The issue here is mandatory arbitration clauses in US credit card issuer agreements. Leslie Gevirtz reports for Reuters that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has 'reinstated a class-action suit Friday against a group of banks that force their credit card customers to use arbitration instead of the courts to settle disputes.' The court's full decision is available online.

In an article titled 'MasterCard CEO gets paid $11 million for 2007', Madlen Read reports for the AP that 'MasterCard Inc.'s president and chief executive, Robert W. Selander, received compensation valued at $11 million in 2007.' Details are included in MasterCard's recent Schedule 14A filing with the SEC.

In an article titled "RBI to regulate MasterCard, Visa and Western Union", India's Economic Times reports on a draft proposal posted to the Reserve Bank of India's website today implementing provisions of India's Payment and Settlement Systems Act of 2007 that would require "every person desirous of commencing or carrying on a payment system ... [to] submit an application to the Reserve Bank for authorization." READ MORE »

Last Friday, the Irish Payment Services Organization held its National Payments Conference 2008. The conference presentations are available online. I found the Nordea presentation (but it's not about Ireland!) particularly interesting.

Fiserv and SunTrust have announced 'they will donate one tree for every SunTrust customer who signs up for electronic bill (e-bill) activation or pays at least three bills online or via a mobile phone between April 14 and June 30, 2008. With assistance from the Arbor Day Foundation, Fiserv and SunTrust have set a goal of planting more than 10,000 trees as part of the campaign.' READ MORE »

• A Chat With Sanjay Swamy - CEO of mChek
• TheStreet.com: Credit-Card Debt: The Next Possible Implosion
• Bank Systems & Technology: MCNB Banks Unlocks the Potential of Electronic Check Capture