U.S. Bank has announced that it is "the first card issuer in the United States to pilot an innovative new product that allows cardholders to use a single card for traditional magnetic stripe purchases, Visa payWave transactions and to gain access to secure facilities. U.S. Bank is currently piloting the program with employees in Minneapolis. Those involved in the pilot can make purchases and enter their secure work location using a U.S. Bank AccelaPay Visa Card, a prepaid payroll account. The cards contain the MicroPass 4006 platform consisting of two applications: the Visa payWave application, which allows for contactless payment at the point of sale, and the HID iCLASS application, which allows for contactless access to secure facilities at U.S. Bank." READ MORE »

Billeo and NetSpend have announced an online service designed to help consumers pay their bills using their NetSpend cards, giving them access to financial tools that the majority of Americans now enjoy. Under the terms of the agreement, consumers that have a NetSpend card will be able to access a searchable online directory of billers that accept the card. Billeo will also provide a free, downloadable toolbar to help cardholders manage their bills. READ MORE »

In an article titled "Amex chief sticks to playing cards he knows", Matthew Garrahan writes for the Financial Times about American Express and CEO Ken Chenault.

Mr Chenault says: “In a crisis what you don’t do is hunker in the bunker. I’m very focused on the core advantages of our business model, what changes need to be made . . . and how to emerge stronger.”

Sony Music has announced it has signed an agreement with GlobalCollect and Materna GmbH to create a retail offering on its labels’ artist websites across the EMEA region to enable consumers to download digital content. According to the two companies, Sony Music is using GlobalCollect’s portfolio of local and international payment methods to facilitate all related e-payment transactions. With the help of a widget, Sony Music is driving traffic directly to the website of an artist to allow fans to share information and to download the artist’s repertoire. GlobalCollect’s single-interface online payment platform, WebCollect, offers fans a broad array of payment products from credit cards to alternative payment methods to purchase MP3 music downloads. At a later stage, the e-commerce offer will be expanded to include artist merchandise, concert tickets, and more. READ MORE »

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