If you're an iPhone or iPod touch user, here's a reminder - we've put together a custom version of our main Payments News page for easy viewing on the iPhone and iPod touch. Trust me, it does look really good!

To view the iPhone-optimized page, open Safari on your iPhone or iPod touch and go to the following URL: http://paymentsnews.com/m.

You can then save it as an icon to your home screen for easy re-opening. (Note: If you're curious what was involved in creating the iPhone version, see this article on my personal blog.)

Following some recent press coverage of fees associated with the use of unemployment benefits cards in some states, the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA), a non-profit, inter-industry trade association created to advance the success of branded prepaid cards, (cards usable wherever American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa cards are accepted), has issued consumer tips for having a positive experience with unemployment benefits cards. READ MORE »

JCB has announced the appointment of Mr. Koremitsu Sannomiya as President and Chief Operating Officer at its annual shareholders' meeting in Tokyo. Mr. Sannomiya succeeds Mr. Kenji Seto, who has served in the position since June 2007. Mr. Sannomiya will report to Mr. Tamio Takakura, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. READ MORE »

A new study sponsored by Fiserv has found that "consumers who pay bills online are more profitable and loyal to their financial institution due to their use of online bill pay services. Customers who began using online bill payment during the course of the study delivered 15 to 20 percent more profit to their financial institution when compared to similar customers who did not adopt the online service. Further, customers who paid bills online were 76 percent less likely to churn or leave the financial institution." READ MORE »

Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) and Metavante Technologies have announced that the boards of directors of both companies have approved a definitive agreement under which FIS will acquire Metavante. Under the terms of the agreement, Metavante shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 1.35 shares of FIS common stock for each share of Metavante common stock they own. The pro forma enterprise value of the combined company is approximately US$10 billion. A webcast and slide presentation are available online. READ MORE »

MasterCard Europe has announced that it had reached an understanding with the European Commission on interim interchange fees for cross-border consumer payments within the European Economic Area (EEA). New interchange fees will be set for these transactions while the company pursues its appeal of the Commission’s December 2007 decision regarding interchange. MasterCard Europe had temporarily reduced these fees to zero in June 2008 in order to ensure its conformity with the decision. READ MORE »

• Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com: Dodd shocks lobbyists on credit cards
• The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com: Merchants Start Campaign in Battle Over Credit-Card Fees
• Givex Gift Card Programs Certifies Master Merchant Systems
• Digits - WSJ: Web 2.0 Expo: PayPal Says Online Fraud Rising in Recession
• CNNMoney.comCredit card write-downs hit record high
• The PayPal Blog: PayPal Mobile Team at CTIA Wireless
• FS-ISAC Aligns with Leading Certification Bodies to Offer Members Discounts on Professional Training and Certification
• MoneyGram Significantly Increases Money Transfer Presence in Philippines
• StorefrontBacktalk: It May be Time to Switch Card Processors
• Computerworld: PCI security standard gets ripped at House hearing
• New Mercator Advisory Group Report: Debit Processing in the United States: A Focus on Issuer Solutions
• Fundtech Survey Finds Almost 40% of Small- to Mid-Size U.S. Banks Not Happy With Current ACH System