ReadWriteWeb reports on Visa's new Mobile Application for Google's Android-powered mobile handsets. Visa Mobile delivers three services - Alerts, Offers, and Locator - to help find merchants and Visa ATM's. The Visa mobile website says that it is available now for select Chase Visa cardholders. An FAQ is available. READ MORE »

The US Census Bureau has reported that US retail trade sales declined 2% in November from October and declined 8.5% below November 2007. Motor vehicle and parts dealers sales were down 25.2% from November 2007 and gasoline stations sales were down 22.0% from last year.

APACS has announced that, "following a successful meeting on 11 December between the [UK] credit card industry and Government, real changes for credit card holders who may be struggling to make their regular payments are announced. This delivers on the industry’s commitment to draw up new principles made at the credit card summit on 26 November. APACS has published a fact sheet to explain exactly what has been agreed and what the changes mean for credit card holders."

As the Guardian reports, earlier UK credit card "lenders were given two weeks to come up with a set of "fair principles" and warned that the Office for Fair Trading would be asked to investigate if they failed to agree on a plan." READ MORE »

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