Andrew Martin writes for the New York Times about how industry experts see US credit card issuers reacting to legislation likely to be approved shortly that would curtail certain fees and practices. One industry spokesman says "it will be a different business." Others see "transactors" (those who pay off their credit card bills in full each month) as losing some of their current benefits - and, perhaps, having to start paying new annual fees, etc.

TSYS has announced that it has signed an agreement with TransCash Corporation to launch a prepaid money transfer card. The prepaid card will initially be launched in France during Q3 2009 and will be sold by Midi France Telecom. To coincide with the agreement, TSYS has opened a new office in Paris to support the company’s expansion into France. READ MORE »

Suki Kim writes an op-ed for the New York Times titled "Notes From Another Credit Card Crisis" that looks at the experience of South Korea - where credit card debt exploded in the early years of this decade.

Kim writes: "South Korea managed to weather the storm, albeit with no shortage of heartbreak. Today Seoul’s neon-lighted streets burst with credit-card friendly shops — but high household debt has depressed spending."

Socialwise, Inc. has announced the launch of BillMyParents, an online youth payment system that the company says "gives teens the freedom to shop online and parents the control over these purchases--all in a simple, automated system that keeps credit card numbers and other personal information safe and secure." READ MORE »

MasterCard has announced "a marketing and consumer education campaign that speaks directly to U.S. Hispanic consumers. As part of its ongoing efforts to educate consumers about the value of its myriad of payment products, MasterCard released a new 30-second Spanish language Priceless commercial entitled “Quebradita.” The commercial emphasizes how consumers can better manage their money through the use of debit and prepaid MasterCard cards. Translated as “little break,” quebradita is a modern, acrobatic Latin American dance style recognizable by its western clothing, hat tricks and daring flips." READ MORE »

• Blackhawk Network Honors Partners for Excellence in Prepaid Card Industry
• NetBanker: Wells Fargo launches native iPhone app
• WSJ.com: FDIC Weighs Fee That Would Hit Big Banks Harder
• Reuters: Credit card backlash bill comes due in U.S. Senate
• WSJ.com: American Express to Cut 4,000 Jobs
• Zong Blog: Mobile payment user demographics: Myth vs Fact
• The Consumerist: Credit Crunch: Advanta Shuts Down Small Business Credit Card Accounts
• Washington Post: Montgomery County Council to Vote on Pay-by-Cellphone Parking Meters
• Digital Transactions: NRF Exec: Non-Credit Card Discounts Have a ’50-50’ Chance
• BancTec, Inc. :: BancTec Launches Consulting Management Services to Provide Decision Support in Finance and Working Capital Management Optimization
• Bling Nation Names Shannon Goldman as Head of Sales
• CreditCards.com: How does America's credit card debt stack up?
• BankInfoSecurity.com: Top Trends in ACH Fraud
• OneIndia.com: Sanjay Swamy Interview - All About Mchek
• Heartland Payment Systems CEO Bob Carr Honored with 2009 Beta Gamma Sigma Award for Entrepreneurship
• Discover Card Pays Tribute to U.S. Troops by Offering Military Members and Their Families Double Cashback Bonus on Purchases Made at U.S. Military Bases Worldwide
• VeriFone Announces QX1000 Plug-and-Play Advanced Contactless Solution
• Codemasters Chooses CyberSource U.K. for Payment Management Services