Andrea-Marie Vassou writes for Computeract!ve about a decision by HSBC to not deploy to customers chip card readers that other major banks in the UK are deploying to help deal with online banking and ecommerce fraud.

Kerry Miller reports for Business Week about a two-year-old company called National Payment Card that enables payments using a consumer's driver's license and a PIN - with the transaction linked directly to the consumers checking account. According to Miller, "NPC started piloting the patent-pending technology at a handful of gas stations in Texas this January. Since then the company has signed contracts to roll out the system to five regional convenience store chains starting in June."

Ephraim Schwartz writes for InfoWorld about plans by American Express to "launch a consumer service in the fourth quarter that will give American Express cardholders access to American Express's own negotiated rates for thousands of products that it buys annually."

Yesterday, Visa announced that Joseph W. Saunders would be the chairman and chief executive officer of Visa Inc. The San Jose Mercury News personal finance reporter Mark Schwanhausser interviewed Saunders yesterday.

Metavante has announced it is expanding its Points2U rewards program to include its online bill payment service. Financial institutions now have the option of deploying an integrated rewards program for any combination of credit, debit or electronic bill payment services.   » Continue Reading

ID Analytics has announced it has closed $20 million in a Series C financing that was led by Investor Growth Capital and included existing investors Canaan Partners, Trinity Ventures and Mission Ventures.   » Continue Reading

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