TSYS has announced it is now certified to support open-loop prepaid cards in Europe on the MasterCard network. The certification includes capability for chip-and-PIN processing on MasterCard's network.

GE Money (formerly GE Consumer Finance) is holding a security analysts' meeting today in New York City. Copies of presentations by Dave Nissen, President and CEO of GE Money, and other members of the senior management team are available online.

YeePay has announced a partnership with the largest online retailer in China - Dang Dang, to provide exclusive payment service for Dang Dang Mall (mall.dangdang.com), a new online store hosting program that allows merchants to sell their goods through Dang Dang's network.

US Bank Canada has announced it has acquired CIBC's Visa purchasing and Visa corporate credit card portfolio. U.S. Bank Canada is a division of U.S. Bank, which is a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, one of the world's largest issuers of Visa commercial cards.

CIGNA HealthCare has announced HealthePass, "a comprehensive new solution designed to simplify and improve payment processes to help patients anticipate and manage their health care costs, shorten provider revenue cycle and help address patient bad debt."

Cardways.com has announced the launch of its new Web site that offers consumers the opportunity to customize gift cards and greeting cards, allowing them to add their own personal touch to an already popular gift.

Prosper has announced that its membership has topped the 100,000 mark and that it has generated more than $20 million in loans since launching in February 2006.

Moneyweb reports on how First National Bank in South Africa has enabled prepaid electricity, telephone and cellular phone services to people in even the remotest of areas using their mobile phones. "FNB has recognized the huge uptake of cellphones in South Africa, estimated at about 30 million users, and invested heavily over the past two years towards a technology that enables people to transact using any cellphone device on any mobile network."

Arcot Systems has announced a partnership with Yodlee to deliver multi-factor authentication capabilities with the full suite of Yodlee’s solutions and services.

We have received news of the following recent management changes:

• Robert R. Craig has been named executive vice president and general manager of eCommerce Services at Online Resources Corporation. Craig most recently served as head of business development for First Data's remittance processing business.
• Kazem Aminaee has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager, Hypercom EMEA.

According to the latest Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index survey, one in five (19 percent) consumers report that they have had their financial information stolen including a bank or credit card number. Approximately one in seven (14 percent) say they have had their personal information stolen, such as a birth certificate, driver's license or Social Security number. Combined, 26 percent of Americans report being the victim of one type of theft, while 7 percent report experiencing both.

• Bolton Landing man wins MasterCard "Priceless" ad contest
• Comdata® Acquires HQ Gift Cards, LLC
• Safeway Installs New Equipment to Protect Financial Privacy of Shoppers With Visual Impairments
• Acxiom Announces New Canadian Data Centre
• Frost National Bank’s Paul Olivier to Chair PULSE® Financial Institution Oversight Committee
• ACS Adds U.S. Bank as Custodial Choice for HSA Partners and Clients
• SkyeTek’s Readers Enable Cashless Payment at Cold-Drink Vending Machines
• INSIDE’s microread® Addresses the Requirements Needed to Bring NFC Technology to Consumer Electronic Devices on a Mass-Market Scale
• Merchants Says MasterCard Interchange Rates Only One Piece of Puzzle
• Viewpoint: Banks Should Not Have to Monitor MSBs
• ADP Signs Agreement to Acquire Taxware From First Data