Thanks Again, a merchant-funded reward network, and RocketBux, a mobile advertising company, have announced a partnership to enable Thanks Again registered consumers and participating merchants to interact via mobile messaging. The partnership will allow consumers to enroll in the Thanks Again Rewarding Merchant Program via mobile phone and receive scannable, barcoded coupons triggered by card transaction data. In addition, Thanks Again will be providing their participating merchant and reward partners the ability to communicate to the consumer base via opt-in mobile messaging. READ MORE »

Chris Skinner writes that he's found the "first Bank 2.0. It's Spanish. It's BBVA." More information - including some snazzy screenshots of how the online bank looks on an Apple iPhone - on BBVA's developer's website - Strands. Earlier this year, Strands acquired both NetworthIQ and Expensr.

YALAMANCHILI International and ANZ have announced signing a 5 year agreement for YALAMANCHILI to provide prepaid processing services to ANZ in the Asia Pacific region. The first prepaid card program issued under this agreement is the ANZ Stadium Visa payWave card. The card will be the first reloadable, prepaid contactless card in Australia and will be launched at ANZ Stadium in Sydney for the Bledisloe Cup on 26 July, 2008. READ MORE »

APACS, the UK payments association, has released figures showing that the number of adults using online banking in the UK has increased by 505% in the past seven years from less than 3.5 million in 2000 to just over 21 million last year. READ MORE »

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