective card issuers and payment processors - have released positive insight and observations from the industry trial of chip technology being conducted in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. READ MORE

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